英文片名: gladiator
中文片名: 角斗士
上映: 2000
gladiator
by
david franzoni
first draft revised
april 4, 1998
fade in:
ext. near the german front - 180 a.d. - dawn
the rising sun unveils steep hills and luxuriant mountains
untouched by man. snow flurries dart in the frigid air
and on the horizon crows gather.
ext. dirt road
a column of praetorian cavalry flank two enclosed wagons
as they rattle along a rock and log accordion road. on
all sides a forest rises like some kind of primordial
soul: limitless and dark. with every step 'steam'
whooshes from the nostrils of the horses.
the first wagon halts as a praetorian guard jogs back. he
straightens his tunic and helmet and raps on the wooden
door as the second wagon stops behind. the door swings
aside and another praetorian guard leans out.
1st praetorian guard
sir, we must be getting near.
int. first wagon
lucius aelius aurelius commodus huddles in the back of the
wagon: dark hair, handsome, beard; as commodus rises we
see he's a large, powerfully built young man and though
barely twenty years old he already has the caution and
arrogance of a caesar.
opposite a gaunt man climbs from a heap of blankets:
galen of pergamum, probably the most frozen, unhappy man
on earth. the wagon is lined with pillows and blankets.
baskets of bread and dried fruit are stacked in one corner
and an oil lamp hangs from a pivoting cleat like the
swinging lamp in a ship.
2nd praetorian guard
caesar, we're nearly there.
ext. wagon
commodus steps down and pulls his cape up against the
bitter cold. galen follows, curiously overcoming his
natural hatred of discomfort. tribuus, burly praetorian
guard commander salutes commodus and leads him to the edge
of a gully. tribuus is an old-timer for whom commodus is
just another royal pain-in-the-ass.
the gully is black with crows -- with their endless 'caw-
caw-caw' they feast on corpses and in the shadows below
roman soldiers bury dead comrades. compared with the
burnished perfection of the praetorian guards these
typical infantry grunts are grizzled and battered.
commodus
soldier! what happened here!
a legionnaire stops working, spits, leans on his shovel so
he can shout up toward tribuus and commodus. galen squats
beside a corpse, fascinated.
legionnaire
we had a battle!
commodus
i can see that. you leave your dead
on the field?
legionnaire
general narcissus beat the germans
here and now the whole army is
moving fast! no time to let them
get away!
the second wagon --
as a twenty-five year old attractive young woman opens the
door. she is lucilla -- commodus' sister. lucilla pulls
her coat tight against the wind.
lucilla
where are we now, commodus? can you
see the camp? my gods! the air is
turning into ice!
commodus
we're nearly there, lucilla.
lucilla
that's what you told me two days
ago!
commodus
will you please get back in your
wagon? and stay there?
lucilla
i'm tired of being stuck in that
wagon.
embarrassed by commodus' childish spat with is sister,
tribuus gestures to the 2nd praetorian.
tribuus
soldier, help the emperor's sister.
as a soldier jogs back up toward lucilla commodus looks
down at the legionnaire leaning on his shovel.
commodus
where is my father?
tribuus
where is the emperor and the army,
soldier?
the legionnaire points up the road. commodus and tribuus
return to the wagon. galen rolls the dead soldier over
and sticks his finger into a gaping chest wound, then
notices the legionnaire glaring at him.
galen
i'm a doctor.
the legionnaire studies him a second, then the corpse as
if giving a second opinion.
legionnaire
well, you're too late.
galen pulls back in revulsion at his impudence. he
scrambles to follow commodus. the legionnaire spits and
gets back to work.
ext. dirt road - dawn
the wagon crests a hill with a precipitous view of the
valley and torches that seem to fill the lingering dark
far below. the wagon makes straight for them.
and commodus...
riding on a seat on the front of the wagon, wrapped to his
chin in a bearskin blanket -- absolutely set on catching
up with the army.
on the edge of a forest sixty year old emperor marcus
aurelius stands in the back of an unharnessed supply wagon
surrounded by a dark so black it's barely moved by blazing
torches.
a wolf -- living symbol of rome -- stand before the wagon
held on a leash by a battle-hardened senior centurion:
servis.
marcus wears the purple robe of imperial power over his
leather and copper segmented upper body armor (lorica
segmentata). his breath clouds in the bitter cold; the
man is tired to the bone.
