He also derided the writing, saying it "employs depression as a substitute for personality, and believes that if characters are bitter and morose enough, we won't notice how dull they are. Scott cited Spartacus and Ben-Hur as influences on the film: "These movies were part of my cinema-going youth. Marcus Aurelius Life Quotes Look within. Gladiator (2000) Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius. Although reluctant at first, Maximus fights in local tournaments and befriends two other gladiators: Juba, a Numidian; and Hagen, a German. [99] Ridley Scott expressed interest, although he admitted the project would have to be retitled as it had little to do with gladiators. [53][54] The Germanic tribes are dressed in clothes from the Stone Age period. [16] In a conversation with Marcus Aurelius, Maximus says the fecund soil of his farm is "black like my wife's hair". Crowe portrays Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne. [16] Crowe wrote the speech himself, drawing on his feelings of homesickness for his own farm. Commodus threatens Lucilla and Lucius, and has the Praetorian Guard arrest Gracchus and attack the gladiators' barracks. The complex was serviced by tented "costume villages" that had changing rooms, storage, armorers, and other facilities. Father to a … It was the first movie to win Best Picture without winning either a directing or screenwriting award since All the King's Men at the 22nd Academy Awards in 1950. Marcus Aurelius died on March 17, 180. Maximus: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. In Fall of the Roman Empire a group of conspirators independent of Commodus, hoping to profit from Commodus's accession, arrange for Marcus Aurelius to be poisoned; in Gladiator Commodus himself murders his father by smothering him. It's called the 'Gladiator' effect by writers and publishers. [86] The film also began a revival of the historical epic genre with films such as The Last Samurai, Troy, The Alamo, King Arthur, Alexander, 300, Kingdom of Heaven, and Robin Hood (the last two were also directed by Scott). [12] Russell Crowe describes being eager for the role as pitched by Parkes, in his interview for Inside the Actors Studio: "They said, 'It's a 100-million-dollar film. Zimmer was originally planning to use Israeli vocalist Ofra Haza for the score, after his work with her in The Prince of Egypt. At one point in the Nazi film, a little girl gives flowers to Hitler, while Commodus is met by several girls who all give him bundles of flowers. William Nicholson was brought to Shepperton Studios to make Maximus a more sensitive character. (1079/1080):74–84, Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard – "Now We Are Free", Gladiator: More Music From the Motion Picture, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, "Gladiator – Cast, Crew, Director and Awards", "See the Cast of 'Gladiator' Then and Now", "Who Plays Peter On 'A.D. Marcus Aurelius. She was first exiled to the island of, In the film the character Antonius Proximo claims "the wise" Marcus Aurelius banned gladiatorial games in Rome forcing him to move to, In real life, the death of Commodus did not result in a peace for Rome, nor a return to the Roman Republic. It is pure entertainment for the eyes, and deep knowledge for the mind. The extended edition DVD features approximately fifteen minutes of additional scenes, most of which appear in the previous release as deleted scenes. In fact, in classic “bread and circuses” fashion, the Emperor decreed that gladiatorial contests continue in order to distract the masses from a bad economy.. Dan talks to Kevin Butcher about the Roman festival of Saturnalia, with its drinking, gift-giving, and sense of a world turned upside-down. Before he dies, he asks for political reforms, for his gladiator allies to be freed, and for Senator Gracchus to be reinstated. [16], In preparation for filming, Scott spent several months developing storyboards to develop the framework of the plot. When Commodus organizes 150 days of games, Proximo takes his gladiators to fight in Rome's Colosseum. Picture by Pierre-Selim. According to a DreamWorks executive, Crowe "tried to rewrite the entire script on the spot. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. Commodus is compelled by the crowd to let the gladiators live, and his guards are held back from striking them down. He was murdered by his son, Commodus, because Marcus had instead appointed Maximus to be his successor. In fact, most statues were thought to have painted eyes and pupils at the time when they were created; it was only through the passage of time that the paint would have worn off, leaving the statues with their blank stares. Within is the fountain of … The film is on the first disc, the second one has a three-hour documentary into the making of the film by DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika, and the third disc contains supplements. We actually started shooting with about 32 pages and went through them in the first couple of weeks. The