ACT TWO - THE WORLD OF CONFRONTATION
Maximus now escapes his oppressed past; he is an outlander in unfamiliar territory. The General is transformed into a helpless, wounded slave. He has not only lost his rank, but also his name. For him there is no turning back; he has lost his family and is now a fugitive. He meets far more perilous situations in the terrain in which he seeks refuge.

His dramatic need changes from wanting to return home to revenge and is fuelled by the strongest of motivations: survival.

Maximus now has an Internal Conflict - an emotional desire to return to his family - and an External Conflict - a physical desire to kill Commodus.

THE FIRST HALF OF ACT TWO
During the first half of Act Two we are also introduced to Proximo, the guide or interpreter; the classic Wise Old Man and herald of destiny who triggers the hero's inner awakening and sets him on the path of transfiguration. In the first draft of the script Maximus meets Proximo in Rome as a Gladiatorial teacher. In the second draft he is described as

… a large man of immense appetites. He has the ferocious appearance of a true pirate.

The mentor is the one with the special knowledge and skills, which he uses to prepare and train the hero during his early adventures. He has limited magical powers and formidable fighting skills. He watches the hero and is aware that the character is the focus of great hope.

The partnership of the mentor with the hero works to balance the hero's weaknesses and enables him to perform the superhuman deeds that he could not accomplish unaided.

Through Proximo, Maximus recognises his strengths and weaknesses and reconciles them. This encounter opens the hero's eyes to a new world of possibilities, his old life is no longer tolerable.

Maximus is a seeker-hero who willingly leaves his past to commence his specific quest; he is also a victim-hero, forced by circumstances to leave the past.

Maximus is drawn into adventure against his will, he moves out of his drab, oppressed world into a foreign and magical world where he is transformed from the ordinary to the extraordinary. He becomes 'The Spaniard', a silent deserter who refuses to fight. He initially underestimates the difficulty of the quest ahead, but he will gradually lose his naivety as the journey unfolds.

Proximo's provincial school resembles nothing so much as a seedy prison. The fading grandeur of the decaying battlements and the sweeping North African architecture only slightly mitigate the brutal feel of the place.

And if Maximus had any doubts as to Proximo's profession
-- all doubts are washed away when he sees the compound.

Twenty GLADIATORS are working out in the compound - hacking at practice dummies and sparring. The many heavily armed guards oversee everything. The gladiators stop working out as they see the new slaves enter. They eye their potential new opponents warily.

A BRAVE NEW WORLD
Maximus is a traveller between two worlds: the outsider who becomes the insider, the rebel who turns conformist, the victim who triumphs over his oppressors.

He undergoes training, learning and preparation for the trials ahead - we learn along with him. He discovers that the quest will be more dangerous than his initial expectations.

The first Gladiator contest in the arena of Zucchabar is Maximus' first test, beyond whom lies the unknown. The threshold passage is a form of self-annihilation, the hero goes inward to be born again. It is also his first sense of crowds thirsting for blood. Here is a wonderful excerpt from the fighting scene out of the second draft.

Juba fights well, with a strange elegance, his body flowing like liquid -- but he is inexperienced. He strikes a few blows and then tries to move away -- finally he is in trouble -- cornered -- a huge Andabata is slicing at him -- it is a desperate battle -- Juba is losing -- his sword is slammed away -- the Andabata raises his sword for the kill --

And Maximus strikes.

With a sudden roar he EXPLODES into action -- he swings past Juba and blocks the blow meant for Juba -- then he slashes the Andabata -- killing him -- he pulls Juba after him as he fights --

It is a dazzling display of Maximus' skill -- he moves through the Andabatae at amazing speed -- spinning around Juba and protecting him -- slashing ruthlessly -- pulling Juba after him and commanding the battle -- Juba recovers a
sword and they fight together.

At the same time Commodus enters Rome as the new Emperor and is mocked by the Senators. Commodus states that he understands his people and introduces the games that will last 150 days.

THE MIDPOINT
At the midpoint of the story - which also divides the first half and second half of act two, Proximo tells Maximus that he is good, but not that good. He informs him that they are going to Rome where he will be able to buy his freedom and get close to Caesar. We are reminded that the story is not about our hero as a fighter in the arena, but about him achieving his dramatic need - to return home to his family. He can only reach his goal once he has destroyed the antagonist, who serves as a major obstacle in preventing him from achieving this desire.

THE SECOND HALF OF ACT TWO
During the second half of Act Two the hero enters Rome as one of the Gladiators to "Win the crowds".

INT./ EXT. ROMAN STREETS - SLAVE WAGON - NIGHT

Maximus cranes for a sight of the Eternal City through a hole in the wooden slats that cover the slave cart.

