Maximus Decimus Meridius - A Character Study

“Gladiator” has one of the strongest characters I have ever seen. Watching this movie recently after staying away from it for years because I knew it too well was a great re-awakening to the genius that is Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott. As we discussed the movie in class further revelations made. One of them was the fact that none of the main characters have much of an arc. Every single one of them are solid and stagnate in who they are, they will not change.  That is one of the main themes of this movie, how to stay true to yourself in overwhelming circumstances. The other theme I found was the concept of battle and how it can be fought. Maximus plays with both of these themes throughout this movie in such a way that it doesn’t seem unnatural, but realistic, enchanting, and powerful.

            In the beginning of the movie we are introduced to a man who is the finest general Rome has ever seen. He has led a massive army into countless battles for twelve years and has just defeated the last of the enemy. He fights because it is his duty. He is a general and he will do what is ordered of him. He is a very strong and resolute man with an army full of men that love and fear him. It is said over and over again that those who follow him would go as far as the ends of the earth for him. If he leads a battle, they are victorious. He is extremely skilled in the art of warfare and easily wins the respect of his men. With the Caesar (Richard Harris) looking to pass his powers to lead his country into a time of peace and to give the power back to the senate, he looks to Maximus because he knows the delicate and horrific nature of battle. After the murder of Caesar and Maximus’ family by Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of Caesar, Maximus must fight for a completely new reason.

            Maximus begins his new life of a slave when he is picked up by a trader and sold to an entertainer by the name of Proximo. Proximo buys Maximus and many more men only so that he can profit from their death. He will make them fight for their lives whenever he chooses. He makes them fight not for land, or glory, or fame, but simply for their meaningless lives. He makes them gladiators. They will fight when he says fight. Maximus now has been given orders to fight because it is entertaining to see a man die by the sword. After struggling with whether or not he will fight, he decides that he will not simply lie down and take the sword to the chest, but will fight for mere nature of survival. There is no glory to be won in these battles. Not yet. Even though he doesn’t have an army with him, he remains true, steadfast and brave. He faces his enemy head on, without fear. It is not overconfidence that makes his success, but nature as a man and a warrior at heart. He will fight for what he believes in. After a couple of battles as a gladiator, he rebels against the establishment that owns him. For the first time he chooses his battle. He chooses who he targets next. After he kills the last man in the ring, he throws his sword into the stands directly at the spectators and screams “I do not entertain!” Finally he stands up for himself in the face of those who control his very life. He is just the same man as I saw in the beginning of the film leading thousands of men into battle. Now he is fighting all by himself in front of retched men and women who want to see a snippet of the glory they have heard so much about in real warfare. He is no longer just fighting for his own survival, but now chooses to fight against their control over his life. But when the tables are through his rebellion and skill with a blade, the crowd loves him all the more for it.

            Maximus slowly starts to gain more and more power through the people that watch him fight. They begin to fear and respect him because he fights honorably, and extremely well. With the new Caesar on the throne bringing back the Gladiatorial fights in Rome, Maximus and his few friends are brought to Rome to fight in front of thousands of people in the biggest stage known to man: the Colosseum. Here Maximus fights for the chance to come face to face with his family’s murderer. If he can become famous enough and loved by those who watch him, he just might be able to be brought in front of Caesar himself and get the chance to strike out at the man who destroyed his life. Maximus fights for revenge. He wants to repay the damage done to those responsible. Battle after battle he fights and wins. He remains strong and loyal to those who love him. He is continuously reminding himself that although his family is gone, they can wait for him to finish his business and then come home. Maximus begins to gain power through the mob even though he is still considered a slave. In the last, epic battle of the movie, Maximus battles Caesar himself in the arena, one on one. The fight he has been waiting for. With anger welling up inside him more and more every day it takes all that he has within himself to fight smart. Due to a stab to the side before the batte by Caesar, Maximus is on the edge of death the whole time, and yet he fights. As he always has. He continues to fight even though the outcome looks as if it won’t be the ending he was hoping for. The swords are dropped and it becomes a fist fight. No longer are they fighting with the weapons of war, but with what God gave them. Maximus has nothing in his hands, but Caesar pulls out a knife and starts to fight unfairly. Which is an enormous symbol to how he fights every battle. Even in an uneven fight, Maximus comes out on top and kills Caesar. Only then does the fighting stop. Only then does Maximus lower his guard and literally falls to the ground. He is done. He fought with strength and honor.

            Even though Maximus traveled all over Italy, won a war, lost his family, became a gladiator, killed an emperor, he never changed who he was at heart. He remained the same throughout. His methods of fighting on the other hand were completely changing from battles for honor and glory to survival and revenge. He remained loyal at all times and fought valiantly in every battle. He was only concerned about those closest to him and the worries of his own life. All he wanted to do was go home. In every word, in every swing of the blade, it was just to get him closer to home.