legions' standard bearers (Aquilifer), centurions, mounted forces, and auxiliaries would have worn scale armour, lorica squamata. Due to Academy rules, only Hans Zimmer was officially nominated for Best Original Score, and not Lisa Gerrard at the time. As Ridley Scott wanted to portray Roman culture more accurately than in any previous film, he hired several historians as advisors. He gave him his liberty and allowed Proximo the lowly gladiator to become Proximo, the wheeling-and-dealing gladiator trainer. ", "WTF: Nick Cave Wanted to Call His 'Gladiator 2' Script 'Christ Killer, "Gladiator 2: The strangest sequel never made? [18] All of the film's props, sets, and costumes were manufactured by crew members due to high costs and unavailability of the items. [95] A remastered version was later released in 2010. To start, Marcus Aurelius is presented as a very wise and well-meaning old emperor who had a troubling reign full of war. Their appearance is the product of a filmic stereotype whereby historical films depict peoples of antiquity wearing such bands. Commodus reigned for over twelve years, unlike the shorter period portrayed in the film. Principal photography began in January 1999, before the script was completed, and wrapped up in May of that year, with the scenes of Ancient Rome shot over a period of nineteen weeks in Fort Ricasoli, Malta. The film won multiple awards, including five Academy Awards at the 73rd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor for Crowe, Best Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. [32][33] Visual effects supervisor John Nelson reflected on the decision to include the additional footage: "What we did was small compared to our other tasks on the film. In an effort to win back the people's approval, Commodus challenges Maximus to a duel in the Colosseum. Disguised by a masked helmet, Maximus debuts in gladiatorial combat in the Colosseum as a Carthaginian in a re-enactment of the Battle of Zama. Both actors who played Gracchus (in Spartacus and Gladiator), played Claudius in previous films – Charles Laughton of Spartacus played Claudius in the unfinished 1937 film I, Claudius and Sir Derek Jacobi of Gladiator, played Claudius in the 1976 BBC adaptation. [29], British post-production company The Mill was responsible for much of the computer-generated imagery effects that were added after filming. The Bible Continues'? [69][70], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 77% based on 199 reviews, with an average rating of 7.32/10. Commodus, upon hearing this, attempts to persuade his father he has the necessary virtues to inherit the throne. Marcus Aurelius. The film was first released on DVD on November 21, 2000, and has since been released in several different extended and special edition versions. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus was born in April 26, 121 AD, to a prominent family. Great Man Worth. The gladiator lays aside the sword he uses, and picks it up again. Proximo reveals that he was once a gladiator who was freed by Marcus Aurelius, and advises Maximus that he must "win the crowd" to win his freedom. [107], In June 2019, Parkes and MacDonald confirmed that the sequel was still in development with Scott and Craig, saying, "We're working with Ridley Scott, that's one we wouldn't touch unless we felt in a way to do it was legitimate. For instance in an early version of the script, gladiators would have been carrying out product endorsements in the arena; while this would have been historically accurate, it was not filmed for fear that audiences would think it anachronistic. Marcus Aurelius, however, is not … Maximus buries his wife and son, then collapses from his injuries. Commodus, whose full name was Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, was proclaimed Caesar at age 5 and joint emperor (co-Augustus) at the age of 17, in 177 CE, by his father, Marcus Aurelius. together with the preliminary discourse of the learned Gataker” 1285 Copy quote. He is found by slavers who take him to the city of Zucchabar in the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis, where he is sold to a gladiator trainer named Proximo. Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor of the Roman Empire (Caesar). [60] The first thing to appear in Triumph of the Will is a Nazi eagle, which is alluded to when a statue of an eagle sits atop one of the arches (and then is shortly followed by several more decorative eagles throughout the rest of the scene) leading up to the procession of Commodus. And not for more Roman screen colossals, but for writing that is serious or fun or both. The main character and protagonist in Gladiator is Maximus Meridius, who is a vengeful gladiator. Then, on September 5, 2005, Decca produced Gladiator: Special Anniversary Edition, a two-CD pack containing both the above-mentioned releases. Both films also share a specific set piece, wherein a gladiator (Maximus here, Woody Strode's Draba in Spartacus) throws his weapon into a spectator box at the end of a match, as well