History Film / Gladiator

* CallToAgriculture: "Maximus the Farmer!" This was TruthInTelevision for a lot of Roman statesmen and generals. Farming was considered one of the most laudable and noble occupations for a Roman man to undertake.

* DecapitationPresentation: The opening battle has the German Leader tossing the head of a Roman scout before the battle begins. The rest of the scout's body preceded the head on its way back to the Roman lines.

* SoldierVsWarrior: Maximus goes from being a General (soldier) to a gladiator (warrior).

* AllForNothing: [[spoiler:Commodus fatally stabs Maximus before their fight to give himself the edge...and he gets overpowered and killed anyway with relative ease, so it doesn't work.]]

Maximus is then trained as a gladiator by his captors, and he successfully wins the crowds to him in his first few performances; this allows Maximus to travel to Rome and compete in gladiatorial battles arranged by Commodus. Maximus' fame soon wins Rome's heart -- to the point where he begins to become more popular among the people than Commodus -- and begins to plan his revenge...

* ManlyTears: [[DefiedTrope Defied]]. Maximus races home desperately... to find his farm burned and his wife and son crucified. He collapses in front of them, tears flowing. Spittle as well! Lots of spittle and mucus. The original plan was for him to do a normal discreet-few-tears-down-each-cheek dignified cry... but Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott agreed that what Maximus was seeing demanded (as Crowe put it) a "full blown snot-fest".

* DefeatingTheCheatingOpponent: Emperor Commodus has a VillainousBreakdown during his final battle with Maximus. Even though Commodus has rigged the fight in his favor, Maximus is still beating him. During said breakdown, Commodus reveals his dagger and goes after Maximus, even though his plan was to humiliate Maximus in a "fair" fight. [[spoiler:Then, Quintus gives his own middle finger to the Emperor by refusing to give him his sword, and ordering the guards surrounding him to sheathe their swords as well. Commodus is killed as a result by Maximus, but the wound inflicted by Commodus and his dagger still ends up fatal to Maximus, as he gets back to Rome just before the wound claims his life.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gladiator.jpg]]

''Gladiator'' is a 2000 epic historical drama film directed by Creator/RidleyScott. It follows the same period of history and takes similar liberties with its plot as the 1964 film ''Film/TheFallOfTheRomanEmpire'', while also taking several cues from Stanley Kubrick's ''Film/{{Spartacus}}''. It is credited with [[GenreRelaunch reviving]] the {{epic|movie}} SwordAndSandal genre, which had disappeared from the big screen since the aforementioned ''Fall of the Roman Empire'' back in TheSixties.

This film is not to be confused with the proto-superheroic 1930 book ''Literature/{{Gladiator}}'' nor the TV gameshow ''Series/{{Gladiators}}''.

* GimmickMatches: In-universe, many variations on gladiatorial combat take place in the arena. For instance, in Maximus' first match, he and Juba are tied together by the wrist, with Maximus holding a sword and Juba a shield. During this fight Hagen's ally quickly becomes a human shishkebab, so Hagen [[AnArmAndALeg has a novel solution for freeing himself]], [[EpicFlail and then another with the chain]]. An example of [[TruthInTelevision]], as the Romans loved themed gladitorial fights and even had different gladiator "characters" akin to modern pro-wrestlers.

*** May be an example of [[TruthInTelevision]], as Roman historian Cassius Dio does record instances in which the Romans were forced to break ranks against the Germans and still won. In one instance, Rome found itself pinned down on a frozen river, which the Germans were more easily able to navigate; the Romans broke formation and used their shields as platforms to maneuver across the ice, allowing them to win what should've been a decisive victory for the Germans.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Commodus calling out Graccus' claim that the Senate represents the people of the empire is actually fair and on point -- many of the common folk of the time were living on the edge of poverty and struggling to provide for themselves and their families. Commodus actually does improve matters, opening Rome's grain stores and literally providing the people with ''actual'' BreadAndCircuses.

* GimmickMatches: In-universe, many variations on gladiatorial combat take place in the arena. For instance, in Maximus' first match, he and Juba are tied together by the wrist, with Maximus holding a sword and Juba a shield. During this fight Hagen's ally quickly becomes a human shishkebab, so Hagen [[AnArmAndALeg has a novel solution for freeing himself]], [[EpicFlail and then another with the chain]].

* GoodRepublicEvilEmpire: The good guys are hoping to turn the Roman Empire back into a Republic by giving more power to the Senate. The bad guy wants to get rid of the Senate altogether. Historically speaking, no one planned to make Rome a republic again, especially since the last five emperors had been both good and competent guys. And in fact it took 300 years for the Roman Empire to openly acknowledge that the Republic ''had'' ended and a monarchy had formed. Nor was there ever any serious prospect of abolishing the Senate; while centuries later its power would be diminished to the point of being purely ceremonial, the Roman Senate actually ''outlasted'' the (Western) Roman Empire and the UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire (Eastern Roman Empire) had its own Senate last until the 1400s.

* DarkIsNotEvil: For the final battle, Maximus is wearing black armor, [[LightIsNotGood and Commodus wears white.]] Interestingly, ancient Rome had rather different associations for these colors. Black was the color of joy and festivity, which probably explains why Commodus, the dissolute playboy emperor, is usually seen wearing it. White, though, was associated with the elderly, authority figures[[note]]the English word for "someone running for office", candidate, comes from the Latin word for white. Roman office-seekers wore white togas to the elections[[/note]]... [[ForeShadowing and the dead.]]

* DeadlyHug: How Commodus comes to power. He asphyxiates his elderly and helpless father in a hug.

* BadassBeard: Maximus grows one [[BeardOfSorrow when his family is killed]].

This film is not to be confused with the proto-superheroic 1930 book ''Literature/{{Gladiator}}'', the TV gameshow ''Series/{{Gladiators}}'', nor the general trope GladiatorGames.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[-"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?"-]'' [[note]][[WesternAnimation/RobotChicken No. Do a dance.]][[/note]]]]

As of 2018, a sequel is in development, with Ridley Scott set to direct.

* AncientRome