Gladiator Page #13

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And Maximus takes control, we see the General of the Felix

Regiment gloriously alive again as he barks out orders and

leads his gladiators in battle. They follow him

faithfully, his stern commands unquestioned.

His strategies are quick and smart, he makes the

gladiators work together.

This kind of slaughter could last for hours...

We see flashes of the endless battle... Maximus races on

his horse past another chariot, kills the driver, the

chariot smashes into a wall... the sun sinks lower, the

shadows on the sand lengthen... areas of the sand are

swamps of blood, Juba slips, pulls himself up fighting...

Maximus uses Vibius to create a diversion, two chariots

collide... the crowd roars... a gladiator is dragged

between a chariot and the side wall of the arena... the

drummers pound out their relentless tattoo...

Finally...

Maximus is on his horse across from the final chariot.

We can see that Juba and Vibius and a few other gladiators

are still alive. The rest of the arena is polluted with

the dead and injured.

Maximus spurs his horse and gallops toward the final

chariot -- the charioteer whips his horses and zooms

toward Maximus --

The crowd is breathless -- watching the final battle --

Maximus and the chariot speed toward each other -- like

Medieval jousters --

And collide in a flashing explosion of steel --

Maximus sails from his horse -- as the charioteer sails

from his chariot --

Maximus lands hard but quickly pulls himself up, he races

to the final charioteer. The charioteer is defeated but

not dead.

Maximus glances around, all his opponents are defeated.

He stands over the final charioteer. Then he simply

tosses down his sword.

The crowd is stunned by this strange act of mercy. But

then an enormous roar grows from the crowd -- wave after

wave of adulation for the hero of the day.

Maximus looks around, taking it all in.

Then he turns to the Imperial Box.

Maximus slowly walks to before the the Imperial Box. The

Praetorian Archers immediately raise their bows, pointing

down at him.

Maximus glares up at Commodus through his helmet mask.

Commodus returns his gaze, curious.

The crowd is intrigued, growing quiet. What is going on?

Then Maximus simply turns and begins walking away.

COMMODUS:

Slave! Who are you?

The Colosseum is suddenly silent. The Emperor is speaking

to a gladiator.

Maximus keeps walking.

COMMODUS:

SLAVE! WHO ARE YOU?

Maximus keeps walking, his fists clenched now.

Commodus suddenly grabs a spear from a nearby Praetorian

and hurls it with perfect aim -- the crowd gasps -- the

spear sails past Maximus -- actually nicking his shoulder

-- it slices into the sand ahead of Maximus.

Maximus stops.

COMMODUS:

SLAVE! WHO ARE YOU?!

Maximus can hold it no longer. He spins to Commodus --

ripping off his helmet mask -- and THUNDERING:

MAXIMUS:

I AM MAXIMUS MERIDAS, GENERAL OF THE

FELIX REGIMENT OF THE ROMAN ARMY AND

SERVANT TO THE EMPEROR MARCUS

AURELIUS!

Commodus eyes shoot wide -- Lucilla bolts up -- Gracchus

leans forward -- Proximo is stunned -- the crowd is

mystified --

MAXIMUS:

I AM FATHER TO A MURDERED SON AND

HUSBAND TO A MURDERED WIFE AND

LANDLORD TO A MURDERED WORLD -- AND

I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE!

The Praetorian Archers tense their bows -- ready to kill

the defiant slave --

But something extraordinary stops them. Almost as one

being the crowd roars -- they leaps to their feet and

thrust their thumbs up! They cheer and stomp their

approval of Maximus.

Commodus looks around at the people of Rome, amazed.

He finally plasters on a benevolent smile and thrusts his

thumb up! The Praetorians lower their bows.

And the crowd cheers. Never in the long, long history of

the Colosseum have they ever seen such a thing.

Maximus leads his gladiators out of the arena.

INT. PALACE - THRONE ROOM - NIGHT

To our great surprise, Commodus is not raging. He sits

quietly on the polished marble floor in front of a model

of the Colosseum. He moves model pieces around in the

Colosseum, planning his festival.

Lucilla stands, tense.

COMMODUS:

Why is he still alive?

LUCILLA:

I don't know.

COMMODUS:

He shouldn't be alive. That vexes

me. I am terribly vexed...

Lucilla watches her brother cautiously, expecting the

explosion. He carefully moves some model pieces in the

arena.

COMMODUS:

There, that's better. Do you like

the platform here?

LUCILLA:

Mmm.

COMMODUS:

I do too. Simple, elegant...

Lucilla is growing more and more unnerved at Commodus'

unusual serenity.

COMMODUS:

Father would have wanted something

more ornate but he's dead now.

A beat. Commodus laughs. A beat.

COMMODUS:

Maximus Meridas haunts me. I see

Father turning away from me and

gazing at him. How many times did I

suffer that indignity, I wonder?

LUCILLA:

What are you going to do?

COMMODUS:

I'm going to kill him.

LUCILLA:

Good.

COMMODUS:

(glances at her)

Oh, you're too clever, Sister.

Don't tell me part of you won't weep

for him.

LUCILLA:

When he defies my brother the

Emperor, he defies me. But you

shouldn't send assassins.

COMMODUS:

No?

LUCILLA:

The people embraced him today. They

will be expecting his next match...

(she kneels next to

him)

... let him die in the arena like

the slave he is. Let the people see

what comes of defying Caesar.

A beat as he looks at her.

COMMODUS:

He wounded you deeply, didn't he?

Long ago.

She does not answer.

COMMODUS:

Nonetheless, your political acumen

is, as always, unerring.

He picks up a model tiger and puts it in the arena. He

looks at the model tiger and smiles.

INT. PROXIMO'S COMPOUND - CELL - NIGHT

Maximus silently awaits Commodus' assassins with Juba.

They hear footsteps outside the cell. Maximus stands,

preparing for death.

JUBA:

(also standing)

I will fight with you.

MAXIMUS:

This isn't your battle.

JUBA:

Better to die for a friend than to

die for gold.

The door swings open and they are surprised to see Proximo

sweeping in with a cloaked woman. The woman gives Proximo

a bag of money.

PROXIMO:

Enjoy yourself, Madame...

(he glances to

Maximus)

General, perform well and there will

be riches for you.

He beckons to Juba, they go, shutting the door behind

them. The woman pulls off her cloak, it is Lucilla.

Maximus glares at her, his muscles tensing.

LUCILLA:

Rich matrons pay well to be

pleasured by the bravest champions.

Maximus backs up, fighting the urge to strangle her on the

spot. He finally bumps into a wall of the cell.

MAXIMUS:

I knew your brother would send

assassins. I didn't think he would

send his best.

LUCILLA:

Maximus, listen to me --

MAXIMUS:

My family were crucified and burnt

while they were still alive.

LUCILLA:

I knew nothing of that.

MAXIMUS:

(low)

Don't lie to me.

LUCILLA:

I wept for them.

MAXIMUS:

Don't.

A long, tense moment.

She does not look at him.

LUCILLA:

Do you know what it is to be the

daughter of the Emperor? I learned

on the night my father had my

husband killed. I loved my husband

very much. Very... simply. He was

a man who believed in the Republic.

He was a man who thought Marcus

should be tending to Rome and not

conquering the world. One night my

father had him strangled for

conspiring with the Senate. My

father never spoke of it. I never

spoke of it. That is what it is to

be the daughter of Rome.

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