Factual error: When a group of soldiers goes to Maximus' villa to burn it and kill his family, his son points them, saying in Italian "Mamma! I soldati!" ("Mom, the soldiers!") and then "Papà!" ("Daddy!"). This is because the young actor (Giorgio Cantarini) is Italian and they didn't translate, for some reason. As a result, he's speaking Italian in a movie in English, where people are supposed to speak Latin, in a province where Italian was never ever spoken. (00:43:07)
Gladiator (2000)
Plot summary
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe, Richard Harris, Joaquin Phoenix, Djimon Hounsou, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Maximus (Russell Crowe) is a general in the roman army loved by Marcus Aurelius, the emperor. Marcus wants Maximus to become emperor after he dies as he thinks that his son Commodus is unfit to rule. When he tells Commodus this, Commodus murders him. When Maximus refuses to believe that Marcus died of natural causes, Commodus orders that Maximus and his family should be executed. However, Maximus escapes and returns home - too late to save his family. He collapses and is sold as a slave where his prowess as a gladiator gets noticed and eventually he fights his way through Africa to Rome, where he meets the emperor face to face. The emperor spares his life, then challenges Maximus to a fight in the arena. Maximus accepts and the two engage in a bloody battle. Maximus kills the emperor, reinstates the Senate as the governors of Rome and dies to be with his family in the afterlife.
More mistakes in Gladiator
Commodus: What is your name, gladiator?
[Maximus turns away.]
Commodus: How dare you show your back to me! You will remove your helmet and tell me your name!
[Maximus slowly turns and removes his helmet.]
Maximus: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
Trivia: The two prostitutes who were all over Maximus after his first battle in Rome, and after the fight with Tigris when Cicero gave him the idols, are both amateur adult film stars. Prostitutes were very common during this time and were often rewards for gladiators who had proven their mettle by surviving many battles.
Question: I don't know whether this is a mistake or if there was a certain reason for it but, at the end of the movie when Maximus tells Quintus to free his men, Quintus turns to the line of guards standing behind him and says, "Free the prisoners, go!" Two of the guards standing next to each other immediately go to free the prisoners, and the rest of the guards don't budge. How did those two guards know that the orders were given directly to them?
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Chosen answer: Because they would be the ranking soldiers, and accustomed to being given orders. Being disciplined, they would obey Quintus without question. The legions would necessarily have soldiers assigned to following orders at different times, similar to how a captain would give an order to a full room, and the first mate would be the one to carry out the order.
rswarrior