At the beginning of the new millennium, the established director Ridley Scott, creator of masterpieces such as ‘Alien’ (1979) and ‘Blade Runner’ (1982), presented the world with an epic story set in Ancient Rome, ‘Gladiator’. ‘ (2000). The film, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen, not only served to revive the peplum genre, but also went down in history by winning five Oscars.including Best Picture.
The plot follows Maximus Decimus Meridius, played by Russell Crowe, a loyal Roman general whom the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, played by Richard Harris, favors as his successor to the detriment of his own offspring, the sadistic and ambitious Commodus. whose role is played by Joaquin Phoenix. After Commodus discovers his father’s plans, he murders him and pursues Maximus to also end his life, but he finally escapes before being captured and sold into slavery and turned into a gladiator. From that moment on, Revenge will become the only driving force of his existence.
A significant scene from the film was eliminated from the final cut that viewers around the world were able to see in theaters during its premiere, but was nevertheless included in the extended version that was released on DVD years later.
In this unpublished scene, Commodus is shown with two imprisoned Praetorian soldiers who knew about Maximus’s escape and did not act to prevent it.. In a gesture of cruelty and paranoia, Commodus decides to use them as pawns to test the loyalty of Quintus, the leader of his personal guard and former friend of Maximus. The atmosphere is tense, charged with a disturbing mix of power and madness, as Commodus’s sister Lucilla watches the spectacle from the shadows, visibly concerned about her brother’s growing dementia. The archers, lined up and with their bows drawn, await the order to shoot, but Commodus, in a display of his power and contempt, walks among them, defying the possibility that one of them might shoot an arrow by mistake. The archers tremble under the pressure of maintaining the stance, reflecting the terror their leader inspires. In an act of calculated perversity, Commodus not only orders the execution, but uses this moment to publicly question Quintus’ loyalty, seeking to sow doubt and fear among his own men.
The relevance of the scene lies in the enormous hatred and distrust that Commodus feels for Máximo, which reveals their dangerous complexes. It also shows us the mental instability of the new Emperor, capable of using all the brutality that his new position grants him, increasing the oppressive atmosphere and constant surveillance in which his subordinates operate. Although this sequence did not make it into the final version of the film, its inclusion could have delved even deeper into Commodus’ mentality, offering a more complete view of his descent into madness.