opposite stands the roman army
this is the mighty army of the danube, yet it seems like
these men -- buried in the shadows and as frozen and worn
as their leader -- have come to the very edge of the world
to be swallowed by this wilderness.
numidian archers, tall africans, out of place in this
freezing land, stand behind their leader -- juba -- who
has the whip-like body of a dancer. each carries his
recurve bow as if it were a delicate musical instrument.
quivers of brightly colored arrows hang from their backs.
field commanders -- contubernium -- stand by each row of
soldiers. less numerous, and above the contubernium, are
the centurions, and at the front line of the mass of
cohorts are four tribunes.
before the entire army
mounted on magnificent grey horses, are two legate, the
overall commanding generals, wearing ornate lorica
segmentata. the first legatus is quintus clarus, rome
army general: fair-haired, fit, forty. he has the face
of a boy.
the second is narcissus meridas, general, spanish gemina
felix vii army: dark hair, proud and though about
quintus' age his face is like a map of a soldiers's hard
life. narcissus' eyes are locked on marcus like the eyes
of a long-suffering pilgrim on the icon of his single
hope.
the wagon
just before marcus is about to speak, commodus steps into
the wagon looking out of breath. surprised, marcus
embraces him and then commodus stands behind his father
wrapped tightly in his bearskin robe. he's trying to look
tough but unlike his father he's not used to this rigorous
life.
narcissus & quintus
swap looks as if commodus were the last person they were
expecting...
marcus aurelius
citizens!
marcus' voice booms out tough and firm as if defying the
cold and dark.
marcus aurelius
today may be the last day in the
life of rome... for nine hundred
years rome has lived! for nine
hundred years architects,
mathematicians, poets, and
philosophers have fled within her
arms sheltered from superstition,
prejudice, hate, and every form of
human cruelty. we romans have
become a light in the barbarian
night!
on narcissus
no trace of feeling, just his breath slowly clouding in
the frigid air.
and marcus...
seeming to look at each legionnaire as he speaks.
marcus aurelius
for nine hundred years this one
heart of humankind has been defended
by the likes of pompeii, mark
anthony, julius caesar, the spanine
augustus, claudius, trajan,
hadrian, and my own father antoninus
pius. now, it has come down to us!
it has come down to this one day...
he leans forward on the rail of the wagon, a gesture that
seems to bring him closer to the men.
marcus aurelius
five years we've lived together, you
and i, in a state of total war. we
have shared cold, rain, heat,
bitterly watched the deaths of
beloved friends. we are not alone.
look around you! consuls and
senators have forsworn the luxuries
of home and moved with us to the
front to ensure that the
administration of our government
radiates from the source of her
bravest citizens.
outside a field tent
stand senator gaius and senator falco wrapped to their
chins against the staggering cold.
both men are in advanced middle age. gaius looks like a
stoic: impassive, plainly dressed. falco wears an
expensive fur trimmed robe with gold and asbestos.
flanking them are consuls and various officials. lucilla
stands by gaius and a very stately, attractive numidian
woman, mela, juba's wife.
marcus aurelius (o.s.)
the link between us and rome is a
solid chain of unbroken purpose!
for nine hundred years the roman
senate has stood one with the army
in dignity and resolve!
and commodus...
watching the troops, seeming to weigh any response with
the utmost calculation.
and marcus
eyes dead-ahead on the troops.
marcus aurelius
but on this day i ask you to put
those nine centuries down -- they're
too heavy for us to carry into
battle again! so, we'll leave them
here for the senators to guard for
us!
quintus
allows himself a smile as the troops grin and laugh. he
looks across at narcissus who manages the faintest of
smiles -- a very serious man...
marcus aurelius
this day i want you to fight for the
cold and the heat and the filth --
and for all those friends who will
never feel the sun on their faces
again! i want you to fight for you!
for at the moment of battle you and
you alone are rome!
the soldiers...
rank after disciplined rank: not one sideways look, not
one sound...
and marcus...
as his eyes pass from cohort to cohort.
marcus aurelius
how quickly all things sordid and
perishable in the universe
disappear. yet throughout time the
remembrance of great deeds grows
only fresher bringing life again to
those who dare perform them...