as at least one line of dialogue: "Rome is the mob", said here by Gracchus and by Julius Caesar (John Gavin) in Spartacus. In 2003, Chicago became another Best Picture winner which didn't win an Academy Award in either of these two major categories. Rather, it ushered in a chaotic and bloody power struggle that culminated in the, Stephens, William (2012). [36][37], Costumes in the film are rarely historically correct. Even the character didn't exist on the pages. Marcus Aurelius kept the true power as the senior emperor of course, but it was still the highest position of honour, and it left no doubt as to who would be the successor. In the course of Fall of the Roman Empire Commodus unsuccessfully seeks to win Livius over to his vision of empire in contrast to that of his father, but continues to employ him notwithstanding; in Gladiator, when Commodus fails to secure Maximus's allegiance, he executes Maximus's wife and son and tries unsuccessfully to execute him. The company was responsible for such tricks as compositing real tigers filmed on bluescreen into the fight sequences, and adding smoke trails and extending the flight paths of the opening scene's salvo of flaming arrows to get around regulations on how far they could be shot during filming. The film was co-produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures. [29] The Mill created over 90 visual effects shots, comprising approximately nine minutes of the film's running time. They also used 2,000 live actors to create a computer-generated crowd of 35,000 virtual actors that had to look believable and react to fight scenes. The script would have opened with a group of dying Roman gods reincarnating Maximus, who returns to Rome to defend his son Marius and his Christian companions against the Decian persecution. This is a great representation of a man who would go down as the last of the five good emperors. • In the 1965 epic drama The Fall of The Roman Empire, Alec Guinness portrays Marcus Aurelius. In the modern-day, he is probably best known from the popular film Gladiator (2000 CE) as the father of Commodus (r.177-192 CE) whose decision to pass over his son as successor serves as the point of departure for the films plot. His father, Marcus Annius Verus III was a politician and a nobleman. [55], The Roman cavalry are shown using stirrups. Maximus's friends and allies honor him as "a soldier of Rome", at Lucilla's behest, and carry his body out of the arena, leaving the dead Commodus behind. [14] Crowe allegedly questioned every aspect of the evolving script and strode off the set when he did not get answers. Marcus Aurelius : You will not be emperor. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Lucius Aurelius Commodus, born 161 A.D., was appointed co-emperor by his father Marcus Aurelius in 177 A.D. when he was just 16 years old. But the barehanded fighter is always armed and needs only to clench his fist. Of 119 award nominations, the film won 48 prizes. The film's plot was influenced by two 1960s Hollywood films of the sword-and-sandal genre, The Fall of the Roman Empire and Spartacus, and shares several plot points with The Fall of the Roman Empire, which tells the story of Livius, who, like Maximus in Gladiator, is Marcus Aurelius's intended successor. Commodus then produces a hidden knife, which Maximus drives into Commodus's throat, killing him. Because Proximo loves Marcus Aurelius—the dude freed him from a life of servitude. This was superseded by new designs in AD 100. This is how things like, 'At my signal, unleash hell,' came up. Marcus oversaw Maximus' victory over the Barbarians in Germania, and he allowed Maximus to return to his farm in Spain as a reward for his victory in the war. [61], The Oscar-nominated score was composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, and conducted by Gavin Greenaway. rubbish. His legions were led by his favourite, Maximus. [63][64] Another close musical resemblance occurs in the scene of Commodus's triumphal entry into Rome, accompanied by music clearly evocative of two sections – the Prelude to Das Rheingold and Siegfried's Funeral March from Götterdämmerung – from Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung. [31], An unexpected post-production job was caused by the death of Oliver Reed of a heart attack during the filming in Malta, before all his scenes had been shot. Poverty Crime Mother. Since its release, Gladiator has also been credited with reinventing the swords and sandals genre and rekindling interest in entertainment centered around ancient Greek and ancient Roman culture such as the television series Rome. (12.9) Marcus had trained in painting as a youth, indeed it was his painting teacher Diognetus who introduced him to philosophy. He led a Twelve Year Campaign in Germania, and his legions there were commanded by the Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius. We Have Added the Great and Top Quotes Said by Marcus Aurelius on Meditations, Life, Love, Leadership, Latin and Many More. Who can I point out as an example? At