Why we all still love GLADIATOR

It has much to do with manliness and being a man

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.

While working on a forthcoming Sunday School lesson about the Roman Army, I was reminded of several great movies depicting the 1st century (time-of-Christ) Roman Army: Films like Risen (2016) starring Joseph Fiennes in the role of a Roman tribune (colonel). Also Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), Quo Vadis (Robert Taylor), and others. There was also The Robe (Richard Burton), set between 64-68 A.D.; and Spartacus (Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier), which is set a century before Christ, though the film references Jesus. But perhaps my favorite of all the epic flicks about Rome and its legions was and is GLADIATOR (2000), set well-beyond the 1st century in 180 A.D. and starring Russell Crowe as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius.

My Sunday School lesson led me to think about this. I love GLADIATOR: Everyone, both men and women, do. But why GLADIATOR? It’s a man’s movie to be sure. So why do women also love it? An article published in The Art of Manliness lists four reasons. I came up with 10 almost immediately, including building on the AOM’s four.

Following are my 10 reasons why we all love GLADIATOR –

FIRST, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Crowe) was a man’s man. He was manly. No reason to be ashamed of manliness, though some in 2023 might have us be. Maximus was unabashedly manly. Period.

SECOND, Maximus could fight (and he could win in a fight), but he always demonstrated restraint whenever possible.

THIRD, Maximus loved his family unconditionally, deeply, and forever, regardless of circumstance or separation.

FOURTH, Maximus loved and forgave others even when they betrayed him.

FIFTH, Maximus loved his army and he excelled in it.

SIXTH, Maximus loved his country even when it became corrupted, betrayed him, and ultimately killed him.

SEVENTH, Maximus was spiritual. Remembering now his uttered line: “What we do in life, echoes in eternity.” Of course Maximus worshipped pagan deities – he was after all a Roman general – but he would have been a great Christian soldier.

EIGHTH, Maximus loved and was a selfless protector of women and children: As according to the very laws of nature he should have been.

NINTH, Maximus led from the front. Remember him charging on horseback as his artillery “unleashed hell?”

TENTH, Maximus was a survivor against all odds, until it was his time.

Point being: All men should strive – if we are not already – to be like Maximus. And therein lies the primary reason we are all drawn to Gladiator.

– W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a former U.S. Marine Infantry leader and a New York Times bestselling editor. Visit him at http://uswriter.com.