(pause)
legate narcissus meridas and legate
quintus clarus, i must ask you and
your legions for one more day out of
nine centuries! will you give it to
me?
the troops howl their support. marcus pulls his sword and
half turns aiming it behind him.
marcus aurelius
there is the enemy of rome!
commodus steps forward to join his father and the uproar
grows.
narcissus
removes his helmet as a sign of respect. now the stoic
veneer of his face cracks into a mixture of reverence and
perhaps even love for the emperor.
and commodus...
taking every single bit of this in. he seems particularly
interested in narcissus.
narcissus & quintus
move their horses close and dismount.
quintus
i see the emperor's little boy has
finally caught up with the army.
narcissus
let's hope he doesn't start giving
orders.
servis approaches and salutes. it starts to rain.
servis
at your command, sir.
ext. forest - early morning
in a howling rainstorm felix spanision breaks through the
dense woods like a moving human wall behind their
rectangular shields.
they're in the midst of mass combat -- spears, arrows and
stones crash off shields, taking out soldiers.
the zing of arrows and whoosh of spears saturate the air.
because there are no explosives every scream and arrow
shot is heard.
narcissus
leads his troops on foot in the thick of battle. a
contubernium walks beside narcissus tugged on by the
leashed wolf mascot as painted german warriors dart out of
the woods hurling spears. narcissus yells over the sounds
of battle, wind and rain.
narcissus
tribune! the right flank is falling
back! if we lose the flank we're
all dead!
the tribune salutes and dashes off and servis rushes in
from another direction.
servis
sir! there's a fortification ahead!
the germans are waiting for us!
should we slow the men down?
ahead
juba leads his numidians in a fluid, disorderly formation
into the thickest part of the forest. just before he
dodges into the woods juba locks eyes with narcissus --
and he's gone.
narcissus --
jerks his shield up in time to stop an arrow. but a
legionnaire is slammed in the chest by another as sniper-
shots whiz in.
now, from the distance comes the rolling roar of drums and
howls. then a horrendous thunderclap and a bolt of
lightning tears the lead grey sky.
narcissus
come on, servis! forward!
servis turns and runs down the front line as the storm
becomes more intense. the yelling and drumming get
louder...
the german fortification
a chaos of interlocked logs rimmed at the top with
sharpened stakes. german warriors shout waving spears
and clubs.
the felix spanision
scatters the german snipers and rearguard before it,
closing on the fortification.
tribune
where the hell are the damned
archers?
narcissus
don't worry about juba; just keep
our own damned troops moving!
german warriors loose an avalanche of rocks and spears.
narcissus
tortoise!
tribune
tortoise! form a tortoise!
as the call echoes legionnaires furiously overlap their
shields on all sides and overhead forming a perfect box
just as the stones and spears crash against them...
inside the tortoise
rocks slam the wall of interlocked shields with ear-
splitting resonance. but the tortoise holds.
outside
soon as the barrage stops the germans unleash fighting
mastiffs. the dogs tear into the legionnaires. one leaps
at narcissus and he kills it with a single chop of his
spatha sword.
servis
here they come!
german warriors charge the shields as the legionnaires
level their spears. singing and screaming the warriors
impale themselves on the spears and grasp the shafts. a
second wave charges the line on the heels of the first.
the legionnaires --
in a well rehearsed movement twist their spears releasing
the tips. as the dying warriors drop with the quick-
release spear tips embedded in their bodies, the romans
reverse their spears over the top and -- no problem:
roman spears have points on both ends. so the german
second wave is met by an intact position.
still they power into the line chopping at the roman
shields with axes.
far behind...
a legionnaire blows a piercing note on a brass horn and a
second, thin line of legionnaires appears out of the
forest. narcissus turns, yelling to a contubernium behind
him.
narcissus
answer that signal!
a red 'flag' on a long pole goes up answering the trumpet,
and the line of the fresh cohort parts in segments
revealing onagers -- portable catapults -- and scorpions
-- powerful precision-fire crossbows that launch javelins.
the artillery fires...
cannonball-size shot driven at a hundred miles an hour rip
over the heads of narcissus' troopers and slam against the
fort walls.
onager crews
reload with incredible speed from wagons filled with hand-
picked rocks -- some bear scrawled epithets essentially
the latin equivalent of 'eat this hans!' onagers launch
barrage after barrage, their backs leaping off the ground
like recoiling 45 millimeter field guns.
scorpion operators
picks their targets. the germans are leveled by a sheet
of scorpion javelins as their crude log fortification
splinters under the onager barrage. the germans are being
pulverized by superior technology.
the whole german army --
led by tall grey bearded man, pours from the log blockade
and hurls itself against the roman line.
again the romans are staggered as the germans collapse
more of their shields, battering through the front line
with clubs and axes.
