The screenplay, initially written by Franzoni, was inspired by the 1958Daniel P. Mannix novelThose About to Die. The script was acquired byDreamWorks Pictures, and Scott signed on to direct the film. Principal photography began in January 1999 and wrapped in May of that year. Production was complicated by the script being rewritten multiple times and by the death of Oliver Reed before production was finished.
In 180 AD, the Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius intends to return home after he leads theRoman army to victory againstGermanic tribes nearVindobona.EmperorMarcus Aurelius tells Maximus that his own son,Commodus, is unfit to rule and that he wishes Maximus to succeed him, asregent, to restore theRoman Republic. Angered by this decision, Commodus secretly assassinates his father.
Commodus proclaims himself the new emperor and requests loyalty from Maximus, who refuses. Maximus is arrested byPraetorian Guards led by Quintus, who tells him that he and his family will die. Maximus kills his captors and, wounded, rides for his home nearTurgalium, where he finds his wife and son murdered. Maximus buries them and collapses from his injuries. He is found by slave traders, who take him toZuccabar in theRoman province ofMauretania Caesariensis and sell him to thegladiator trainer Proximo.
Maximus reluctantly fights in local tournaments, his combat skills helping him win matches and gain popularity. He earns the nickname "theSpaniard" and befriends Juba, a gladiator fromCarthage, and Hagen, a gladiator fromGermania. InRome, Commodus organizes 150 days of gladiatorial games to commemorate his father and win the approval of theRoman public. Upon hearing this, Proximo reveals to Maximus that he was once a gladiator who was freed by Marcus Aurelius, and advises him to "win the crowd" to gain his freedom.
Proximo takes his gladiators to fight in Rome'sColosseum. Disguised in a masked helmet, Maximus debuts in the arena as aCarthaginian in a re-enactment of theBattle of Zama. Unexpectedly, he leads his side to victory and wins the crowd's support. Commodus and his young nephew, Lucius, enter the Colosseum to offer their congratulations. Seeing Lucius, Maximus refrains from attacking Commodus, who orders him to reveal his identity. Maximus removes his helmet and declares his intent to seek vengeance. Commodus is compelled by the crowd to let Maximus live. That evening, Maximus is visited byLucilla, his former lover and Commodus' sister. Distrusting her, Maximus refuses her help.
Commodus arranges a duel between Maximus and Tigris ofGaul, an undefeated gladiator. Several tigers are set upon Maximus, but he prevails. At the crowd's desire, Commodus orders Maximus to kill Tigris, but Maximus spares his life in defiance. In response, the crowd chants "Maximus the Merciful", angering Commodus. To provoke Maximus, Commodus taunts him about the murder of his family, but Maximus resists the urge to strike him. Increasingly paranoid, Commodus instructs his advisor, Falco, to have everysenator followed, and refuses to have Maximus killed for fear he will become amartyr.
Maximus discovers from Cicero, his ex-orderly, that his former legions remain loyal to him. He secretly meets with Lucilla and Gracchus, an influential senator. They agree to help Maximus escape Rome to join his legions inOstia, oust Commodus by force, and hand power back to theRoman Senate. The Praetorians arrest Gracchus. Lucilla meets Maximus at night to arrange his escape; they share a kiss. Commodus becomes suspicious when Lucius innocently hints at the conspiracy. Commodus threatens Lucilla and Lucius, and has the Praetorians attack the gladiators' barracks. Proximo and his men sacrifice themselves to enable Maximus to escape, but Maximus is captured at the rendezvous with Cicero, where the latter is killed.
