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An on-screen graphic begins our story.
"At the height of its power the Roman Empire was vast, stretching from the deserts of Africa to the borders of northern England. Over one quarter of the world's population lived and died under the rule of the Caesars. In the winter of 180 A.D., Emperor Marcus Aurelius' twelve-year campaign against the barbarian tribes in Germania was drawing to an end. Just one final stronghold stands in the way of Roman victory and the promise of peace throughout the Empire."
That final battle takes place near what is now Vienna, Austria, as General Maximus Meridius (Russell Crowe) leads his army to a decisive victory. Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) is very pleased with Maximus' leadership and dedication to the Empire. The Emperor's son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), is not on the battlefield. He's with his sister Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and he can't stop talking about how he's going to be the next Emperor once Marcus kicks off, which is likely soon due to failing health. Commodus later does ride to the battle site and seems surprised that he missed the action.
A huge celebration takes place later at the Emperor's residence. Commodus hopes that Maximus will still want to battle for the Empire once he takes charge, but Maximus says he's just ready to go back home to his farm. Marcus then sends for Maximus, where he tells him that he desires to return the Empire back to a Republican state. Marcus is worried that he'll just be remembered as a war tyrant. He then asks Maximus to take over for him once he dies. Maximus isn't sure he's the right man and asks why not Commodus. Marcus says it's because his son is not a moral man, while Maximus not only is moral but has the respect and loyalty of the army and his subjects. He calls Maximus the son he should have had.
Outside, Lucilla intercepts Maximus walking. They apparently have a romantic history. She knows her father prefers Maximus to lead the Empire. Maximus won't confirm that.
Commodus is summoned to Marcus next. Commodus is excited as he expects this to be the official request to succeed him as Emperor. Marcus tells him that's not the case. He's asked Maximus to take over. Commodus laments this, crying about his admitted lack of battlefield experience but saying he makes up for it in ambition. Marcus apologizes for Commodus' failures, saying they are because he failed as a father. The two embrace...and Commodus suffocates his father.
Maximus is summoned to the residence. Commodus tells him that the Emperor has died, having died quietly in his sleep with no pain. Both Maximus and Lucilla seem to know Marcus died at Commodus' hand, but cannot obviously accuse him of such. Commodus, referring to himself, asks for Maximus' loyalty to the new Emperor. Maximus leaves without shaking his hand, and brings his friend, Praetorian Guard captain General Quintus (Tomas Arana), with him, although Commodus and Quintus seem to give each other a look for a moment before Quintus leaves. Lucilla slaps Commodus, but then takes his hand and salutes him as Emperor.
Maximus tells Quintus to gather the council together for an emergency meeting. He then sees Quintus is armed and asks him why. Quintus signals for guards to apprehend Maximus, telling them to ride him away from the city and execute him as ordered by the Emperor. The execution fails as Maximus fights them off, but he is wounded in the process. He rides a horse as fast as he can to his Spanish farm, but he isn't aware that Commodus also sent orders for Maximus' wife and son to be murdered, and unfortunately by the time Maximus arrives home, those orders have been carried out.
Maximus buries his wife and son before sleeping at the gravesite. He is awakened by the movement of a wagon that he's on, as he's been captured by a slave caravan who have assumed him to be a deserter. He is sold to Proximo (Oliver Reed), who plans to use him and the other slaves he's purchased as gladiators for profit where he resides in North Africa. During some initial training exercises, Maximus refuses the sword and takes several blows from the much larger Hagen (Ralf Moeller). The first tournament occurs and several of the first-timers survive, including Hagen, Maximus and Juba (Djimon Hounsou). Proximo is impressed.
Emperor Commodus travels to Rome and meets with the senators, led by Gracchus (Derek Jacobi). The senators mock Commodus a bit for his lack of battle experience and general knowledge, as Commodus doesn't want to bother hearing about the list that the senators have drawn up of issues within the Empire that are of concern to the populace. Commodus later asks Lucilla why he doesn't seem to have the love and respect of his subjects. Lucilla says it's because people love the greatness of the Roman Empire, not necessarily the man who rules it. Commodus decides to give the people something that will make them love him.
The Colosseum will host 150 days of games, most of them gladiator contests. Gracchus calls it a death show, but the people will love Commodus for it. Meanwhile, Maximus continues to dominate in his own local tournaments, ending one by throwing his sword into a viewing area and screaming, "Are you not entertained?" The people are indeed. Proximo talks to Maximus privately, asking him what he's all about. Maximus simply says he has to kill, so he does. Proximo mentions the Colosseum games and tells Maximus that he himself was once a gladiator who won his freedom from the great Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Maximus laughs and talks of his past. The two now realize they both knew Marcus. Proximo wants to bring Maximus to the Colosseum into the "big time". Maximus is all for it because this means he may be able to confront and kill Commodus while he's there.
