Daily Dialogue — September 12, 2013

MAXIMUS: Quintus, free my men. Senator Gracchus is to be reinstated. There was a dream that was Rome, it shall be realized. These are the wishes of Marcus Aurelius.
QUINTUS: Free the prisoners, …go!

Maximus stands, unsteady, as the vision of the wheat field once again comes to him, his wife and son waiting for him. Suddenly he falls hard like a tree, to the ground. Lucilla runs into the arena, dropping to her knees at his side.

LUCILLA: Maximus!
MAXIMUS: Lucius is safe.
LUCILLA: Go to them.

With her hand, she closes his eyes, his face calm and at peace as he leaves this world.

LUCILLA: You are home.

— Gladiator (2000), written by David Franzoni

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is reunion, suggested by Laura Deerfield. Today’s suggestion by Aarthi Ramanathan.

Trivia: David Franzoni was given a three-picture deal with DreamWorks as writer and co-producer on the strength of his work on Steven Spielberg’s Amistad. One of his initial pitches was for “Gladiator”.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Aarthi: “Maximus, a ruthless warrior unable to be killed by his enemies, leaves the world to reunite with the son and wife he has lost, but only after he has spent his last leg of life to unselfishly set things right like a true hero. A great hero who leaves on his own terms.”

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