The Slave Who Became a Gladiator

What we do in life echoes in eternity

Maximus, “Gladiator”

“Gladiator” is a breath-taking historical drama starring Russell Crowe as general Maximus

directed by Ridley Scott. “Gladiator” claimed five Oscars at the 73 rd Academy Awards and was nominated
for an additional seven. The world premiere occurred on May 1, 2000.

According to The New York Times “Gladiator” is the first Roman cinema spectacular to be made
by Hollywood since the end of the cold war. The movie received both negative and positive feedbacks,
but its popularity has had great influence on interest in Roman and classical history in the USA.

The plot is both fictional and based on real-life events. Ridley Scott has had an intention to
represent the atmosphere of the Roman Empire as authentically as possible. The protagonist general
Maximus is a composite character inspired by actual historical figures. Marcus Aurelius and Commodus
are real Roman political leaders, but their biographies were totally rearranged. At the beginning of the
story, Commodus betrays and kills his own father, the Rome emperor. Maximus refuses to swear
allegiance to the traitor, and the new ruler sentences him and his family to death. The general manages
to escape but the soldiers kill his wife and son. After this tragedy, he becomes a slave and then, thanks
to his fighting skills, a gladiator. He is eager to return back to Rome and to challenge Commodus to fight.

The main reason I like this film is the splendid acting of Russel Crowe. He has won an Academy
Award as best actor in a leading role, and for good reason. In his interview for Inside the Actors Studio
he told that he was really excited to participate in the movie-making and that he has “always been a big
fan of Ridley’s.” His character is a strong-willed person who never shows weakness in the face of mortal
danger or severe battle. We can see suffering in his eyes but never in his actions. Still, the viewers may
notice small signs of his true feelings implemented by scriptwriters or by the actor himself. The way he
touches soil before fighting is the symbol of the connection between his soul and home. Crowe has
written the speech about Maximus’ home based on his own experience of homesickness for his farm in
Nana Glen, a small Australian village. The American Film Institute included this character in the list “100
Years… 100 Heroes Villains” as one of the greatest screen heroes.

The other thing about “Gladiator” worth mentioning is the music. The Oscar-nominated score
was created by Hans Zimmer together with Lisa Gerrard. Deep and solemn sounds perfectly fit in tense
atmosphere of arenas and dark palace rooms. The composers were awarded a Golden Globe for the
best original score. As for me, the most touching musical piece is “Now We are Free.” At the end of the
movie, it is rather difficult to hold back the tears because of the amazing synthesis of music and the final
scene.

Although Maximus is a fictional character, you believe in his story thanks to the full
commitment of Russel Crowe and a well-considered screenplay. “What we do in life echoes in
eternity”… This phrase best reflects the central idea of “Gladiator”: the actions and aspirations of one
person can change the course of history if there is something to fight for.