Commodus demands that Lucilla provide him with an heir. He challenges Maximus to a duel in the Colosseum to win back public approval and stabs him before the match to gain an advantage. Despite his injury, Maximus disarms Commodus during the duel. After Quintus and the Praetorians refuse to help him, Commodus unsheathes a hidden knife; Maximus overpowers Commodus and drives the knife into his throat, killing him. Before Maximus succumbs to his wound, he asks for political reforms, theemancipation of his gladiator allies, and the reinstatement of Gracchus as a senator. As he dies, Maximus envisions reuniting with his wife and son in theafterlife. His friends and allies honor him as "a soldier of Rome" and carry his body out of the arena. That night, Juba visits the Colosseum and buries figurines of Maximus' wife and son at the spot where Maximus died.
Russell Crowe (left, pictured in 1999) and Joaquin Phoenix (pictured in 2000)
Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius: AHispano-Roman general forced into slavery who seeks revenge against Emperor Commodus for the murder of his family and the previous emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus: The amoral and power-hungry son of Marcus Aurelius. He murders his father when he learns that Maximus will hold the emperor's powers in trust until a new republic can be formed. After gaining power, he seeks to weaken the power of the Senate and establish absolute rule.
Connie Nielsen as Lucilla: Maximus' former lover and the older child of Marcus Aurelius. Lucilla has been recently widowed. She resists her brother's incestuous advances while protecting her son, Lucius, from Commodus' corruption and wrath.
Oliver Reed as Antonius Proximo: An old, gruff gladiator trainer who buys Maximus in North Africa. A former gladiator himself, he was freed by Marcus Aurelius and becomes a mentor to both Maximus and Juba.
Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus: A member of the Roman Senate who opposes Commodus' rule. He is an ally of Lucilla and Maximus.
Djimon Hounsou as Juba: A blackNumidian gladiator who was taken from his home and family by slave traders. He becomes Maximus' closest friend.
Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius: The elderly emperor of Rome who appoints Maximus to be his successor, with the ultimate aim of returning Rome to a republican form of government. He is murdered by his son Commodus before his wish can be fulfilled.
Ralf Möller as Hagen: AGermanic warrior and Proximo's chief gladiator who befriends Maximus and Juba during their battles in Rome.
Tommy Flanagan as Cicero: Maximus' loyal servant who provides liaison between the enslaved Maximus, his former legion based at Ostia, and Lucilla. He is used as bait for the escaping Maximus and is eventually killed by the Praetorian Guard.
David Schofield as Senator Falco: Apatrician senator opposed to Gracchus. He helps Commodus to consolidate his power.
John Shrapnel as Senator Gaius: A Roman senator allied with Gracchus, Lucilla, and Maximus against Commodus.
Tomas Arana as Quintus: A Roman military officer and commander of the Praetorian Guard who betrays Maximus by allying with Commodus. He later refuses to assist Commodus in his duel with Maximus.
Spencer Treat Clark as Lucius Verus: The young son of Lucilla, nephew of Commodus and grandson of Marcus Aurelius. He was named after his apparent fatherLucius Verus and idolizes Maximus for his victories in the arena.
David Hemmings as Cassius: The master of ceremonies for the gladiatorial games in the Colosseum.
Sven-Ole Thorsen as Tigris ofGaul. The only undefeated gladiator in Roman history, he was brought out of retirement by Commodus to kill Maximus.
