Gladiator

Style and substance. Gladiator is a phenomenal revenge drama that earned the Oscar for Best Picture in 2000 (the original screenwriter, David Franzoni, shared the award with Douglas Wick and Branko Lustig), as well as Best Actor for Russell Crowe, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound. Long after the CGI fades into nostalgia, or possibly a few laughs, the story will keep this film alive. As Maximus says, “what we do in life echoes in eternity.”

Click here if you’re looking for the Gladiator screenplay.

Click here to download my Gladiator screenplay analysis (PDF).

 

Gladiator Screenplay: The History

With David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson as the three credited screenwriters on the film, it should be noted that Franzoni is the original author of the script. His success writing Spielberg’s Amistad earned him a three picture deal with Dreamworks. For Gladiator, Franzoni was inspired by Daniel P. Mannix’s Those About To Die (published after the film’s success as The Way of the Gladiator) during motorcycle trip around world nearly thirty years earlier. In his first draft of the screenplay, the protagonist was named Narcissus, after the man who killed Commodus in real life.

Franzoni’s General Narcissus wins the war in Germania. Immediately after the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, which is neither shown nor described, Narcissus is shipped as a condemned prisoner to the Colosseum, where he becomes a huge popular success. A superstar gladiator sponsored by the Golden Pompeii Olive Oil Company, Narcissus ultimately strangles Commodus in the Colosseum sands and then sails off into the sunset with his wife and two daughters. ¹

Obviously, a lot changed from the first draft to what ended up on the screen. When Ridley Scott was brought in, he believed Franzoni’s dialogue was too “on-the-nose” and hired John Logan for a rewrite. It was Logan who came up with the idea of killing Maximus’ family, an idea that Franzoni had difficultly with:

Creatively, I was concerned when the family was dropped out of the script. As originally written, that’s a big part of what motivates the hero. And then when I saw the first cut, suddenly, the “family” was back in – Ridley had shot some pickups in Italy while scouting Hannibal, and there it was, the emotional element I wanted. ²

The bulk of the first two acts in Logan’s draft, at least structurally, is far closer to what ended up on the screen, though the third act differs quite a bit. In the third act, Maximus escapes through the sewers to reunite with his army and leads them into the city to overtake Commodus. Unfortunately, they do not get there in time to save Lucilla, stabbed to death at the hands of her brother, but manage to stop Commodus from killing Lucius. A chase begins, ending with Maximus killing Commodus below the Colosseum floor. With the dead Emperor at his feet, Maximus uses an elevator to take them both to the arena floor where a packed Colosseum waits. There, Maximus grants the Senate the power to form a new government, just as Marcus Aurelius had wished. Maximus then leaves Rome, taking Lucius to raise on his farm in Spain.

Two weeks before filming began, Ridley Scott brought in William Nicholson to make Maximus more than a person who just wanted to seek revenge. It was Nicholson who developed the internal goal of the afterlife, as well as the Juba character, giving Maximus more dimensions than before. But the fun didn’t stop there. Russell Crowe supposedly questioned every aspect of the script, and when he didn’t receive the answers he wanted, he would leave the set.

Says a DreamWorks exec: “Russell was not well behaved. He tried to rewrite the entire script on the spot. You know the big line in the trailer, ‘In this life or the next, I will have my vengeance’? At first he absolutely refused to say it. He did a lot of posturing and put the fear of God into some people. Thankfully, Ridley never yelled. He was the voice of reason dealing with many unreasonable factors, not the least of which was his lead.” ³

Perhaps Russell was so on edge because the production walked into principal photography with only thirty-two pages of the script complete. From his Inside the Actor’s Studio episode:

Jon Solomon has an excellent essay on the history of the Gladiator script, which I’ve done my best to summarize in this section. You can download the PDF by clicking this link.

Gladiator Screenplay: The Theme

Gladiator is a broad film. As much as it examines faith in the afterlife, slavery, and democracy, you could talk just as much about mortality, class distinctions, jealousy, perseverance, and family. All of it’s in there. Probably more. For the purposes of this post, I will explore democracy, slavery vs freedom, and faith in the afterlife.

Democracy

The moment Commodus returns from Germania, the senators notify him of problems that require his attention. In the city’s Greek district, the plague is taking lives and the senate believes implementing sewers could help manage the death toll. The entire time the Senate debates the problem, Commodus plays with his sword. He could save lives, but what does he do? He decides upon one hundred fifty days of games.

The above snippet of dialogue is a perfect reflection on the theme. It would be wrong to think of Commodus as just a power-hungry dictator. He represents the worst of politics. Sleight of hand. Misdirection. He’ll entertain with the lives of the nameless and the people will give him limitless power. Most of us don’t need a history lesson to remind us one person having unlimited power over a country is a bad thing.

Slavery vs Freedom

The film begins with an epic battle in Germania. Once it’s evident the tribes will not surrender, Quintus, one of Maximus’ lieutenants, laughs:

The Germanic tribes are fighting for the freedom of their people, their way of life. The scorched battlefield suggests they’ve been pushed back to the point they cannot retreat any further. It’s do or die and they choose to fight. From the get-go, Maximus empathizes with his enemy. So, when the tables are turned and he must fight against the odds, he already knows the mindset. He’s been there. Of course, it helps that he has…

Faith in the Afterlife

How comforting would life be knowing that your loved ones are waiting for you after you die? That comfort gives Maximus the strength to carry on when all he wanted was to die at their graves. When Maximus discovers Proximo will take the gladiators to Rome, Maximus’ motivation is all about vengeance, but his faith gives him the power to face death. What else does he have to lose? He’s lost his family and his freedom. Death is welcome.