first he absolutely refused to say it. Spartacus provides the film's gladiatorial motif, as well as the character of Senator Gracchus, a fictitious senator (bearing the name of a pair of revolutionary Tribunes from the 2nd century BC) who in both films is an elder statesman of ancient Rome attempting to preserve the ancient rights of the Roman Senate in the face of an ambitious autocrat – Marcus Licinius Crassus in Spartacus and Commodus in Gladiator. Gladiator premiered in Los Angeles on May 1, 2000, and was released theatrically in the United States on May 5 and in the United Kingdom on May 11. Nevertheless, some deviations from historical fact were made to increase interest, maintain narrative continuity, and for practical or safety reasons. Entertainment Weekly. Maximus is arrested by the Praetorian Guard and is told that he and his family will die. [73], The Battle of Germania was cited by CNN as one of their "favorite on-screen battle scenes",[74] while Entertainment Weekly named Maximus as their sixth favorite action hero, because of "Crowe's steely, soulful performance",[75] and named it as their third favorite revenge film. [62] The music for many of the battle scenes has been noted as similar to Gustav Holst's "Mars: The Bringer of War", and in June 2006, the Holst Foundation sued Hans Zimmer for allegedly copying the late Holst's work. The film's mainstream success is responsible for an increased interest in Roman and classical history in the United States. The opening battle scenes in the forests of Germania were shot in three weeks in the Bourne Woods, near Farnham, Surrey, in England. The Nazi film opens with an aerial view of Hitler arriving in a plane, while Scott shows an aerial view of Rome, quickly followed by a shot of the large crowd of people watching Commodus pass them in a procession with his chariot. Anything more than a … Marcus Aurelius banned gladiator fights. However, Scott felt Franzoni's dialogue was too "on the nose" (lacking subtlety) and hired John Logan to rewrite the script to his liking. He orders the disguised Maximus, as leader of the gladiators, to show himself and give his name; Maximus reveals himself and declares vengeance. Livius is in love with Lucilla and seeks to marry her while Maximus, who is happily married, was formerly in love with her. [17] Over six weeks, production members scouted various locations within the extent of the Roman Empire before its collapse, including Italy, France, North Africa, and England. "[71] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". He led a Twelve Year Campaign in Germania, and his legions there were commanded by the Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius. Although the film is set within the 2nd century AD, the Imperial Gallic armor and the helmets worn by the legionaries are from AD 75, a century earlier. The film's computer-generated imagery effects were created by British post-production company The Mill, who also created a digital body double for the remaining scenes involving Reed's character Proximo due to Reed dying of a heart attack during production. The film's plot was influenced by two 1960s Hollywood films of the sword-and-sandal genre, The Fall of the Roman Empire and Spartacus,[58] and shares several plot points with The Fall of the Roman Empire, which tells the story of Livius, who, like Maximus in Gladiator, is Marcus Aurelius's intended successor. He was secretly dying at the time, as told by Commodus to his sister, Lucilla. “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, 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.” – Maximus . Discs one and two of the three-disc extended edition were also repackaged and sold as a two-disc "special edition" in the EU in 2005. Marcus oversaw Maximus' victory over a Barbarian force in Germania, and he allowed Maximus to return to his farm in Spain as a reward for his victory in the war. The DVD is also notable for having a new commentary track featuring director Scott and star Crowe. We had, I think, one American writer working on it, one English writer working on it, and of course a group of producers who were also adding their ideas, and then Ridley himself; and then, on the occasion where Ridley would say, 'Look, this is the structure for it – what are you gonna say in that?' [102][103][104][105] In March 2017, Scott again stated that he has an idea of how a sequel could be done, and that he is currently trying to convince Russell Crowe to reprise his role as Maximus. [25] The rest of the Colosseum was created in computer-generated imagery using set-design blueprints and textures referenced from live action, and rendered in three layers to provide lighting flexibility for compositing in Flame and Inferno software. Lisa Gerrard's vocals are similar to her own work on The Insider score. The bands wrapped around their lower arms were rarely worn. Maximus will escape Rome, join his soldiers, topple Commodus by force, and hand power back to the Roman Senate. 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