narcissus --
fights desperately refusing to give ground. a german
rears up from behind and slams narcissus in the back with
a club and he goes down.
narcissus is nearly trampled as another german warrior
throws himself on narcissus holding his sword arm about to
kill him with a club -- there's a blur of fur and blood as
the roman wolf leaps into the warrior's face.
narcissus lurches back to his feet and seeing he's in the
midst of the whole german army he goes wild. yelling and
slashing out with his sword and the knife-edge top of his
shield, in seconds he's drenched with blood.
like some fantastic romantic painting --
narcissus climbs onto a heap of bodies flashing his sword
with the snarling wolf of rome at his side.
centurions and legionnaires --
see this supernatural vision of their leader battling for
life --
servis
romulus! the gods of rome are
fighting with general narcissus!
others join the cry as more legionnaires turn and there's
an irresistible surge of the army back toward narcissus.
narcissus
joined by servis, then another, then two contubernium,
then ten legionnaires... the legionnaires fight
desperately to hold their ground around narcissus.
then with a sound of a hundred out-of-tune violins the
germans are swept from behind by arrows.
juba's numidians
line the edge of the forest four deep pouring arrows into
the germans. juba stands on a log in front shouting
piercing sing-song orders easily heard over the screams of
battle.
narcissus & his troops
spane behind their shields for cover from the cloudburst of
arrows.
arrows fired by almighty recurve bows hit the germans
with the power of .44 magnum rounds: arms splinter like
twigs; shields are nailed to chests; skulls explode.
the germans turn and charge the numidians but they may as
well hurl themselves against a machine gun nest as they're
mowed-down in whole lines. they hurtle back in disorder
into the forest.
the romans
lower their shields. narcissus catches a fast smile from
juba, then jumps to his feet...
narcissus
come on men! forward!
river bank
the retreating german army spills out of the forest
following their leader into a shallow narrows, narcissus
and his spanision on their heels.
above
on the opposite bank is a single roman on horse back.
it's quintus. he draws his sword and spurs ahead -- then
right behind him rush his fresh rome cohorts.
the two roman armies --
crash into the germans in the middle of the river --
throwing aside his shield and holding his sword with two
hands narcissus chops his way into the enemy with a fury.
wild chaos of horrendous fighting in knee-deep water --
spray, blood, flashing swords and flying spears as men
desperately kill to stay alive.
then the two roman armies close like a fist and the
surviving germans squeeze through the fingers in disarray.
narcissus & quintus
meet in the middle of the river and at that moment the
legionnaires realize they've won. they howl and stab at
the heavens with their swords to intimidate the gods.
narcissus pulls off his lorica segmentata which literally
drools blood and heaves it into the water. then in the
vortex of the cheering cohorts, he and quintus embrace.
from above
the danube runs red...
ext. roman camp - vindobona - near dusk
surrounded by cheering legions narcissus rides his grey
horse slowly into camp. servis walks ahead leading the
beloved wolf mascot on a leash. quintus rides beside
narcissus, but it's clear all this adulation is for
narcissus.
narcissus dismounts and finally the crowd parts revealing
commodus outside the roman headquarters flanked by slaves
and praetorian guard. commodus strides forward and
embraces him as a cheer goes up from the soldiers.
commodus
welcome back from your great triumph
narcissus meridas. my father sends
his heart felt praise. sadly,
marcus is in dark humors -- nothing
to worry about, but he needs rest.
likely just the weather.
narcissus
respectfully caesar, quintus and i
must report.
commodus
of course, but not now. however, if
he continues to be unwell, you may
report to me.
a challenging look from commodus -- clearly narcissus is
not in the mood to report to this boy. quintus steps in.
quintus
gladly, caesar. and, if you'd like
we can take you for a tour of the
front at first light.
commodus
i'm certain father will be in better
humors by then. now, honor us with
your presence at dinner. i'll join
you as soon as i see my father's
physician.
for a second commodus eyes the shouting army... it makes
him nervous. then he turns to enter the building.
narcissus
what the hell was all that about?
quintus
what the hell do you think it was
about? there's nothing an unproved
heir to the throne likes less than
glaring competence in others.
narcissus
why don't we try to keep politics
out of the conversation.
quintus
well, we can try...
int. roman hq - early morning
inside the single large building at the vindobona central
base, a wraith-like fortune teller stands with her eyes
closed, hand on falco's head.
tribunes and high ranking hangers-on bask near a blazing
hearth like over-fed dogs. senator gaius sits apart near
juba and his wife mela. all are fixated on falco.
fortune teller
... a great man: great of birth --
great of girth!
