Gladiator
Joaquin Phoenix ’s Emperor Commodus murder many people to secure his position inGladiator , but no execution was more flagitious than the kill of Maximus ' married woman and young son . Phoenix ’s terrifying yet fictionalize portrayal of the Roman emperor was establish in the character ’s inhuman treatment , but the most intimidating aspect of the character is how direct he was in his quest to gain and continue power . In that light , his slaying of Maximus ' class is much more than just a random human activity of violence intend to anguish a perceived enemy .
Commodus ' course to tycoon inGladiatoris litter with bodies , begin with his own father and go forward through his foiling of Maximus ' distinguished escape plan to rejoin his United States Army and seize control of Rome . While it sure enough seemed that his forefather ’s murder was a crime of heat , open that up until that pointJoaquin Phoenix’sGladiatorcharacterexpected to be identify Marcus Aurelius ' successor , every murder after that carried some kind of role . That is particularly dependable when it comes to his murder of Maximus ' kin , which come after Maximus ' dying and seemed , at first glance , to be unneeded .
Commodus Killing Maximus' Family Sent A Message
Exterminating The Bloodline Ensured None Doubted How Ruthless Commodus Could Be
Murdering Maximus ' family after Maximus himself was already dead ( or so Commodus thought ) seems like overkill , but in doing so , Commodus place a message to all those who might consider questioning his regulation . Seeing that even one of Rome ’s most beloved leader can give the ultimate monetary value for disloyalty sends a message , but killing his family too changes the substance . Maximus ' slaying acts as a warning , but his family ’s slaying can shock the soldier and Rome ’s other generals and senators into line . Commodus attempts to intimidate the senate to their faces after inGladiator , so sending a message in this way is sure enough not out of lineament .
The popularity of Maximus regrettably further apologize his family ’s murder forEmperor Commodus at the first ofGladiator . Given that Maximus seems to have personal relationships with many of his own officers and even substructure soldier , it seems likely that news of what happened to Maximus and his family would spread through the social status quickly . As cold and calculating as it is , the slaying of Maximus ' mob was the best way for Commodus to broadcast an immediate and long-lived content about the price of disloyalty .
The director ’s cutting of Ridley Scott ’s Gladiator restores many scenes into the celluloid , and one in particular makes Commodus into an even better villain .
Why Commodus Was Right To Worry About Maximus' Influence
As wicked as his response was , there is plenty of evidence to indicate that Commodus was right to be implicated about Maximus ' influence . In the famous opening setting ofGladiator , Maximus prove just how permeant the respect for him is in his U. S. Army , exchange salutation with everyone from fellow officers to foot soldier . He is saluted at every twist , and as if that was n’t enough , it ’s divulge that Marcus Aurelius trusts him more than his own Logos . With influence at every storey of the military , there is no person more grievous to Commodus ' rule than Maximus .
The ultimate model comes towards the end ofGladiator , when Maximus is able to work out with Cicero , Senator Gracchus andCommodus ' real - life sister Lucillato orchestrate a takeover . While the architectural plan is snuffed out by Commodus before it gets off the ground , Cicero made it clear that thousands of Maximus ' soldiers would serve his commands as before long as they find out he was active . That kind of influence , behave of love and regard , can not be bought or matched with fear . For Commodus , that was more than enough to rationalise the murder of Maximus ' entire family .
How Gladiator 2 Deals With What Commodus Did
Commodus' Ruthlessness Ensures Lucilla Protects Maximus' Surviving Child
Emperor Commodus may have had Maximus ' wife and son stamp out , butGladiator 2revealed that Russell Crowe’sGladiatorcharacter had more than one child . There were solid hints inGladiatorthat Commodus ' new nephew , Lucius ( Spencer Trent Clark ) , was actually the illicit son of Maximus , bear of an after the legendary prizefighter had with Commodus ' sister , Lucilla ( Connie Nielsen).This was later support in 2024 with the arriver ofGladiator 2,which focus on an adult Lucius ( play now by Paul Mescal ) and made it clear that the nephew of Emperor Commodus was , as the original suggest , the Logos of Maximus .
Had Commodus not had Maximus ' crime syndicate killed so ruthlessly , Lucilla may not have regard it as necessary to keep Lucius as far aside from Rome as possible .
Emperor Commodus kill Maximus ' sept inGladiatorhad a elusive yet incredibly important shock on the events ofGladiator 2.While it ’s never express instantaneously , seeing how willing Roman ruler were to kill the nipper of likely threat to their convention in all likelihood pushed Lucilla to have Lucius sent to Numidia follow the last of Commodus and Maximus . By the time ofGladiator 2,which is gear up 16 years afterGladiator , Lucius has spent most of his life in Africa . He even has a married woman , though she is drink down by the R.C. US Army ( recall the start of Maximus ' seeking for vengeance inGladiator ) .
Had Commodus not had Maximus ' phratry killed so ruthlessly , Lucilla may not have seen it as necessary to keep Lucius as far by from Rome as possible . Lucius was the Imperial Heir , after all , and would have inherited the throne of the Roman Empire observe his uncle ’s dying . However , Lucilla had witnessed first - handwriting why her son ’s right to dominate put a target on his head . Due to the natural action of her chum , Lucilla knew the next Emperor , or even aim members of the Senate , would be more than adequate to of simply having Lucius pop to nullify the threat his claim to the throne give .
It ’s out of the question to speculate how Lucilla would have acted if Maximus ' family unit were spared by Commodus , of trend . However , it does feel likely that the fear she felt from witnessing the mercilessness of her chum shaped her into the paranoid and guard character seen inGladiator 2.This include her institutionalise Lucius to Numidia , which in turn control he became the fighter seen intheGladiatorsequel instead of yet another pampered member of the Roman aristocracy .
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Gladiator follows Maximus , a papistic general cheat by the new emperor Commodus . After escaping execution , he is enslaved and becomes a gladiator . Set in ancient Rome , the level impersonate his battle for survival and quest for retribution as he battles for his exemption in the arena .
Gladiator follows Maximus, a Roman general betrayed by the new emperor Commodus. After escaping execution, he is enslaved and becomes a gladiator. Set in ancient Rome, the story portrays his struggle for survival and quest for vengeance as he battles for his freedom in the arena.
