Gladiator - Movie Review

The film Gladiator took place in the time period of the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 A.D.) and the reign of Commodus (180-192 A.D.). The film started off with the Romans preparing to fight the Germanic tribes. The Germans arrive and the fighting quickly begins. When the Germans shot arrows at the Romans, they strategized and got into a turtle formation, and the Germans eventually fell to the Romans.

Marcus Aurelius awards Maximus calling him Rome's greatest general and is very proud of him. As all of this praising is happening, Commodus gets very jealous of everyone looking up to Maximus. Marcus Aurelius soon sent for Maximus and told him he wants him to be in power and return Rome to a republic after his death. Maximus turns down the offer because he just wants to go home. Thinking selfishly, Commodus strangles his own father so he could go into power. "The monstrous views of Commodus have cast a shade on the purity of his father's virtues" (Gibbons Ch.4, p.42). Maximus knows that Commodus killed his father and Commodus orders the execution of Maximus' family because Maximus would not accept him as emperor. Soldiers were sent to kill Maximus, but he escapes.

Maximus steals a horse and tries to return home to save his wife and son. Maximus finally returns home to find his wife and son hung dead by their necks. Maximus then passed out in tears. After he was passed out, he woke up to be carried by slaves to find out he was being bought to fight in the gladiator arena. Maximus keeps being told that he only has little time left to live as a gladiator, and he will be killed in battle. "Gladiators were formed into special units" (Birley ch.8, p.218). Soon enough Maximus goes into battle and is recognized for his skill and capability to compete as a gladiator.

After his second appearance in battle, he is loved by the people for his fighting skills and they continue to chant his name. As the fighting begins in the Roman Coliseum, Emperor Commodus is acknowledged by the crowd and Maximus discussed strategy with the other gladiators to stay as one and battle together. As the slaves win the battle, Maximus' talent in fighting gets the attention of Commodus, and Commodus decides he would like to meet him. Maximus removes his mask and tells Commodus his name, Maximus Decimous Meridious, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, and he will have his revenge. Commodus is at a loss of words and is shook up when he finds out that the gladiator is Maximus. Commodus then gives his men the thumbs up, to keep Maximus alive.

In the next battle, Commodus sends out someone specifically to kill Maximus and Maximus defeats him as well and now Commodus is furious with what is going on and he comes out in the arena to speak with Maximus and he is frustrated how Maximus just will not die. Commodus talked down at Maximus and Maximus stood there like a brave man and told him "the time for honoring yourself will soon come to an end".

Lucilla has been trying to help Maximus through the situation between him and her brother, Commodus. She puts in a valiant effort to help Maximus stay alive because she knows that Commodus is planning his execution. She visits Maximus and tells him he must leave at midnight and Proximo will lead him out to the gates where Cicero will be waiting with horses. Commodus soon realizes that his own sister, Lucilla, is helping Maximus escape from death. Later in the night, Commodus' men come for Maximus and Proximo gave Maximus the keys to escape. As the other slaves battle with Commodus' men, Maximus escapes underground while Proximo is murdered. As Maximus gets outside, Cicero is killed and the plan was foiled.

On the following day at the coliseum, Maximus' name is being called out by the crowd once again. While the chanting goes on, Maximus is chained down inside the arena and Commodus is having words with him, "the general who became a slave, the slave who became a gladiator, the gladiator who defied an emperor". Commodus tries to act tough and tells him he will fight him in battle. Commodus then stabs Maximus in the side of the abdomen, trying to gain an unfair advantage and then directs his men to cover the wound and dress him for battle.

The arena coliseum is filled and the battle begins. Both Maximus and Commodus begin sparring and Maximus is fighting with an unfair advantage. Maximus then gains control of both swords. Maximus puts down both swords and continues to beat Commodus with his hands. Soon after, Maximus defeats Commodus and Commodus is dead. Immediately after, Maximus orders for the prisoners to be freed, because those are the wishes of Marcus Aurelius. A minute after, Maximus falls to the ground and passes away. He is then told by Lucilla to go and reunite with his wife and son...in the after life.

However, Hollywood tends to exaggerate different situations and this film was a little bit different then what real history tells. In the film Gladiator, Marcus Aurelius was killed by his very own son, Commodus because Commodus wanted the thrown and knew he was not going to be emperor. According to author Pat Southern, "Marcus' problems were not all military. Beginning probably in the 160's, there was a recurrent plague of unknown origin which killed off innumerable civilians and soldiers" (Southern Ch. 2, p.18). There was a plague spreading at the time of his death, but there is no definite answer. "His [Commodus] father died, possibly of the plague, at a military encampment at Bononia on the Danube on 17 March 180, leaving the Roman Empire to his nineteen-year-old son" (Roman-emperors.org 1).

In my opinion, I believe this film was both fact and fiction. The first example I would like to use is a fact and it shows that Commodus did fight as a gladiator in the past. "In this case,