(laughs all around)
your fate in flame and bronze is
wrought... the rest in haze is
sought.
falco
smoke from the fire no doubt!
she opens her eyes and falco hands her a coin.
narcissus
fire and bronze -- symbols of strong
character, senator!
all turn toward narcissus and quintus.
falco
general narcissus, it's your turn!
everyone in this room would love to
know your future. go on, ask him if
he'll stand for the senate!
applause as narcissus catches a smirk from quintus.
narcissus
no future-telling, please, i've been
terrified enough for one day.
lucilla
narcissus! terrified? you? the
only thing he's scared of is me.
lucilla greets narcissus with an embarrassingly intimate
embrace. looks like she's been hitting the sauce pretty
good.
gaius
slave! wine and meat for our
generals! the saviors of rome!
falco
judging from your adoring troops and
what we heard, narcissus, you are
personally responsible for our
victory.
lucilla hangs onto narcissus' hand taking him around the
room like he was her date.
lucilla
you know our two most senior
senators: gaius cantus and falco
verus?
narcissus
only from a distance.
gaius
well let's not be so distant,
general. now that this war is
ending rome needs good men off the
battlefield as well.
juba
the wolf of rome fought beside him.
i saw it with my own eyes.
narcissus looks at juba as if to say 'thanks a lot.'
lucilla
you see? the gods favor you for
greatness! tell us about it -- all
about it.
voices
yes/tell us/tell all!
narcissus
the truth is i got into a little
trouble and when the army came to
rescue me the german counterattack
broke around us. an example of
being in precisely the wrong place
at exactly the right time.
(off their laughs)
it was juba and his archers who
finally got them running. then
quintus arrived with the rome
legions just in time to cut off
their retreat.
commodus and galen suddenly step into the light; it's
unclear how long commodus may have been listening in the
doorway. everyone rises...
commodus
narcissus meridas, you win the
battle and deny you had any hand it
it. but if we had lost, you would
have taken complete responsibility.
senators, rome needs more such
models of humility and courage.
(pause)
my father sends regrets that he will
not join us after all as he
continues to be unwell.
commodus reaches over to fill lucilla's cup which is
nearly brimming.
commodus
more wine, sister? surely you can
drink more than that.
lucilla
i was suddenly thinking about going
to bed.
commodus
oh, stay...
(that was an order)
don't you want to join the chorus of
praises for narcissus' glory? just
remember, he is a married man.
narcissus
do you expect marcus to be well
enough by morning for an audience?
commodus
that's difficult to say, general.
narcissus
perhaps, master galen, you may say.
galen
it's difficult to name a time...
commodus
may i remind everyone that master
galen is the finest medical
philosopher in the empire and his
detailed assessment of the emperor
is delicate and confidential and is
the business of the immediate family
alone.
narcissus
i would venture, with all respect:
the emperor's health is the business
of every soul in the empire.
gaius
yes! the days of imperial
prerogative and disdain for the
senate are over -- thanks to your
father! now report to the senate,
master galen: what is marcus'
state?
commodus
report, master galen, by all means.
the senate demands it...
galen
we are talking simply about a
disturbance of the hues. nothing
more. in precisely one hour i will
analyze the emperor's bile and then
my assistants and i will stand by in
an unfailing vigil until his fever
breaks. now with your permission
caesar, senators? i must return to
my patient.
commodus gestures him out as if he were just amused.
commodus
one doctor now knows his place in
the empire. congratulations,
general, your victory seems to
inspire courage everywhere.
quintus stops flirting with lucilla's slaves and starts
paying close attention to the developing dynamics.
narcissus
the battle was won, today, and i
prefer to believe it was a gift of
janus, the eldest god of rome. god
of my ancestors.
falco
god of passages and changes?
narcissus
i believe we are arriving in an
enlightened age; an age of peace
that will bring rome her greatest
glory. thanks to marcus aurelius.
falco
you know, general, there is a gate
of janus in rome which is only
closed in time of peace. sadly, it
has remained open for three hundred
years.
narcissus
i've read of it.
falco
but have never been?
narcissus
my only visits to rome, senator,
have been through books. but the
war's over, time to close the door
of war once and for all.
commodus
then you'd be out of a job.