Proximo and his charges arrive by boat to Rome. He tells Maximus to win the crowd. Commodus is pleased with his games and his popularity as a result of them, and he tells Lucilla that he's thinking about dissolving the Senate. He also makes thinly-veiled advances at his sister. Lucilla has a son, Lucius (Spencer Treat Clark), and he meets Maximus. They bond instantly. As Lucius is leaving, he tells Maximus his name, and Maximus realizes his mother is Lucilla.
Proximo's charges are taking part in a re-enactment of a battle at Carthage, and Proximo is none too happy about it because his men are playing the Carthaginians who got slaughtered (on foot, armed with spears and shields) by Rome (swordsmen and archers on horses and chariots). Proximo asks Cassius (David Hemmings), who runs the games and acts as the arena announcer, for some extra rewards since his men are all likely going to die soon, but Cassius blows him off. Maximus tells the other gladiators just before the battle begins that if they follow his leadership, they can win. Sure enough, they do win. Commodus asks about the masked leader, and Cassius says they just call him "The Spaniard". Commodus decides to meet him and heads down to the arena floor.
Maximus and the others are surrounded by the Preatorian Guard, and he is thrilled to see Commodus then start walking towards him. He prepares a weapon but then sees that Lucius has run down as well and accidentally puts himself in harm's way, so Maximus decides to not kill Commodus just yet. Commodus congratulates him on the win and asks his name. Maximus simply says his name is Gladiator, then turns and walks away. Commodus commands him to come back, reveal his mask and say his name. Maximus first removes the mask, then starts to reveal his name as he turns around. "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next." Commodus is shocked and does his best to hide his fear. Lucilla, watching up in the royal viewing area, is also stunned. The crowd chants for Maximus to live. Commodus wants to kill him, but he knows doing so now in public would ruin his reign, so he sheepily tries to quiet the crowd before reluctantly giving the thumbs-up, signifying Maximus will indeed live.
Lucilla visits Maximus in his cell, where the gladiators are kept. Maximus despises her for allowing things to develop as they did with the Empire and his family. She proclaimed she can't go against her brother, especially with him as the Emperor. She said she lives every day in fear. The people don't respect Commodus, and she wants Maximus to agree to meet someone else who also wants Commodus eliminated. Maximus tells her to leave and never come back.
Commodus decides Maximus will have a solo battle with a surprise opponent, Tigris of Gaul (Sven-Ole Thorsen). Tigris is a former gladiator who won his freedom having never lost a battle. Before the battle begins, Commodus infers to Lucilla that Maximus will lose to the undefeated Tigris one way or another, as things have been arranged. As it turns out, while Maximus has to battle Tigris, he also has to battle actual tigers that are being released on chains into the arena. Against all odds, Maximus still wins, having to kill one of the tigers along the way, but choosing NOT to kill Tigris as well. The crowd christens him "Maximus the Merciful", and Commodus is now just plain pissed off. He storms down to the arena floor as the Praetorian Guard surround Maximus. Commodus tries to provoke Maximus into attacking him, which would give him just cause to have Maximus executed publicly, but Maximus doesn't take the bait. He simply turns his back on Commodus and begins to exit, with the Praetorians showing their deference to Maximus by stepping aside for him.
While being escorted back to his cell, Maximus sees his former servant Cicero (Tommy Flanagan), who watched his last fight from the stands. Cicero tells Maximus that he still has the loyalty of his army. Meanwhile, Commodus continues to whine about how the people love Maximus and not him. He can't and won't kill Maximus because that would make a martyr out of him and have him deified. Commodus concocts another plot, which Lucilla overhears. She in turn reaches out to Gracchus and they secure a meeting with Maximus. Gracchus will help Maximus escape Rome to rejoin his army and then overtake Commodus. Maximus will then hand over the power of the Empire to the Senate as Marcus desired.
The plan is initially schedule to take place a few days later, but Commodus' paranoia causes Lucilla to rush to Maximus and tell him it needs to happen tonight. Then they kiss. Meanwhile, Commodus finds Lucius role-playing as Maximus the gladiator. Lucius says he is the "savior of Rome". Commodus decides to hang out with Lucius until Lucilla shows up, which she eventually does. Commodus says he's been looking for her. Commodus tells a bedtime story of sorts to Lucius, and the story parallels what is actually happening with Lucilla betraying Commodus, but the story can have a happy ending (i.e., Lucius won't be killed) if Lucilla spills her guts about the plan that Commodus knows has been hatched regarding Maximus.
