|
MAXIMUS ENTERS THE COLUSEUM
EXT. COLOSSEUM - ARENA - DAY
At last we see it. The mighty Colosseum Arena.
Nothing we could have possibly imagined could have prepared us for the sight of the thousands and thousands of screaming spectators, the row after row of cheering faces.
It is staggering.
But for Maximus none of this exists. His full attention is focused on one spot alone. The Imperial Box.
He can see Commodus and Lucilla sitting in the box. The box is elevated fifteen feet above the arena floor at the top of a sheer black marble wall. A cohort of fifty imposing Praetorian Guard Archers surround the box. Commodus' personal Body Guard of six Centurions actually stand in the box itself, eyes constantly watching like modern Secret Service agents.
Commodus is untouchable.
Maximus is now ready for his first Gladiator fight in the Colosseum, but is not ready to reveal his identity. He puts on a mask and rejects the identity of The Spaniard, becoming a true Gladiator as he steps into the arena.
Maximus is faced with an impossible task, he calls on the talents and strengths of his team, he acquires the attributes of the other gladiators, gaining their strength, courage and wit. We are familiar with his strategy. We witnessed his strength and domination during the battle of Germania in the opening sequence. "Strength and honour".
The crowd EXPLODES in cheers as the huge doors at one end of the arena suddenly burst open and ten chariots thunder in --
Each chariot has a driver and an archer, both dressed in theatrical versions of the familiar Roman Lorica Segmentata.
A chaos of dust -- and the battle is on --
The chariots zoom around the arena -- the archers keeping up a deadly hail of arrows.
Maximus immediately dives onto a passing chariot and kills the charioteer and archer -- he dramatically leaps from the front of the chariot to a lead horse and cuts it free.
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 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.
Commodus wants to meet this great Gladiator face to face and forces the masked hero to reveal his true identity. Once Maximus reveals his identity, the Antagonist begins to take a personal interest in the hero now that he has proven to be a more serious threat than he at first supposed.
For the first time, the hero's inhibiting characteristic is now an enhancing characteristic, he is vulnerable and his identity revealed
RETURN TO PREVIOUS PAGE]
RETURN TO MAIN PAGE
Copyright © 2001--2007 Excerps from screenplays: Dreamworks/ Analysis Daniel E. Dercksen
|
|