narcissus
gladly caesar.
commodus
or perhaps into a new one. but
here's to your god and the courage
of our legions...
gaius
and the man who gives them this
extraordinary courage.
gaius stands and raises his cup. but quintus is amused to
see him get as close to narcissus as he can -- nearly
hiding behind him.
commodus
quite so. narcissus and his
courageous men; may they live long
to serve rome...
lucilla
and caesar! let's not forget to
serve caesar!
falco in turn moves to stand near commodus.
falco
they are one and the same my lady.
which is why we senior senators have
chosen to be here on the front to
share the hardships of our
courageous emperor -- marcus
aurelius and his son -- may the gods
protect them!
lucilla
oh, yes, my father is a raving
genius -- poet, essayist,
philosopher, warrior... it's a
wonder he doesn't drift off like a
cloud he's so damned ethereal.
'marcus aurelius etherealus'... but
he should cast his spanine eyes
earthward once in a while and see
how fallible some of his decisions
have been! of course i don't mean
you, commodus -- gods know you're
perfect. as far as sharing in his
glory and suffering -- well, i
certainly didn't want to be here.
isn't that true, darling brother?
commodus, i believe, was afraid that
if i stayed in rome i might foment a
rebellion! seize power for myself!
commodus glares at lucilla as she trails off in laughter.
mela decides it's time to rescue lucilla from herself.
she rises and crosses to sit beside her.
mela
if you men are going to talk
politics leave us out of it.
juba
she's not so bashful about politics
when we're alone.
mela
only when it concerns numidia. and,
we're far from home so i'll play the
good roman woman and listen --
perhaps lucilla we could play that
part together.
commodus
what do you say, narcissus? where
are you in this great new balance
between the emperor or the senate?
gaius
are you for the senate, narcissus
meridas? or do you back the
emperor?
narcissus
i back rome against all her enemies
-- if that answer disappoints you,
i'm not a politician...
commodus
oh, but with the army behind you,
you could become extremely
political. not a republican by any
chance?
falco
be as brave here as you are on the
battlefield...
quintus
in the presence of such fearless
senators there's little need for
loyal soldiers to speculate on
politics.
commodus
ah, quintus famous for his perfect
timing. but we want to know what
the hero of the danube thinks.
dead silence. every face in the room turns to narcissus.
narcissus
a republican is a man who strives
to create equality among all
classes. at the core he's a man who
believes in doing what's right.
gaius
the trouble is defining exactly what
'right' is.
narcissus
we all know what right is, senator.
commodus
i would say there's nothing more
dangerous than a man who knows what
'right' is.
narcissus
the dangerous man, caesar, is the
man who doesn't care.
stony silence. a slave enters.
slave
the emperor is awake. he asks to
see his generals.
int. marcus aurelius' room - later
marcus aurelius sits up in his bed and watches with a
seasoned campaigner's eye as narcissus and quintus lean
over a large, beautifully hand-drawn map. commodus sits
by his side, the attentive son.
narcissus
felix army controls the narrows.
four cohorts from quintus' legion
hold the opposite shore and once we
repair the german fort we'll be able
to reinforce and supply them at
will.
seeing he's having trouble seeing, narcissus holds the map
up for him.
marcus aurelius
can the germans cross up stream on
boats or float bridges?
quintus
not through those rapids. they're
disorganized and their army barely
exists.
narcissus
but they're not destroyed, not yet.
commodus
do we really need to repair this
fort? it seems like an expensive
undertaking. i propose we burn it
to the ground. that way if the
germans cross the danube here there
will be nothing to help them build
an offensive position.
marcus aurelius
commodus, it's we who are going on
the offensive.
narcissus
the fort helps position us for a
final invasion in the spring when
they're most vulnerable.
marcus aurelius
commodus -- listen to narcissus,
listen to the man who has never lost
a battle for rome! you're young
with years ahead of you before you
gain the experience to wear the
purple!
commodus visibly reacts, but swallows his anger. marcus
sits back, weakened from the exchange.
commodus
father, you have to rest...
marcus aurelius
i'm sorry... all of you, excuse me.
they all make shallow bows and turn to leave, but marcus
holds narcissus' hand. quintus sees and politely leaves,
but commodus only goes reluctantly.
marcus aurelius
i want you to start your work for
the last phase of the campaign.
narcissus
i will, marcus. but you're going to
be well enough to direct it
yourself.