That night as Maximus is about to leave, Praetorians descend upon the gladiators' quarters. Proximo gives all the keys to Maximus and then stalls the Praetorians at the locked front gate to give Maximus time to escape with the others. In the ensuing battle, Proximo and Hagen are killed. Maximus reaches the planned meeting point, but Praetorians are already there waiting for them, and they kill Cicero in the process.
Commodus holds the threat of death to Lucius over Lucilla's head, telling her she will sire his son, the next Emperor, and be a good wife. He's off the deep end, desperate to kill Maximus and restore his own glory. A duel is arranged between Maximus and Commodus, but while Maximus is still shackled before the duel, Commodus stabs Maximus in the side. In the process, Commodus also alludes to having killed Marcus. Quintus hears this. During the fight, Maximus manages to dodge and disarm Commodus despite the injury, which has weakened him considerably. Commodus asks the Praetorians to give him a new sword, but Quintu orders the guards to sheathe their swords and not help. Commodus produces a concealed knife, but Maximus is able to turn the blade onto Commodus instead. Commodus is killed, but Maximus is dying as well. Before he succumbs to his injury, Maximus asks that the Roman Republic be restored, the slaves be freed, and senator Gracchus be reinstated. As he dies, he envisions reuniting with his wife and son in the afterlife. Maximus' body is carried out for an honorable burial upon Lucilla's orders.
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Apparently the script was a major obstacle in making this film. It went through countless rewrites, with much of it not even finalized when shooting began. Crowe and Scott usually went with instinctual final decisions on shooting days in regards to the reality of what would be said in which scene.....The Germania battle scene in the film's opening minutes was shot in Surrey, England, in an area of forest that was scheduled to be removed. When Scott learned of this removal plan, he asked for permission to shoot the battle scene there and burn down the trees that were going to be burned down anyway. He got the OK.....Apparently, the actual gladiators of ancient Rome would do product endorsements in the arena before battling, and there is historical evidence of this. Scott was going to include this in the film but ultimately did not because despite its historical accuracy, it just seemed too outlandish.....Oliver Reed's character Proximo survived in the initial script. However, the real-life passing of Reed during filming caused his character to be rewritten as killed, so as to give his character a proper sendoff. The final scenes needed with him were shot from behind with a stand-in. The film's credits dedicate the movie to Reed.....The battle with Crowe versus the tigers was no CGI spectacle. Those tigers were real, and really there. Trainers were at the ready with heavy tranquilizer darts just in case anything went awry.....Mel Gibson turned down the Maximus role, thinking he was too old for it. Lou Ferrigno was initially cast for Tigris but replaced before filming by Thorsen.....Those packed Colosseum crowds? Many were real people. Many more were CGI. Some were even cardboard standups.....The "special edition" DVD release of the film contains a documentary, Strength and Honor: Creating the World of "Gladiator", that clocks in at over 3-1/2 hours, about an hour longer than the film itself.....The soundtrack CD is one of the biggest sellers of all time for a primarily-orchestral soundtrack.....A sequel spent nearly 6 years in development but never materialized.
The movie was a smashing success with audiences, a huge box-office draw. Critics were a little less unanimous. Both Roger Ebert and Camille Paglia, for example, found the film a bit muddled and dull. Gladiator certainly brought home plenty of awards, however, and the AMPAS loved it for sure as proven by the 12 Oscar nominations it received. It did not win for Film Editing, Cinematography, Art/Set Direction, Original Score, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Phoenix) or Director (Scott). Wins did come for Visual Effects, Costume Design, Sound Mixing and Lead Actor (Crowe). Of course, it also won Best Picture, which is why we're talking about it here, but take a look at the categories it won versus those it lost. Never mind that there were more losses than wins, that's not relevant here. Rarely does a film lose out on such categories as Original Score and Cinematography and Screenplay, yet still win Best Picture. Hell, it even lost Best Director. By the time this 73rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony had gotten to the Best Picture award, Gladiator was hardly the expected film to win, even though before the ceremony it was the favorite. But then Traffic happened. That film was nominated for 5 Oscars including the big one, and it had won 4 out of 4 thus far. All of those wins were in categories Gladiator were also nominated in, including Screenplay and Director. I remember watching the broadcast and I really thought Traffic was going to pull off the upset of upsets by this point. Didn't happen. Gladiator bested Traffic as well as Chocolat, Erin Brockovich and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Those were five very strong nominees too. Even the weakest of them (Chocolat) is good, and I personally felt that Crouching Tiger was a breakthrough in cinema, a masterpiece. I still do. Gladiator is a film not without flaws, but it's a hell of a fun ride.
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