"When you grow up in the suburbs of Sydney ... a dream like this seems kind of vaguely ludicrous and completely unattainable," said Crowe, who thrilled audiences with his portrayal of a general-turned-slave.
"But this moment is directly connected to those childhood imaginings. And for anyone who is on the downside of advantage and relying purely on courage, it's possible."
Sharing the hottest spotlight in Hollywood was America's sweetheart, Julia Roberts, who snagged the Best Actress award for her turn as a razor-tongued, cleavage-baring legal crusader in "Erin Brockovich."
"I love the world! I'm so happy!" Roberts gushed in her charming, rambling speech.
The actress, who had been nominated for Oscars twice before, drew applause for warning the orchestra conductor not to cut off her remarks with music.
"You're so quick with that stick, so why don't you sit because I may never be here again," she said, later exclaiming with her trademark giggle: "I love it up here."
Roberts saved her most lavish praise for director Steven Soderbergh, who beat out "Gladiator" helmer Ridley Scott to win Best Director honors for his other nominated film, "Traffic."
"You truly just made me want to be the best actor that I suppose I never knew I could be or aspire to," Roberts said.
"Gladiator," which grossed $187 million at the box office, also carted off Oscars for Best Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
The blockbuster's biggest rival, the magical martial-arts adventure "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," won three categories: Foreign Language Film, Cinematography and Art Direction.
"Traffic," the highly acclaimed drug-war flick, took four, including Best Supporting Actor for Benicio Del Toro, Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay.
"If I made up a story where someone like me ended up somewhere like this, no one would believe it," said screenwriter Stephen Gaghan, a former drug addict.
The Best Supporting Actress award went to Marcia Gay Harden for her role as artist Jackson Pollock's wife in the biopic "Pollock."
"What a thrill!" said Harden, stunning in a blood-red strapless satin gown.
The veteran stage actress – who beat out category favorite Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Judi Dench and Julie Walters – said backstage she was floored by the honor.
"It's a victory for an actress who came up in New York City and was waiting tables," she said. "I wish I could have thanked all the waiters who covered for me when I used to run out for auditions."
The big loser of the evening was the oh-so-sweet "Chocolat," which was nominated in five categories but was shut out. In other awards, the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay went to Cameron Crowe for "Almost Famous."
Rocker Bob Dylan waltzed off with the Best Song award for "Things Have Changed" from "Wonder Boys."
The Best Documentary award went to "Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport."
Director Deborah Oppoenheimer, whose mother was one of the 30,000 children shipped to safety in England during the Holocaust, dedicated the Oscar to the youngsters and "their parents who loved them so much they had the courage to send them away."
Wild-and-crazy comedian Steve Martin hosted the 73rd annual awards show broadcast on ABC – and he didn't spare the marquee names.
"There's Charlton Heston; be careful what you say to him because he thinks he was in 'Gladiator,' " he quipped about the "Ben-Hur" star.
"Ellen Burstyn did something not many actresses would do for a role in a movie," he said of the "Requiem for a Dream" actress.
"She made herself look 30 pounds heavier and 20 years older – and Russell Crowe still hit on her."
The winner of Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award was Dino DeLaurentiis, producer of "Hannibal."
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