David Franzoni, who wrote the first draft of theGladiator screenplay, traveled across Eastern Europe and the Middle East by motorcycle in 1972. "Everywhere I went in Europe, there were arenas", Franzoni recalled. "Even as I went east, going through Turkey, I began to think to myself this must have been a hell of a franchise." During a stop in Baghdad, Iraq, he started reading the 1958Daniel P. Mannix novelThose About to Die,[a] which gave him the idea forGladiator.[7]
Twenty-five years later, Franzoni wrote the screenplay forSteven Spielberg'sAmistad, which was Spielberg's first film for DreamWorks Pictures. ThoughAmistad was only a moderate commercial success, DreamWorks was impressed with Franzoni's screenplay and gave him a three-picture deal as writer and co-producer.[8] Remembering his 1972 trip, Franzoni pitched his gladiator story idea to Spielberg, who immediately told him to write the script.[7] After reading the ancient Roman textHistoria Augusta, Franzoni chose to center the story on Commodus. The protagonist wasNarcissus, a wrestler who, according to the ancient historians Herodian and Cassius Dio, strangled Commodus to death.[8]
Pollice Verso by Jean-Léon Gérôme
DreamWorks producersWalter F. Parkes andDouglas Wick felt that Ridley Scott would be the ideal director to bring Franzoni's story to life.[9] They showed him a copy ofJean-Léon Gérôme's 1872 paintingPollice Verso, which Scott said portrays the Roman Empire "in all its glory and wickedness".[10] He was so captivated by the image that he immediately agreed to direct the film. When Parkes pointed out that Scott did not know anything about the story, Scott replied, "I don’t care, I’ll do it".[11]
Once Scott was on board, he and Franzoni discussed films that could influenceGladiator, such asOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,La Dolce Vita, andThe Conformist.[7] However, Scott felt Franzoni's dialogue lacked subtlety, and he hired John Logan to rewrite the script. Logan rewrote much of the first act and made the decision to kill off Maximus' family to increase the character's desire for revenge.[12] In November 1998, DreamWorks reached a deal withUniversal Pictures to help finance the film: DreamWorks would distribute the film in North America, while Universal Pictures would distribute it internationally.[13]
Before Russell Crowe was cast as Maximus, several other actors were considered for the role, includingAntonio Banderas,Mel Gibson, andTom Cruise.[7] Gibson turned down the role as he was already committed toThe Patriot (2000).[14] However, producers had Crowe at the top of their list after his breakout performance inL.A. Confidential (1997).[7]Jude Law auditioned for Commodus, but Joaquin Phoenix was offered the part after sending in a "knockout" audition tape.[15][7]Jennifer Lopez reportedly auditioned for Lucilla, but the role went to Connie Nielsen.[16]Lou Ferrigno was originally offered the role of Tigris of Gaul, but the role went toSven-Ole Thorsen.[17][18]
The stairs prior the exit in the arena is part ofFort Ricasoli in Malta
The film was shot at three main locations between January and May 1999.[19] The opening battle scene set in the forests ofGermania was shot atBourne Wood, near Farnham, Surrey, in England.[20] When Scott learned that the Forestry Commission was planning to remove a section of the forest, he obtained permission to burn it down for the scene.[21] The scenes of slavery, desert travel, and the gladiatorial training school were shot inOuarzazate, Morocco. The scenes set in Rome were shot inMalta, where the crew built a replica of about one-third of the Colosseum to a height of 52 feet (16 meters). The other two-thirds and remaining height were added digitally.[22][23] The scenes of Maximus' farm were filmed inVal d'Orcia, Italy.[24]
When filming battle scenes, Scott and cinematographerJohn Mathieson used multiple cameras filming at various frame rates and used a45-degree shutter, which resulted in stylized visuals similar to those found inSaving Private Ryan.[25] For the fight sequence involving tigers, both real tigers and a dummy tiger were used. Some of the live animals were filmed on set with the actors, and some were filmed against abluescreen and then digitally composited into the scene.[26][27]
Crowe was injured multiple times duringprincipal photography. Describing the impact filming had on his body, Crowe said, "I've still got a lot of little scar[s]". He added, "I've had Achilles tendons go out, knees go out, both shoulders, this shoulder's actually had an operation on it... I've got a lower back thing that just won't go away, and that's from a couple, sort of, fall impacts during fight sequences".[16] Oliver Reed died of a heart attack on May 2, before all his scenes had been filmed. His character, Proximo, was meant to survive, but after Reed's death the script was revised to include his death at the hands of the Praetorian Guard. To make it appear that Reed had performed the entirety of Proximo's scenes, a body double was used, and Reed's face was digitally attached to the body of the double in post-production.[b] The film is dedicated to Reed.
