Daily Dialogue — January 20, 2012
Crowd: Maximus! Maximus!
Commodus: Rise. Rise.
[Maximus stands up, clenching an arrow head in his right hand]
Commodus: Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard. I don’t think there’s ever been a gladiator to match you. As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. Or was it Hercules? Why doesn’t the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name? You do have a name.
Maximus: My name is Gladiator.
[turns away from Commodus]
Commodus: How dare you show your back to me! Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name.
Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] 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.
— Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), Maximus (Russell Crowe), Gladiator (2000), screenplay by David Franzoni and John Logan and William Nicholson, story by David Franzoni
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is celebrating victory, suggested by Franklin Leonard. Today’s suggestion by David Proenza.
Trivia: Writer David Franzoni started developing the story in the 1970s when he read “Those Who Are About To Die”, a history of the Roman games by Daniel P. Mannix; Franzoni later discussed the idea with Steven Spielberg during their work on Amistad, saying that he envisioned Commodus as being something like Ted Turner in the way he combined politics and entertainment to establish a base of influence.
Dialogue On Dialogue: Recalls the line from The Princess Bride: “”Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
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