A Possible Example of Romance

While contemplating what Dr. Sexson described as the apparent death and wondering how I could best understand the three other concepts of romance, I came across a rather strange example of what I thought would perfectly match the criteria that we have established to this point. That is not to say that it is the perfect romance by any stretch of the imagination, only that it meets the criteria for a romance and, as popular culture, provides a succinct example of the concepts we seem to be discussing in class. And so, without further ado, I offer for the reader's consideration Gladiator. This is the point where anyone who has not watched the film should either concede that they do not care about spoilers or go and watch the movie before reading the rest of the blog.

I will concede that on the surface, Gladiator does not seem to be a romance. After all, his wife and child are murdered, crucified by Roman legionnaires, however, if we look closer, I think that it becomes apparent that the movie, though masked by brutality and bloodshed, is in the end romantic.

Let us begin then with the first apparent death. Maximus, our hero, is introduced as a character of exceeding nobility, a man who has led the Romans to countless victories over their enemies. As the film opens, he is once again caught in a battle with men from Gaul. The battle goes as planned, and Maximus is soon reunited with his friend the Emperor. The plot proceeds rapidly now. The Emperor implores Maximus to take over for him after he dies because he fears the power that his son would have over the empire. Commodus, the son, learns of this, kills his father, and has Maximus taken out into the countryside where the once proud general is to be murdered. Maximus, of course, escapes without the knowledge of Commodus and races home to protect his family. There he finds the bodies crucified above the front gate of the villa. It is that this point that he falls into a fevered state from one of his wounds and is picked up by slavers who take him to be sold as a gladiator.

Death, then, comes in many forms for Maximus. He is presumed dead by Commodus. His wife and child are killed, and he soon falls from his lofty position to the lowest of slaves. He is no longer a man that others respect but one that they expect to die for their amusement. For all intents and purposes, the man that we knew at the beginning of the film is dead, replaced by a desperate warrior with only one thought on his mind: Revenge.

This brings us to the second of our requirements, the quest. It is at this point that Maximus attempts to work his way up the ladder so to speak. At first, he resigns himself to dying in the arena, to truly becoming what he no doubt feels inside. However, soon he learns that he can perhaps meet the Emperor, now Commodus, if he is impressive enough. What follows, and I am doing a poor job of explaining the plot here, are a series of battles and chess moves that eventually brings Maximus face to face with Commodus (our first revelation).

Each side then sets about plans to overthrow the other. Maximus and several of his friends attempt to escape, only to find that Commodus has found out their plan. Many of the men are murdered, though a few are left alive, including Maximus, to fight one final time in the arena. Commodus, seeking to gain the favor of the people, plans a fight for himself against Maximus and, using the froda that he constantly does throughout the movie, stabs the stronger man in the back before the match so that his stronger opponent is not able to use the full extent of his forza. In the end, though, Commodus is killed, ironically enough by the very hidden blade with which he sought to weaken Maximus.

Maximus dies as well, however, and the first few times that I saw this movie, I thought that part to be sad. However, our recent forays into the world of romance have shown me that this is, in fact, both the final revelation and the happy ending we have been seeking all along. Maximus is reunited with his family in Elysium, I did not say that the movie was wholly accurate, and strangely enough, there is a sense that the republic of Rome, once thought dead, is now revived and ready to take its place again.

 

In the end, I hope that I have shown a modern interpretation of a classic romance. Though on its surface Gladiator appears to be a sad movie where the main character dies, that appearance masks the more romantic view that the entire movie takes. We watch a man fall from grace, search for vengeance, gain  all that he has lost back, and, in the end live happily ever after with his wife and child. In the back ground, the country itself echoes the plight of the man. First it is great as a republic, then it falls into the hells of empire, before finally reemerging as the dreamed for republic again. And if that is not romance, I do not know what is.