Audio problem: When Maximus is eating with Juba and Hagen, just before he fights Tigris of Gaul, listen to the background noise very closely as the men talk. There's lots of chatter and stray noises, but amid the sounds you can hear someone yelling urgently: "Warren, Warren... Warren...radio." This may be the sounds of a crew member telling another regarding a radio. (01:36:30)
Continuity mistake: When Maximus, Juba and the other slave are eating at a table, the big slave pretends he's choking. Juba has his hand on the spoon, yet when it cuts to the next shot, his hand is no longer there. (01:36:30)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Hagen is faking a choke you see Juba holding his bowl of food with both hands. When it cuts back he is holding it in his left hand only. (01:36:35)
Revealing mistake: When Hagen pretends to choke on the beans, just after he finishes laughing, there is a shot of him sitting between Maximus and Juba. You can see his non-Roman underpants. (01:36:35)
Continuity mistake: After Hagen has faked choking Juba start laughing. Then it cuts to Maximus slowly starting to laugh. In the next shot we can see both Hagen and Maximus laughing, but Juba is dead serious now. Then in the following shot behind Juba we can see him laughing again. (01:36:35)
Continuity mistake: When Commodus enters the chamber where he walks towards his father's statue, he has his hands hanging down. When it cuts his hands are folded. (Extended Version only). (01:38:15)
Visible crew/equipment: When Maximus has killed the tiger you can see a whip hitting it as it lies on the its back. It probably belongs to the lion tamer who tries to make the tiger wriggle. (01:42:05)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the battle with Tigris of Gaul, Maximus kills the tiger that leaps on top of him and throws it off to the side. In the next shot the tiger is back on top of him and he has to fight with it laying on his stomach. Later the tiger is once again off to the side. (01:42:15)
Continuity mistake: After Maximus and Tigris' battle, Tigris falls to the ground and we see his mask is already up. Maximus then pulls the mask up which has magically come down over Tigris' face again. (01:42:35)
Continuity mistake: In the battle scene between Maximus and Tigris, not only does the visor flip up and down (see above), but when Tigris falls down with his visor up, you can see that his face isn't marked. But when Maximus again unmasks Tigris, it's bloody with a giant scrape across the face. (01:42:35)
Visible crew/equipment: When Maximus enters the arena before facing Tigris, the camera pans around the crowd. At one point, you can see a young Hispanic girl wearing a "scrunchie" holding her hair in a perfect ponytail, several bracelets and a watch, a necklace, a cut-off white t-shirt, and blue jeans. Most noticeable in full screen version. (01:42:40)
Revealing mistake: As Tigris lays injured on the floor of the Colosseum, there are several close-ups of Maximus holding the axe above his head, with light streaming in around him. There are two things wrong with this; First of all, the camera angle is nowhere near steep enough to see the top of the Colesseum, therefore no light rays. Secondly, the top of the set can actually be seen between the light rays, as the canvas shades are too short and wide to be those seen in the CG wide-shots. Use the DVD "Making Of" as reference. (01:43:20)
Continuity mistake: After the battle with Tigris of Gaul, Maximus' neck was spread with tiger blood. But when he faced Commodus, no blood on his neck. (01:43:30 - 01:44:30)
Continuity mistake: During the scene in which Maximus battles one-on-one with Tigris of Gaul (the gladiator that returned from retirement) in the Coliseum, Maximus is ordered to kill the Tigris. As he refuses and throws the axe down, the left side of Maximus' neck is completely covered with blood. When Commodus enters to speak with Maximus, there is only the slightest trace of blood on his neck, which now also seems to be completely dry. (01:43:35 - 01:44:30)
Visible crew/equipment: After Maximus defeats Tigris of Gaul, there are Praetorians shown coming out of a gate on the left-hand side into the arena. In the next shot, you can see an open gate at the far end of the arena and you can see some kind of golf cart-like vehicle driving by on the outside of the Colosseum. It is very a motorized vehicle because there is no horse and it moves too smoothly. (01:43:55)
Factual error: When the execution squad is ready, Quintus says "fire". Of course this is incorrect, since you don't fire a bow and arrow, but "loose" it. The term "fire" came only with the invention of firearms. It's a common mistake in bow / arrow type situations. (Extended version only). (01:47:10)
Visible crew/equipment: As the firesquad release their arrows at the two prisoners the protective pads under their shirts are quite visible. (Extended version only). (01:47:10)
Revealing mistake: When the firesquad has executed the two prisoners it cuts to a closeup of Lucilla. Later when it's time for Maximus to fight Commodus the exact closeup shot of Lucilla is being used over again. (Extended version only). (01:47:15 - 02:29:10)
Continuity mistake: When we get to the comedy play fight between Maximus and Commodus, we look at the front of the stage and we see the actor playing Maximus is standing in the middle of the stage and the one playing Commodus on the right side. When we get a view from back of the stage 'Maximus' is standing on the left side of the stage and 'Commodus' in the middle. They have suddenly switched sides. (01:49:55)
Continuity mistake: When Commodus and Lucilla are lying in bed, after Commodus tries to seduce her for a kiss, he lowers his arm and says "You know I love you". When it cuts he suddenly has his hand lying on her shoulder. (01:57:40)
Chosen answer: You're probably closest with the suggestion that they're rather stunned at the sheer speed with which Maximus has carved through the opposition. They'd certainly be used to more of a show, so for Maximus to slay all his challengers in less than a minute would take them aback. If anything, the "Are you not entertained" is closer to the theatrics that they'd really expect to see, which would prompt them into cheering him - up to that point, he's not exactly won their favour, even though he's defeated all comers.
Tailkinker ★