In this movie, Maximus is a courageous and experienced Roman general who is looking forward to reuniting with his family after a bloody battle. He is betrayed by Commandus, who kills his family and leaves him for dead. Maximus then fights his way through gladiator battles to get to Rome and avenge the death of his family.
The movie “Gladiator,” is a great example of how one man is perceived as a hero for his nation. In the beginning of the film, Maximus is shown to have the qualities of a great hero: bravery, leadership, patriotism for his nation and devotion to his family. As Sjoberg has mentioned, men in war fight for their wives and children as motivation. When Maximus’ wife and son gets slaughtered by Commandus, Maximus only has time to quickly mourn so he can seek vengeance to the man responsible. This also shows how women and children are targeted by armies, because they are perceived as “powerless.” He starts from rock bottom, away from civilization to fight in small gladiator pits. No one knows who he is, but though the death of his family, he wins these battles to reach Rome. However, his is not just a killing machine at this point. He shows mercy to fighters, earning the name “Maximus the Merciful” in Rome. This relates back to Sjoberg’s description of an ideal-typical just warrior over the hypermasculine warrior. He wins the support of Rome in overthrowing Commandus. In the final fight against Commandus, he shows his strength and grit by fulfilling his vengeance before dying from the poison. Overall, this movie is influenced by several key heroes in Roman history like Sparticus and Macrinus to form the perfect one, Maximus. The appeal of this movie is how Maximus leads slaves to victory, beating formidable Roman gladiators against all odds. He is praised for his battle tactics and leadership. Maximus is portrayed as the epitome of a hero; one that fights for the freedom of slaves, nation and family.
