Gladiator Page #4

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Marcus stands before a map of the Roman Empire.

MAXIMUS:

(bows)

Caesar.

Marcus holds out a scroll.

MARCUS:

Read this.

MAXIMUS:

I never acquired the art, sir.

MARCUS:

Of course. No matter. In this

letter I denote my intention to

nominate you to stand for the

Emperorship after my death.

A stunned pause. Maximus stares at him.

MARCUS:

My son is not a moral man. You have

known this since you were young. He

cannot rule.

MAXIMUS:

Caesar, I am honored but --

MARCUS:

For twenty years I have been

spilling blood. For twenty years I

have written philosophy and

ruminated and conquered. Since I

became Caesar I have only had four

years without war. Four years of

peace in twenty. So perhaps I can

be... forgiven.

A long beat.

MARCUS:

While I have been fighting, Rome has

grown mad and corpulent and

diseased. I did this. And now I

shall make it right.

MAXIMUS:

Sire, you brought the light of the

Gods to barbarian darkness. You

brought civilization and justice to

the farthest --

MARCUS:

(fierce)

I have brought the sword -- nothing

more! Rome is far away and we

shouldn't be here. What matter is

it to the Gods if we subdue one more

tribe of Parthians or Gauls? What

matter is it to Rome if a thousand

more barbarians bend to our lash?

A beat.

Marcus sits. He doesn't look at Maximus.

A pause.

MARCUS:

Winter, Maximus. It's winter now...

A beat.

MARCUS:

There was a dream that was Rome. I

can only whisper of it now.

Anything more than a whisper and the

dream vanishes. It's so... fragile.

The true glory of Rome is in a very

fragile idea. Imagine a place

devoted to the rights of the

citizen. Where every free man has a

voice. That was the dream... And I

fear it will not survive the winter.

He holds out a hand to Maximus. Maximus takes his hand,

deeply moved, kneeling.

MARCUS:

Let's just whisper here, you and I.

MAXIMUS:

Yes, Caesar.

MARCUS:

If the dream is ever to live again

the people must have a true voice.

The voice I took from them. That

all the Caesars took from them, bit

by bit, conquest by conquest. And

now that I am dying I am going to

give them that voice again.

MAXIMUS:

You're not dying.

MARCUS:

I am, Maximus. It's strange... I

find as I near the end I think

little of the waning moments around

me... instead I think much of the

past... and of the future. How will

the world speak my name in years to

come? Will I be known as the

philosopher? The warrior? The

tyrant? Or will there be a more

golden sounding to my name? Will I

be the Emperor who gave Rome back

her freedom?

A beat.

MARCUS:

Before I die I will give the people

this final gift. I will give them

the Senate reborn. The voice of the

people empowered again, as it was

always meant to be. It is my design

that they will elect the next

Emperor. And I would put forward

your name with my backing.

MAXIMUS:

Caesar, you do me honor -- but your

son has pride of place for

succession.

MARCUS:

You are the son I should have had...

Although I fear in my deepest heart

that if you had truly been my son my

blood would have polluted you as it

did Commodus. We're a cursed

bloodline. We have lived so long in

power and depravity that we no

longer remember a life without it.

We can no longer even imagine a life

without it.

A beat.

MARCUS:

Look at me, son.

Maximus looks at him.

MARCUS:

Son... I know that one grove of your

vineyard is worth more to you than

all the treasures of Rome. I know

one loving word from your wife is

worth more than the accolades of an

Empire. But... a fond old man, who

loves you more than he can say, begs

you to at least think about what he

has said tonight.

MAXIMUS:

I shall, Caesar.

A beat.

MARCUS:

I'll keep this letter to myself. I

hope that with the sunrise you will

agree. And embrace me as a father.

Maximus nods and rises. He begins to go. Stops.

MAXIMUS:

You have always been my father.

He goes.

INT. TENT CORRIDOR - DAY

Maximus emerges from Marcus' tent into a long tent

corridor, deep in thought.

LUCILLA'S VOICE

He always favored you...

He turns. Lucilla is waiting. She glides to him.

LUCILLA:

Even over his son.

MAXIMUS:

(turning away)

That's not true.

LUCILLA:

Maximus, stop...

(he stops)

Let me see your face.

He turns to her.

LUCILLA:

You've been crying.

MAXIMUS:

I lost too many men.

LUCILLA:

What does my father intend?

He turns and walks. She walks with him.

MAXIMUS:

I don't know.

LUCILLA:

You're lying. I could tell when you

were lying even when we were

children. You hate it.

MAXIMUS:

I never acquired your comfort with

it.

LUCILLA:

True. But then you never had to.

Maximus, stop...

(he stops again)

... Is it really so terrible seeing

me again?

MAXIMUS:

No. I'm sorry. I'm tired from the

battle.

LUCILLA:

And you are hurt to see my father

dying.

A beat.

LUCILLA:

He will announce Commodus'

succession. That's why he summoned

us. Will you serve my brother as

you served his father?

MAXIMUS:

I will always serve the ideals of

Rome.

A beat.

LUCILLA:

Do you know I still remember you in

my prayers...? Oh yes, I pray...

Ever since that day you saved me

from drowning off Capri. Do you

remember?

MAXIMUS:

Yes.

LUCILLA:

Commodus was so angry that a mere

peasant -- a Spaniard no less --

touched the royal person, do you

remember his anger?

MAXIMUS:

Yes.

LUCILLA:

Mark this, Maximus: that is the man

who will be Emperor.

A beat.

MAXIMUS:

May I be permitted to go, Highness?

She smiles sadly.

LUCILLA:

There was a time when you didn't

call me "Highness."

MAXIMUS:

And there was a time when you were

just a little girl drowning in the

sea. All that was a different life.

LUCILLA:

(quietly)

Very different... I wonder if it was

better?

MAXIMUS:

It was more honest.

A moment between them. We sense there is much to be said,

much that could be said.

Finally:

MAXIMUS:

I thank you for your prayers.

He goes. She watches him walk away.

INT. MAXIMUS' TENT - NIGHT

Maximus kneels before a small altar in his tent. He faces

six small figures that represent his dead ancestors.

MAXIMUS:

Ancestors, true bloodline, I ask you

for your guidance. Bring me your

solace and your wisdom. Blessed

Mother, come to me in my dreams with

the Gods' desire for my future.

Blessed Father, watch over my wife

and my son with a ready sword. Keep

them safe until my return. Whisper

to them in their sleep that I live

only to hold them again and all else

is dust and air. Ancestors, true

bloodline, I honor you and will try

to live with the dignity you have

taught me.

He looks at his "ancestors" for a moment and then blows

out the candles around them.

INT. MARCUS' TENT - NIGHT

Commodus' eyes are red with weeping. He sits, head down,

at the foot of Marcus' bed and speaks to his father.

COMMODUS:

(quietly)

I search the faces of the Gods for

ways to please you... to make you

proud... and I can never do it. One

kind word -- one full hug where you

pressed me to your chest and held me

tight -- would have been like the

sun on my heart for a thousand

years... What is it in me you hate

so much? My eyes are your eyes. My

hands are your hands. All I have

ever wanted was to live up to you.

Caesar. Father.

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