Gladiator Screenplay: The Structure

Around the 40 minute mark, Gladiator throws two big turns at the audience: one, Maximus discovering Commodus killed Marcus Aurelius to assume the Emperorship; two, Quintus informing Maximus his family will be killed for his action against the new Caesar. There’s strong arguments on both sides of the fence for what constitutes the turn and decision into act two. I chose patricide is the major turn, sticking to the external goal of the protagonist — to kill Commodus. Maximus knows Commodus killed his father to assume power and his decision is to seek counsel from the senators. Unfortunately, Maximus knows nothing of politics. He’s a warrior. It would have been easy for him to take Commodus’ hand as a sign of loyalty and work the system to stage a coup. True to character, he shows disdain, giving Commodus all the information he needs to remedy the situation. More importantly, once Quintus arrests Maximus, there’s a big transition from general to prisoner. However, since both of these turns are reflected in the climax, it’s best to add an internal turn and decision (Turn, Quintus telling him his family will die; Decision, racing to save his family in Spain). While the external climax would be killing Commodus, joining his family in the afterlife would mark the internal climax.

Click here if you’re looking for the Gladiator screenplay.

Click here to download my Gladiator screenplay analysis (PDF).

 

Gladiator Screenplay: The Beats

ACT I

Inciting Incident — minute 16 — Marcus Aurelius approaches Maximus after the battle in Germania has ended, proud of his victory. He asks Maximus what reward he wishes to have and Maximus replies, “to go home.”

Strong Movement Forward — minute 27 — Marcus Aurelius asks one last duty of Maximus before he returns home:

End of Act One Turn (external) — minute 38 — Maximus is woken from his sleep and called to the Emperor. When he arrives, he discovers Marcus Aurelius is dead and Commodus has assumed power. Commodus asks for Maximus’ hand as sign of loyalty, but Maximus refuses.

Decision (external) — minute 40 — Maximus alerts his trusted servant, Cicero, to wake the senators, as he needs their counsel regarding the slain Emperor. A few seconds later, Quintus appears with Praetorian guards and arrests Maximus, ordering the guards to ride until dawn and execute him.

Turn (internal) — minute 40 — Maximus begs Quintus to look after his family, but Quintus contends his family will meet him in the afterlife.

Decision (internal) — minute 41 — Maximus kills his executioners and races to save his family in Spain.

ACT II-A

First Trial — minute 56-59 — In his first match as a gladiator, Maximus teams with Juba and the two are victorious.

Midpoint — minute 70 — Proximo tells Maximus they will be traveling to Rome to compete at the Colosseum. Holding a wooden sword, Proximo reveals he was once a gladiator who won his freedom…

ACT II-B

Assumption of Power – minute 92 — Praetorian guards surround the gladiators and command they drop their weapons. Commodus appears with Lucius, congratulating the Spaniard on his victory. Turning his back on the Emperor, Maximus offends Commodus. When prompted to reveal himself, he does…

Commodus is in shock. Praetorian guards assume attack stances, but the crowd roars, “Live, Live, Live!” Maximus wins the crowd.

End of Act Two Turn — minute 111 — Maximus leaves the arena after a victory over the only undefeated gladiator in Roman history. On his way out, he spots his old servant, Cicero. They talk briefly and Maximus instructs him to tell his men that he is alive. Conscious of his mortality, Maximus knows he can use his troops for political purposes to buy his freedom and take down Commodus.

Decision — minute 116 — Under Maximus’ orders, Cicero poses as a beggar and informs Lucilla that Maximus will meet with her senator.

ACT III

Point of No Return — minute 132 — With Praetorian guards at the gates of the gladiator school, Maximus assembles his fellow gladiators. They agree to fight the guards and allow Maximus’ escape. Maximus then escapes, finding his sword and shield on the way.

Climax (external) — minute 143 — Using Commodus’ hand, Maximus stabs Commodus in the neck with his own dagger. Commodus falls to the ground, dead.

Climax (internal) — minute 146 — In the afterlife, Maximus walks in the wheat field, his fingers gliding across the top of wheat. There, he is reunited with his wife and son.

Gladiator Screenplay: The Analysis

I’ve provided full Gladiator screenplay analysis available for download, which breaks down the protagonist’s characterization, misbehaviors, internal and external goals, theme, central dramatic question, story engines, plus a complete beat breakdown with all the setups and payoffs a great film can provide. All of this is based on Daniel P. Calvisi’s Story Maps method. Dan is a story analyst, screenplay consultant, author and screenwriter. If you’re serious about the craft of screenwriting, I highly recommend checking out Dan’s site, Act Four Screenplays, and his e-book, Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay. You can purchase Dan’s book from Amazon.com or the iTunes Store.

Click here if you’re looking for the Gladiator screenplay.

Click here to download my Gladiator screenplay analysis (PDF).

 

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