Line #0 Film/DemetriusAndTheGladiators


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DemetriusAndTheGladiators_6022.jpg]]
2	->'''Caligula:''' ''Do you see her, Claudius? The Goddess Diana. Every night she comes to me... to my arms. There... there she goes. Now do you see her?''
3	->'''Claudius:''' ''No, sire.''
4	->'''Caligula:''' ''Why not?!''
5	->'''Claudius:''' ''Only you gods are privileged to see each other.''
6	->'''Caligula:''' ''... Of course.''
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8	''Demetrius and the Gladiators'' is a 1954 SwordAndSandal film and sequel to ''Film/TheRobe''. Made by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox, the film was directed by Creator/DelmerDaves and produced by Frank Ross, and starred Creator/VictorMature, Creator/SusanHayward, and Jay Robinson, who as UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}} is so far over the top, he could have landed on the moon 15 years before Neil Armstrong. The score by Franz Waxman re-cycled Music/AlfredNewman's themes from the earlier film.
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10	The film follows a Christian slave Demetrius (Mature), who, instead of being executed, is made to become a gladiator by the Roman emperor [[UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}} Caligula]] (Robinson), in which capacity he captures the roving eye of the wicked Messalina (Hayward), priestess of Isis and wife of Claudius. The story follows Demetrius' battles and victories, all in his attempts simply to survive the battles in which he is forced to compete.
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12	!!Tropes associated with this work:
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14	%%* AncientRome: The setting of the film.
15	* BodyguardBetrayal: Eventually even the Praetorian guard get fed up with Caligula and kill him, allowing Claudius to become emperor.
16	%%* TheCaligula: The Original.
17	%%* CorruptChurch: Messalina, as priestess of Isis.
18	* EvilRedhead: Messalina, red-haired temptress and pagan priestess of Isis.
19	* FaceHeelTurn: Demetrius loses his faith in Christ as God after Lucia seemingly dies despite his prayer, and he begins killing his opponents in the arena instead of sparing them. He renounces his faith to Caligula, earning the position of Tribune and beginning an affair with Messalina. Eventually he discovers that Lucia is still alive and makes a HeelFaceTurn again.
20	* GladiatorGames: Much of the story involves gladiators, their training and their fights as it tells the story of how Demetrius goes from freed slave to gladiator, and his rise in their ranks as he becomes Messalina's boytoy, and later tells of his redemption. Many of the supporting characters are gladiators or former gladiators.
21	%%* AGodAmI: Caligula's delusion, leading to the dialogue above.
22	%%* HistoricalDomainCharacter: [[UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}} Gaius Caligula]]; UsefulNotes/Claudius; Messalina; the Apostles Peter and Paul; Macro
23	%%* HollywoodHistory:
24	* KneelBeforeZod: KNEEL! KNEEL TO YOUR [[AGodAmI GOD]]!
25	* MacGuffin: The robe of [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Christ]] which Caligula wants to gain immortality.
26	%%* SaintlyChurch: The Christians
27	* SequelNonEntity: The Gallio family, Marcipor and Tribune Quintus are all absent from the film.
28	%%* SwordAndSandal: One of the classic examples of the genre.
29	* TheVamp: Messalina is both beautiful and wicked, using her wiles to tempt Demetrius away from Christ.
30	* WalkingShirtlessScene: Bizarrely Macro is always shown barechested without any armor or tunic.
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Context Film / DemetriusAndTheGladiators