Oscar Road Leads to Rome

The Associated Press

"Gladiator," the best-picture Oscar winner, emphasized democracy over domination in ancient Roman politics.

How fitting that the major honors Sunday were divided among a wealth of contenders, rather than the usual Oscar-night scenario in which one film muscles out the others.

Julia Roberts won best actress for "Erin Brockovich," and the evening was a coronation of sorts for Hollywood's biggest female star.

"I love it here!" she squealed, her voice quavering during her acceptance speech.

Roberts had not been an Oscar contender since back-to-back nods a decade ago for "Steel Magnolias" and "Pretty Woman." Thumbing her nose at the 45-second time limit for acceptance speeches Sunday, she ordered that the clock be turned off "because I may never be here again." She went on for about three minutes.

"Gladiator's" other big triumph was best actor Russell Crowe, nominated last year for "The Insider" and a victor this time for his brooding take on the fallen Roman general Maximus. Crowe praised his "Gladiator" director.

"Really, folks, I owe this to one bloke, and his name is Ridley Scott," said the actor, a New Zealand native who grew up in Australia.

Three of this year's best-picture runners-up grabbed top Oscars: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Erin Brockovich" and "Traffic." The fifth contender, "Chocolat," had five nominations but lost on all.

Steven Soderbergh won the directing honor for "Traffic," a gritty, documentary-style drama about the war on drugs.

Soderbergh had a second directing nod for "Erin Brockovich," and some Oscar analysts had expected he might lose by splitting his own vote.

"All of you must know that I really didn't anticipate this," Soderbergh said backstage. "I didn't see it coming."

Ang Lee had seemed the favorite for best director for "Crouching Tiger." Lee had won the Directors Guild of America honor, and it was only the fifth time in the 53-year history of the guild's awards that the winner failed to also take the Oscar.

The Oscars for supporting actor roles went to Benicio Del Toro for "Traffic" and Marcia Gay Harden for "Pollock."

Harden and "Pollock" star and director Ed Harris had been surprise nominees for the searing but relatively obscure drama about abstract painter Jackson Pollock. Harris spent 10 years trying to get the film made.

"Ed Harris, thank you for inviting me to share your passion," said Harden, who played Pollock's wife, the painter Lee Krasner. "You are a brave director and even a braver actor, and I love you."

"Gladiator's" five Oscars were followed by "Crouching Tiger" and "Traffic" with four each. "Gladiator" had led the nominations with 12, while "Crouching Tiger" had 10 and "Traffic" five.

"Crouching Tiger's" wins included best foreign-language film, cinematography and original score.

"Traffic," based on a British miniseries, won the adapted screenplay Oscar for writer Stephen Gaghan. The honor for original screenplay went to Cameron Crowe for his rock 'n' roll memoir "Almost Famous."

"The movie was a love letter to music and my family, so I dedicate this to all musicians who inspire us," said Crowe, who based the film on his experiences as a teen-age rock journalist.

Bob Dylan won the best-song Oscar for "Things Have Changed," the theme tune from "Wonder Boys."

While "Gladiator" director Scott, co-star Joaquin Phoenix and the film's writers were shut out, the movie's creators had cause to celebrate. The movie had the majestic scope that the academy often favors, but some critics felt it lacked the writing and acting heft that helps make a best picture.

It also was released in May, running counter to Hollywood conventional wisdom that academy voters gravitate toward prestige films that come out toward year's end.

But after grossing $450 million worldwide, the biggest commercial success in the best-picture field, "Gladiator" also proved durable with awards voters.

The movie's other wins were for visual effects, costume design and sound.

"It takes a lot of people to make a Colosseum, but it only takes one or two to mess it up," said Douglas Wick, a producer on "Gladiator." "To all the wizards who brought to life the sights, sounds and citizens of a faraway world, we should take a chisel to this statue and give you your fair share."

In undertaking the first Roman spectacle since gladiator flicks fell out of favor in the mid-1960s, size really mattered for Scott and company. The filmmakers wanted something grander and more authentic even than the greatest of the old Roman epics, such as "Ben-Hur" or "Spartacus."

"Gladiator's" huge edifices and panoramic views of Rome would have been impossible to build even with the film's $100 million budget. Digital effects allowed the filmmakers to construct only portions of sets, then complete them in post-production with computer imagery.

The Colosseum seats were filled with 2,000 live extras and 33,000 computer-created spectators. Legions of warriors in the savage opening battle, when Maximus exhorts his troops to "unleash hell," were augmented by digitally reproducing the extras.

It was the second straight best-picture win for Hollywood's newest studio, DreamWorks, formed in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.

Last year, DreamWorks won best-picture honors for "American Beauty."

DreamWorks distributed "Gladiator" domestically, while producing partner Universal handled the film's overseas release. It was Universal's seventh best-picture honor and the first since Spielberg's "Schindler's List" in 1993.

For all of "Gladiator's" technical wizardry, the filmmakers credited a flesh-and-blood actor for much of the movie's success.

"Russell Crowe," said producer Wick, "put the human back in the hero."

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