Russell Crowe's Improvised Gladiator Scene Made His Revenge Story Deeper
Russell Crowe improvised one crucial scene in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, and it makes the impact of Maximus' revenge story even deeper. Gladiator was released in 2000 to healthy box office earnings and overwhelming critical success. 2001's Oscar ceremony saw the historical epic take home five Oscars, including Best Actor for Russell Crowe and Best Picture. Over the years, the film hasn't lost any of its influence, it still ranks 38th on IMDB's top 250 films of all time, and an upcoming sequel, Gladiator 2, is in the works 20+ years after its release.
What makes Gladiator such a compelling, enjoyable film is that it's a relatively simple tale about revenge, told in a powerful, personal way. Russell Crowe's central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, begins the film as a Roman general, longing for home, but soon is turned into a revenge-hungry gladiator, fighting for what he lost and for the freedom of Rome itself. Gladiator perfectly blends these two goals by entangling them, with Rome's Senate using Maximus to reinstate their power, and Maximus using the Senate to further his goals of revenge. However, while the film depicts real-life events of the Roman Empire, Gladiator is historically inaccurate in many ways.
Related: Was Gladiator's Maximus A Real Person? Historical Influences Explained
Every good revenge story first establishes what the main character has to lose, and what it means to them before taking it away, so the audience understands the loss and its impact. Gladiator establishes Maximus' connection to his home and family in its very first shot, showing him walking through the fields as children laugh in the background. The point is further cemented in his battle speech as he announces to his men, "Three weeks
Read more on screenrant.com
