Maximus' Path to Vengeance
Maximus’ path to vengeance adds an intense layer to a presently gripping storyline that compels an already-pulled audience further. The viewers meet Maximus as an intelligent general who only desires to live with family on his farm. Commodus takes all of this away in a devastating twist by ordering his death, killing his family, and burning his farm. He narrowly escapes his death, only to faint from pain and wake up as a slave sold into a gladiator training school. His path begins as he becomes quite successful and learns he is being sent to Rome to fight in front of Commodus. At this point, Commodus thinks the guards finished their original job.
In the first match, Commodus stages a reenactment of the Punic Wars inside the Colosseum, with the Romans portrayed by chariot riders and the Carthaginians played by the Gladiators. Maximus leads the “Carthaginians” to an unexpected victory that slightly disturbs Commodus as the Romans had won this historical war and the match is supposed to be a celebration of Rome. Commodus brushes this off and enters the arena to meet the Gladiator who won. He demands that the slave take off his mask and share his full name. The Gladiator then does so, looks directly into Commodus’ eyes, and says:
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“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridus, commander of the armies of the north, general of the Felix legions, 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.”
The viewer is then drawn to the screen to see Commodus’ reaction to this intense monologue. Maximus says this knowing what Commodus does to people who challenge his rule while also knowing his need for the approval of the people. Maximus gambles his life and walks away with all of his dignity intact as Commodus chooses his need for love over his need for power. The audience is instantly relieved to see he lives.
Maximus continues to wreck Commodus’ displays of power. After he wins another Gladiator match, Commodus gives him the signal to kill the losing gladiator. Maximus looks at Commodus and drops his sword refusing to take direction from his false emperor. This takes the audience again by surprise. Commodus then confronts Maximus again to assert his power and fails. He tells Maximus to kill him right there and Maximus responds with a threat that his time is coming to an end and walks away. Again, with his dignity intact. The viewers are lured in because they know Lucilla’s plan is coming soon and Maximus’ direct disobedience against Commodus keeps them rooting for him.
During the takeover, Maximus gets captured while attempting to carry out Lucilla's plan. He wakes up tied with his arms spread and Commodus directly in front of him. He challenges Maximus to a duel but stabs him where his armor conceals the wound from the people of Rome. Commodus wants the appearance of a fair fight to “earn” the love of the people. As the match comes to a close, it becomes a battle of fists. It's a fight for the good of Rome relying upon the determination of two men and their conflicting values of good and evil. Commodus dies in the violent match that glues the audience to the screen.
In a satisfying yet complicated end, Maximus wins but is so wounded he collapses onto the sand. The storytelling in his path to vengeance and Commodus’ loss provides a greater amount of closure and a more satisfying finish than other films of this genre. Maximus and the audience get their closure knowing that Rome is in good hands and Maximus gets to reunite with his family. In Quo Vadis, the protagonists are successful, but the villain receives an ending without consequences. The hand-to-hand combat in Gladiator creates a necessary ending for Commodus that is entertaining while additionally giving him what the audience thinks he deserves. In Cleopatra, she loses everything she holds dear. Because Octavian's motivations are to parade her around Rome, her death could be seen as a small win against him. Conversely, her death could more arguably be seen as unsatisfyingly cutting her losses by keeping her dignity. The fulfilling end of Gladiator captivates the audience and concretizes the movie in people's minds as a staple within its genre.
“Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the emperor of Rome.
Lucilla's meeting with Maximus in the Cave
1:37:30
*punch
The Final Match
2:22:03