Gladiator Page #14

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She finally looks up at Maximus.

LUCILLA:

My son will live. He will survive

this cursed bloodline. Rome will

die and the jackals will pick her

clean -- but my son will survive.

Empires come and go. Cities crumble

to dust. Only family matters.

A beat. Despite himself, Maximus is moved.

MAXIMUS:

My son was innocent.

LUCILLA:

So is mine.

A beat.

MAXIMUS:

I want your brother dead.

LUCILLA:

So do I.

A beat. Maximus is surprised at her direct answer.

LUCILLA:

My son will never be safe while he

lives.

A beat.

MAXIMUS:

How do you plan it?

LUCILLA:

The Senate is with us, and the City

Guard. We have growing power in the

streets. But we need a leader.

Someone the people can --

MAXIMUS:

So the crown passes to your son.

LUCILLA:

No. So that my son will be safe.

So that we may leave this charnel

house forever and never look back.

Look into my eyes, Maximus, and

believe what I say to you...

She rivets him intensely with her eyes.

LUCILLA:

By all the Gods, and in the name of

my father who loved you, and in the

name of the husband I loved... I

swear to stand by your side in this

now and always.

A beat.

MAXIMUS:

What is your son's name?

LUCILLA:

Lucius Verus. Like his father.

MAXIMUS:

I weep for him.

A long beat. Maximus' cold eyes give away nothing.

Lucilla turns and starts to go. She stops, not looking

back.

LUCILLA:

Commodus plans to kill you in your

next match in the arena. He's

planning something. I will pray for

you. As I have always done.

She then pulls something from her robes and sets it down,

a little bundle wrapped in cloth. She sweeps out. The

sound of the door being bolted shut on the other side.

Maximus stands for a moment and then goes to what she has

left. He opens the cloth. Inside are his six "ancestor"

figures.

He picks up one of the figures. He looks at it deeply,

gently feeling along the contours with a finger.

EXT. COLOSSEUM - ARENA - DAY

The Colosseum is again packed. Commodus, Lucilla and her

son Lucius are in the Imperial Box.

It is late in the day and teams of slaves are cleaning the

arena after a bout. They haul off carcasses and toss down

fresh sand.

Meanwhile, Cassius is orating to the crowd:

CASSIUS:

... in his majestic charity the

Emperor has deigned to this day

favor the people of Rome with an

historical final match. Returning

to the Colosseum today... after five

years in retirement... Caesar is

pleased to bring you... THE ONLY

UNDEFEATED CHAMPION IN ROMAN

HISTORY...

(the crowd is going

mad)

... THE LEGENDARY... TIGER OF GAUL!!

The crowd erupts in paroxysms of joy as TIGER explodes

into the arena in an ornate chariot. Tiger is a fierce

man in his 40's, his brutal, scarred face and hugely

muscled body a testament to his many years in the arena.

Tiger speeds around the rim of the arena in his chariot,

raising an arm in triumph. The crowd roars.

INT. COLOSSEUM - HOLDING CELLS - DAY

Proximo stands with Maximus, who is busy strapping on

armor.

PROXIMO:

Gods! That old Homicide! The

Emperor must truly hate you.

MAXIMUS:

What can you tell me?

PROXIMO:

He cheats.

INT. COLOSSEUM - ARENA - DAY

Tiger waits. He stands in the center of the arena. He

has only a traditional short sword. The crowd is

breathless with anticipation. As:

CASSIUS:

(orating)

And from the rocky promontories and

martial bloodlines of Spain...

representing the training lyceum of

Proximo Antoninus... I give you...

THE WARRIOR MAXIMUS!

The crowd cheers. Maximus appears from his gate. His

fans have increased in number considerably. They eagerly

crane forward and celebrate him.

Meanwhile, Maximus looks at Tiger. Only one man with a

sword? Maximus approaches, cautious but confident.

He stops a few feet from Tiger. They lock eyes, salute

each other and then turn to the Imperial Box, raising

their swords.

The crowd waits eagerly for the immortal words...

MAXIMUS AND TIGER

We who are about to die salute you.

The crowd cheers and Maximus immediately turns and starts

slashing -- Tiger easily blocks and strikes back --

The sword play is very fast -- they block and parry and

hack like lightning -- constantly attacking -- they are

perfectly matched --

As he fights Maximus becomes aware of a strange sound over

the roar of the crowd -- a low rumbling -- then he feels

something -- a vibration in the ground --

Suddenly traps doors swing open and four enormous

platforms rise into view. On each platform is a snarling

Bengal tiger restrained by a chain. Tiger's teams of

"cornermen" hold the chains through a pulley system. The

cornermen are safely inside cages. The platforms stop at

ground level.

The four ferocious tigers now mark the four corners of the

battleground.

Tiger takes advantage of Maximus' momentary confusion and

assaults brutally -- forcing him back toward one of the

tigers -- the tiger claws for Maximus -- Maximus just

evades it claws -- rolls for a new position -- another

tiger snaps at him --

Tiger attacks -- Maximus is on the defensive -- fighting

off Tiger and evading the four snarling beasts --

And then all four tigers are suddenly closer. The teams

of cornermen are letting the chains play out, bit by bit,

gradually reducing the size of the battle ground. The

crowd roars.

But the fight is hardly fair.

Whenever Tiger is near one of the tigers the cornermen

pull back the tiger slightly -- when Maximus is near a

tiger they let it out a bit.

Maximus and Tiger fight -- swirling action -- finally,

Maximus has the edge -- he circles so that the sun stabs

into Tiger's eyes -- then Maximus lunges forward under

Tiger's swinging sword and SLAMS into him -- they fall --

a tiger swats at Maximus' face -- he jerks his head back

-- he shoots out a leg and kicks Tiger's sword toward one

of the tigers -- it is out of reach -- Maximus leaps up

and stands over the winded Tiger, sword to his throat.

Tiger is gasping for breath, crushed.

Then one of Tiger's corners suddenly cheats -- they

completely release a tiger -- it leaps for Maximus --

Maximus barely has time to turn -- the tiger crashes into

him -- its claws slashing into his back, cutting through

his leather armor -- Maximus shoves an armored forearm

into the tiger's jaws and stabs with his sword --

Tiger takes this chance to pull himself up -- one of his

corners throws him another sword -- the crowd boos --

Maximus wrestles with the tiger -- spinning it around with

superhuman effort so it is always between himself and

Tiger -- so that Tiger can't get at him --

Maximus finally kills the tiger and leaps for Tiger -- he

quickly disarms him and tosses him to the ground --

Maximus stands over him -- ready to administer the coup de

grace.

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