After an absence of more than 30 years, the Roman Empire returns to the big screen in spectacular style with the latest Ridley Scott film, "Gladiator." The 103 million dollar mega-production from Dreamworks studios released Friday, May 5, in U.S. theaters and is already destined to be one of the summer blockbusters.

Scott admits that it was a gamble to revive the classic Hollywood genre of epics from the ancient world. "My first thought was basically: ick. All I could see was togas, sandals and permed hair," he said.

The genre expired in the sixties after masterpieces like "Ben-Hur" (1959), "Spartacus" (1960) and "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964). But the director of "Blade Runner" and "Alien" says he was inspired to pursue the project by the 19th century painting "Pollice Verso", by Jean-Leon Gerome, depicting a gladiator crushing an opponent under foot on the floor of the coliseum. "From that picture alone I thought, that's a great world to open up," the British filmmaker said.

The film opens in 180 A.D., with Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) on his death bad and determined to restore Rome to a republic by handing the succession to his faithful and valiant general, Maximus (Russell Crowe).

When the emperor's intentions are revealed, his neurotic son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) murders his father, seizes power and gives orders for the execution of his rival. Maximus escapes but his family is decimated.

He is later captured and sold into slavery to a troop of gladiators in the empire's African territory. Thrown into the brutal world of the arena, "he then realizes that the only way to stay alive is to kill", said Russell Crowe.

A fierce and successful fighter, Maximus is brought to the heart of the Imperial Roman empire, and thrust into the Coliseum, where the new Emperor Commodus has decreed 150 days of games in an attempt to win the favor of the people. Face to face with his enemy at last, Maximus thinks of nothing but satisfying his thirst for vengeance.

Scott, 63, describes the film as a "post-modern Roman epic", part psychodrama, and part political thriller. "Filmmaking 40 years ago tended to be much more theatrical," he said. "That's nice, but I wanted to get inside, to do something about real people who had real predicaments, as you would see in a contemporary movie."

Crow, as Maximus, plays a gallant gladiator who is bruised and laconic. "He is a real actor. Russell has an uncanny way of internalizing a role, and he's naturally very physical, which is a perfect combination for the part. There is an animal here," Scott commented.

In the course of the filming, part of ancient Rome and the first two levels of the Coliseum were reconstructed on the Mediterranean island of Malta. Upper levels, the crowds in the stands and the rest of the city were added using special effects. Certain particularly dangerous combat scenes, including one with tigers, were touched up with computers.

With its heroic, buff gladiators and crowds of fans, "Gladiator" resembles at times a huge, modern sporting event, in an echo of our society of spectacles.

"Entertainment has frequently been used as a tool of leaders as a means to distract an abused citizenry," Scott remarked.