Although Franzoni and Logan completed a second draft of the screenplay in October 1998, Crowe has claimed that the script was "substantially underdone" when filming began three months later. In an interview withInside the Actors Studio, Crowe said the crew "started shooting with about 32 pages and went through them in the first couple of weeks."[31][32] The script was constantly changing throughout principal photography, with Scott soliciting input from writers, producers and actors.[11] Some dialogue was created on the spot, such as Commodus' line "Am I not merciful?", which was ad-libbed by Phoenix.[16] Crowe invented the phrase "Strength and Honor", which is a modified version of the Latin motto of his high school, "Veritate et Virtute", which translates as "Truth and Virtue".[32] Crowe also improvised part of the scene in which Maximus describes his home to Marcus Aurelius. Instead of recounting the details of a fictional place, Crowe actually described his own home in Australia.[33]
At one point, William Nicholson was hired to rewrite the script to make Maximus a more sensitive character. He reworked Maximus' friendship with Juba and developed the afterlife plot thread. He said he "did not want to see a film about a man who wanted to kill somebody".[12] Crowe, however, was unhappy with some of Nicholson's dialogue. He allegedly called it "garbage", but is said to have claimed he is "the greatest actor in the world" and can "make even garbage sound good."[16] According to a DreamWorks executive, Crowe "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."[34]
The musical score forGladiator was composed byHans Zimmer andLisa Gerrard, and conducted byGavin Greenaway. The original soundtrack for the film was produced byDecca Records and released on April 25, 2000. DreamWorks' own rock and pop focused labelDreamWorks Records were not involved with this album, and they often licensed out DreamWorks scores to other labels. Decca later released three follow-up albums:Gladiator: More Music From the Motion Picture (2001),Gladiator: Special Anniversary Edition (2005), andGladiator: 20th Anniversary Edition (2020).[citation needed] In 2025, La La Land Records released a three discs expanded edition for the 25th anniversary.
In 2006, the Holst Foundation accused Hans Zimmer of copying the work of the lateGustav Holst in theGladiator score. The organization sued Zimmer for copyright infringement and the case was settled out of court.[35]
Gladiator had its world premiere in Los Angeles, California, on May 1, 2000. The film was released in the United States and Canada on May 5, 2000.[36] It earned$34.8 million during its opening weekend, making it the number one film of the weekend, and it remained number one in its second weekend, earning$24.6 million.[37][38] During its third weekend,Gladiator fell to second place with$19.7 million, behindDinosaur ($38.9 million).[39] The film spent a total of ten weeks in the top ten at the box office, and was in theaters for over a year, finishing its theatrical run on May 10, 2001. Its total gross in the United States and Canada was$187.7 million.[40]Gladiator opened on May 12, 2000, in the United Kingdom, and grossed £3.5 million in its opening weekend. It spent seven weeks atnumber one, and its total gross surpassed$43 million.[c] The film was also number one for seven weeks in Italy, and for five weeks in France.[d] Outside of the United States and Canada,Gladiator grossed$277.8 million, for a total worldwide gross of$465.5 million against a budget of$103 million.[40] It was the second-highest-grossing film worldwide in 2000, behindMission: Impossible 2 ($546.3 million).[47]
In 2020,Gladiator was re-released in Australia and the Netherlands to commemorate its 20th anniversary. This limited release grossed$4.8 million. The following year, it was re-released in the United Kingdom, earning a gross of$16,257.[40]
Gladiator was first released on DVD and VHS on November 21, 2000, and generated$60 million in sales within the first week.[48][49] With new releases in subsequent years, the film grossed $15.8 million.[50] In February 2006,Viacom (now known asParamount Skydance) acquired the domestic rights toGladiator, along with the rights to all 58 other live-action films DreamWorks had released since 1997, following its billion-dollar acquisition of the company's live-action assets.[51][52]Gladiator's international rights still currently belong with Universal,[53][54] although the film's sequelGladiator II was released by Paramount without Universal's involvement.
