Readers of BBC News Online have given a big thumbs up to Gladiator triumphing at this year's Academy Awards on 25 March.

In our Oscars poll, Russell Crowe took 58% of the votes in the best actor category for his role as the enslaved General Maximus in the epic drama.

This is just one more plaudit for the New Zealand-born actor who has been hailed as the movie world's latest big thing.

Ang Lee (r) could he be a threat to Ridley Scott in the best director category

Crowe was way ahead of the field in this category, with Tom Hanks trailing at 20% of the vote for his performance in Castaway.

Click here to see the BBC News Online poll winners in full.

Geoffrey Rush won 9%, Ed Harris 7% and Javier Bardem 6% of the votes for their movies Quills, Pollock and Before Night Falls.

If the BBC News Online poll is anything to go by Crowe will walk away with the Oscar on Sunday.

Crowe has been credited with reviving the classic hero in this role, but that credit is perhaps due to Gladiator director Ridley Scott.

Scott drew on sophisticated technology and cinematic experience gained on films like Blade Runner to create an extremely slick product.

Could this be the year Julia Roberts wins an Oscar?

BBC News Online readers gave British-born Scott 36% of their votes but the vote was close.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon director Ang Lee is close on his heels with 32% of the vote.

The Taiwanese-born director's mandarin-language film has been an enormous box-office hit.

Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry gets 15% of your vote, followed by Steven Soderbergh, whose vote has been split between his two nominated films Erin Brockovich and Traffic.

His combined result for the two films is 17% but breaks down to 6% for Erin and 11% for Traffic, something that could happen on the big night as well.

Gladiator is way ahead of the field in the best picture category as well, garnering 48% of the vote.

BBC News Online's best director Ridley Scott (r)

Crouching Tiger comes in second with only 29% of the vote, followed by Traffic at 11%, Erin Brockovich at 10% and a tiny showing for Chocolat at 5%.

But the category BBC News Online readers are most sure about is the one for best actress.

Julia Roberts gets a massive 66% of the vote for her role as the sassy working class heroine in Erin Brockovich.

Nobody else gets near, but Juliette Binoche comes in second with 18% for Chocolat, Ellen Burstyn 7% for drugs movie Requiem for a Dream with Laura Linney and Joan Allen trailing at 5 and 4% respectively.

Best actor - number of votes 3762

Russell Crowe 58%

Tom Hanks 20%

Geoffrey Rush 9%

Ed Harris 7%

Javier Bardem 6%

Best actress - number of votes 3479

Julia Roberts 66%

Juliette Binoche 18%

Ellen Burstyn 7%

Joan Allen 5%

Laura Linney 4%

Best director - number of votes 3679

Ridley Scott 36%

Ang Lee 32%

Stephen Daldry 15%

Stephen Soderbergh - Erin Brockovich 6%

Stephen Soderbergh -Traffic 11%

Best picture - number of votes 4661

Gladiator 48%

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 29%

Traffic 11%

Erin Brockovich 10%

Chocolat 5%

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