In the final script, Crowe’s character Maximus Decimus Meridius, “father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife,” has his vengeance in this life before dying from his wounds. Among other changes, the largest difference from the original script is that after getting his revenge, Maximus lives and simply goes on with his life.
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For Crowe and director Ridley Scott, this was a problematic conclusion to Maximus’s character arc, which they saw as a man with nothing left to live for but avenging his family. By the film’s conclusion, the writers found themselves with a main character who had no motivations or purpose to the story. This is perhaps best represented by Crowe’s own joking suggestions during rewrites that Maximus may as well open up a pizzeria, since his character would have nothing better left to do.
Ultimately, left with only the options of either exploring what Maximus’s life would look like devoid of meaning, and sacrificing him at the end of the movie, the writers chose the latter. Seeing as the film grossed nearly half a billion dollars, it seems they made the right choice.
Gladiator is currently available.
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Source: Empire