In September 2009, the film was released byParamount Home Entertainment on Blu-ray, re-released in August 2010 in a higher quality transfer, and in May 2018 it was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray.[55] An extended version of the film, with 16 extra minutes of footage, is also available on all three formats.[56][57][58] In March 2021, Paramount Home Entertainment also releasedGladiator on a ten film Blu-ray set. The set featured nine other Paramount-owned films which wonAcademy Award for Best Picture, includingAmerican Beauty (another title acquired from DreamWorks in 2006) andThe English Patient (one of 700 titles Paramount acquired fromMiramax in 2020).[59]
Gladiator was called "magnificent", "compelling", and "richly enjoyable" by some critics.[e] Crowe's performance in particular received praise. Writing forThe Wall Street Journal,Joe Morgensten said that Crowe "doesn't use tricks in this role to court our approval. He earns it the old-fashioned way, by daring to be quiet, if not silent, and intensely, implacably strong."[63]Kenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Times wrote that Crowe brings an "essential physical and psychological reality to the role", while Kirk Honeycutt ofThe Hollywood Reporter said that Crowe uses "his burly frame and expressive face to give dimension to what might otherwise have been comic book heroics."[64][65]Variety called Crowe's performance "simply splendid".[61]
Critics also praised Scott's directing and the visual style of the film.Manohla Dargis ofLA Weekly commended Scott's state of the art filmmaking and expressed admiration for the film's "breathtaking, brutal lyricism".[66]Entertainment Weekly called the opening battle sequence "extraordinary", and described Scott as a "visual artist at his most deluxe."[67] Michael Wilmington ofThe Chicago Tribune calledGladiator "visually electrifying".[60] In addition to Crowe's acting and Scott's directing, reviewers also applauded John Mathieson'scinematography,Arthur Max's production design, and the musical score composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard.[f]
Although critics lauded many aspects ofGladiator, some derided the screenplay. Ian Nathan ofEmpire magazine called the dialogue "pompous", "overwritten", and "prone to plain silliness".[68]Roger Ebert said the script "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."[69] Manohla Dargis called the story predictable and formulaic.[66]
In his 2004 bookThe Assassination of Julius Caesar, the political scientistMichael Parenti describedGladiator as "unencumbered by any trace of artistic merit". He also criticized the film's depiction of Roman citizens, claiming that it portrays them as bloodthirsty savages.[70] Brandon Zachary of the entertainment websiteScreenRant has claimed that the plot ofGladiator borrows heavily from the 1964 filmThe Fall of the Roman Empire, which is also about the transition from Marcus Aurelius to Commodus and the latter's downfall.[71]
Audiences polled onGladiator's opening day by the market research firmCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[72][better source needed] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 80% of 257 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "While not everyone will be entertained byGladiator's glum revenge story, Russell Crowe thunderously wins the crowd with a star-making turn that provides Ridley Scott's opulent resurrection of Rome its bruised heart."[73] OnMetacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[74]
Gladiator also won theBAFTA Award for Best Film.[77] In 2021,Empire magazine rankedGladiator 39th on its"100 Best Movies Of All Time" list, and declared it the 22nd best film of the 21st century.[5][6] Thereview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes included the film on its list of "140 Essential 2000s Movies".[78] The character Maximus placed 95th onEmpire's list of 100 Greatest Movie Characters.[79] In 2025, it ranked number 92 onThe New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" and number 33 on the "Readers' Choice" edition of the list.[80][81]
Gladiator is loosely based on real events that occurred within theRoman Empire in the latter half of the 2nd century AD. Scott intended to portray Roman culture more accurately than previous films, so he hired several historians as advisors. Nevertheless, multiple deviations from historical accuracy were made to increase interest, maintain narrative continuity, and for practical or safety reasons. Scott later stated that public perception of ancient Rome, due to the influence of previous films, made some historical facts "too unbelievable" to include. For instance, in an early version of the script, gladiators weresponsored to endorse products in the arena; while this would have been historically accurate, there was concern that audiences would think it anachronistic.[82]