He can see only glimpses of Rome as they pass. But the images are not what he expected. Alongside the undeniable glory of the city, the madness and disease Marcus Aurelius spoke of are readily apparent.

Maximus sees flashes of plague victims being tossed on carts heaped with bodies -- he sees getting and spending and commerce everywhere -- he sees fascist Praetorian Guard units trooping past -- he sees the magnificent architecture of the city -- he sees starving children begging from filthy gutters -- he sees rich citizens out for a stroll -- he sees a swirling combination of sophistication and depravity, of civilization and corruption.

Ridley Scott decided to cut this section of the screenplay and focused on the exterior shorts of the Colosseum, as described in the second draft.

It is a breathtaking sight. Monolithic Albert Speer-like columns of light shine up from the Colosseum. It seems to illuminate the whole city and the heavens above …

A flurry of images from around the Colosseum, the energy mounting. At this point we see practically nothing of the inside of the Colosseum:

Slaves are balancing high above the empty arena. They are on ropes unrolling huge rolls of muslin; sun tarps that provide shade below...

Merchants open stalls in the curved arcade around outside of the Colosseum. They sell everything from food to magic elixirs, from toys to aphrodisiacs. They immediately start declaiming and demonstrating the virtues of their products...

Gangs of whores of both sexes trawl the streets. They have bizarrely-colored hair and elaborate makeup...

Citizens begin arriving, pushing past the vendors and the pickpockets. We see whole families with picnic lunches…

CONFRONTING OBSTACLES
Just as eager as Maximus is to "Win the crowds", we have Commodus struggling to win the hand of his sister, Lucilla. He confronts her about her son and invites her to spend the night with him. Observe the incredible tension and wonderful beat in the dialogue.

                              LUCILLA
                     Are you still afraid of the dark?

                              COMMODUS
                     Always - stay with me.

                               LUCILLA
                     No.

                               COMMODUS
                     Then kiss me.

His approach is direct. He is afraid of the unknown but is not scared to seduce his sister. Her approach is equally direct and sensible. She kisses him on the forehead and leaves.

Before Maximus battles a physical desire - to survive - he is confronted by an emotional desire when he meets Lucilla's son Lucius: it serves a dual function; it is a painful reminder of his own son, and takes the audience back into the story to the slaughter of his family, clearly underlining the motivation that spurs the protagonist to take action.

CONFLICTS AND CONFRONTATIONS
The second half of act two is riddled with personal conflicts and confrontations.

• There is the confrontation between Lucilla and Commodus. Lucilla is the Subsidiary Enemy, who is evil but less powerful than the Supreme Enemy, and once a champion of the good side. She has ambitions of dethroning the Supreme Enemy and usurping his power.
  
• Lucilla also confronts Maximus head-on. She too is vulnerable and tells Maximus that she is living in a prison of fear. Her son is in danger. She wants to win Maximus' trust and tempts him to join her in deposing the Supreme Enemy.
  
• Maximus' inner conflict is beautifuuly dramatised in a scene between Juba, the earth figure and our hero. Maximus confides in Juba, telling him that he wishes to join his family in the afterlife. They are waiting for him. He has to return to his family and end his sorrow. "Not yet," states Juba.
  
• The hero is subjected to further physical confrontation and has to fight the undefeated champion, Titus of Gaul. Maximus not only has to fight Titus but also has to contend with vicious tigers. At the end of the scene he triumphs. The crowds demand for him to kill Titus. He refuses. Maximus the killer now becomes Maximus the Merciful.
  
• Maximus is in danger of losing all. He is in the hands of the evil Commodus, and true identities and motives are revealed. He confronts his greatest fears, the nature of his deeds, and the true nature of the situation. He learns the true identity and motivations of the people he is dealing with. He re-unites with his servant Cesaro and instructs him to tell his soldiers that "The General lives!" and to call his men together to save Rome. Lucilla introduces him to Senator Gracchus, the man who will buy his freedom and allow him to rejoin his men and lead them to battle. Maximus will then kill Commodus.
  
• The conflict and tension escalates and Lucilla informs Maximus that they cannot wait any longer. He has to escape that same evening. He understands what must be done. His choice involves a great sacrifice and presents his gravest risk so far. With grim determination he reaffirms for the last time his choice to go on and moves boldly forward, aware that this is his last chance and knowing he will soon meet his greatest triumph or his greatest sorrow.
  
• Further confrontation between Lucialla and Commodus is fuelled when Lucius tells Commodus that he wants to be a Gladiator because he was told that Maximus is the saviour of Rome. Commodus knows who is betraying him. In a tender scene between Commodus, Lucilla and Lucius, he makes her aware that he knows of her betrayal and tells her that if she does not tell him everything, he will strike down those closest to her.