At least one historical advisor resigned due to these changes. Another asked not to be mentioned in the credits. Allen Ward, a historian at the University of Connecticut, believed that a higher level of historical accuracy would not have madeGladiator less interesting or exciting. He asserted that filmmakers must be granted some artistic license when adapting historical events, but this license should not be employed to completely disregard facts.[83][84]
Marcus Aurelius was not murdered by his son Commodus; he died atVindobona (modernVienna) in 180 AD from theAntonine Plague. The epidemic, believed to be eithersmallpox ormeasles, swept through the Roman Empire during his reign.[85]
There is no indication that Marcus Aurelius wished to return the Empire to a republican form of government, as depicted in the film. Moreover, he shared the rule of the Empire with Commodus for three years before his own death. Commodus then ruled alone until his death in 192 AD.[86]
The film depicts Marcus seizing victory in theMarcomannic Wars. In reality, the war was ongoing when he died. Commodus secured peace with the two Germanic tribes allied against Rome, theMarcomanni and theQuadi, immediately after his father's death.[87]
The character Maximus is fictional, although in some respects he resemblesSpartacus, who led a slave revolt, andMarcus Nonius Macrinus, a general and friend of Marcus Aurelius.[88][89][90]
Although Commodus engaged in show combat in the Colosseum, he was not killed in the arena; he was strangled in his bath by the wrestler Narcissus. Commodus reigned for over twelve years, unlike the shorter period portrayed in the film.[91]
In the film, Lucilla is depicted as the widow of Lucius Verus. She has one son, also named Lucius Verus. In reality, Lucilla's son died long before the reign of Commodus, and she remarriedClaudius Pompeianus soon after Verus' death. She had been married to Claudius for 11 years by the time her brother became Emperor, and her only living son during this time was Aurelius Pompeianus.[92]
The real-life Lucilla was implicated in a plot to assassinate her brother in 182 AD, along with several others. She was first exiled to the island ofCapri by Commodus, then executed on his orders later in the year.[93]
In the film, Marcus banned gladiatorial games in Rome. The real Aurelius, however, banned games only inAntioch. No games were ever banned in Rome.[94]
It is implied that the death of Commodus did result in peace for Rome and a return to the Roman Republic. In reality, it ushered in a chaotic and bloody power struggle that culminated in theYear of the Five Emperors in AD 193. According to the historianHerodian, the Roman people were overjoyed at the news of Commodus' death, although they feared that the Praetorians would not accept the new emperorPertinax.[95]
The Praetorian Guards wearTyrian purple in the film, but this wardrobe is not corroborated by historical evidence. On campaign, they usually wore standard legionary equipment with some unique decorative elements.[96]Gladiator depictsGermanic tribes inaccurately wearing clothing from theStone Age.[97]
The film shows the Roman cavalry usingstirrups. In reality, the cavalry used a two-horned saddle without stirrups. The stirrups were employed during filming because riding with a Roman saddle requires additional training and skill.[94] According to the classical scholar Martin Winkler,catapults andballistae would not have been used in a forest, as they were reserved primarily forsieges and were rarely used in open battles. There is no documentation of the use of flaming arrows or flaming catapult canisters in ancient history.[94]
The story centers on Lucilla's son, Lucius, who is revealed to be the son of Maximus and not Lucius Verus as stated inGladiator.[103] InGladiator, Lucius is a young boy; inGladiator II he is a grown man.[104]
^Franzoni, David; Logan, John (October 22, 1998)."Gladiator: Second Draft".Internet Archive. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. RetrievedFebruary 24, 2024.
Grant, Michael (1997).The Roman Emperors: A Biographical Guide to the Rulers of Imperial Rome, 31 BC-AD 476. United Kingdom: Phoenix Giant.ISBN9781857999624.
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