marcus aurelius
i've made so many mistakes,
narcissus. we all put off the very
last duties of our lives because
we're afraid of admitting when our
lives are over.
narcissus
there's no reason to say that.
everyone knows you're going to be
well. i had servis groom your horse
for a triumphal visit to the front
at first light.
marcus aurelius
servis made it through again?
narcissus
he's like you, sir, too tough for
the gods to swallow.
marcus laughs and looks like he's better just talking with
narcissus. but now he holds narcissus' hand with both of
his.
marcus aurelius
if i'd ever had a sign that you
wanted to rule i would have... no,
again, it's my own bullheadedness.
narcissus, i should have adopted you
years ago. and now the gods are
begging me to make you my son!
narcissus
commodus is just a young man, he'll
learn what you had to learn.
marcus aurelius
it's not because he's young, it's
because he's ignorant and arrogant.
his sister is a better man. that's
why i have undertaken to begin
sweeping changes in the relationship
between the emperor and the senate.
narcissus
so i understand.
marcus aurelius
everyone talking about it? i
wouldn't wonder. all i seek is a
genuine balance of power between the
emperor and the senate. thus i have
transferred legal power -- which was
theirs to begin with -- back to the
senators. this includes a shared
right to taxation too but some bite
in the plan. it's a start, only a
start. if the emperor and the
senate can share power then the
people will be ready to take their
share. this means commodus has to
bend; does he strike you as that
type?
narcissus
you're too hard on him. he is a
strong young man, with you as his
guide...
marcus aurelius
a man should be upright, not be kept
upright.
(pause)
history shows us that a good general
is quick to recognize opportunities
-- even if it means making a
complete about face at the last
minute. i want you to consider
becoming my heir.
narcissus
marcus, you honor me, but i'm a
soldier, politics scare the hell out
of me.
marcus aurelius
the senators admire you.
narcissus
they fear me.
marcus aurelius
they fear change. the new caesar
must be honest enough to know when
the emperorship is no longer
feasible. you could be the one, the
emperor, the man who oversees the
rebirth of the republic.
narcissus
i'll do anything in my power to help
you restore the republic but i can't
be that power.
the door creeps open and galen slips in followed by
commodus.
galen
general; the emperor needs my full
attention. please? he must have
his elixirs.
marcus aurelius
don't waste time. finish our
work... swear!
narcissus
i swear, marcus.
marcus smiles, but grips his hand.
marcus aurelius
i'm going to miss riding the lines
with you, narcissus...
hallway
commodus walks narcissus to the door himself.
commodus
you and my father have become very
close. perhaps one day i may say
the same for us.
narcissus
you flatter me, caesar.
commodus
being as close, i'm certain you've
noticed what we all have noticed.
narcissus
caesar?
commodus
that this illness has clouded his
mind.
he shuts the door with an ominous finality.
ext. marcus aurelius' quarters - night
narcissus turns and runs straight into lucilla who's been
waiting for him. her reaction is to put her arms around
his neck and look up into his smiling face. but he's just
amused.
lucilla
i thought all good generals were
quick to recognize opportunities.
narcissus
sneaking around with your brother?
lucilla
without him. he'd be weeping if he
overheard that. well? the idea of
you as my adopted brother is very...
exciting.
narcissus
i'm not fit for the job and as a
matter of fact i'm not taking the
job.
lucilla
why do you keep playing at being so
humble? it's a little embarrassing.
narcissus
why do you play at being drunk?
lucilla
how do you know i am playing? well,
the clown is always harmless. isn't
that right? and how did you ever
get to know me so well? the last we
spent any time together i was
fourteen. i think you know me
better than my father.
(pause)
he's going to die, isn't he?
narcissus
i don't believe that. he's got the
best doctor in the world and a will
of iron. you know we're preparing
for a full-blown invasion of
germany.
lucilla
of course i know -- who do you think
is paying for it? the emperor
himself, didn't you know? why do
you think commodus came rushing up
to the front? burning patriotism?
filial love? he wants to be sure
when he takes over there's enough
cash left in the treasury to...
play emperor. watch out for him,
narcissus; he's inexperienced,
but... be careful.
int. narcissus' tent - night
narcissus painfully pulls his toga over his head and for
the first time we really get to see his battle wounds.
all the dressings have bled through. he dips fresh
bandages in a bowl of hot water... then reaches back and
peels off a dressing.
five little fired tablet portraits of narcissus'
ancestors... each in an inspanidual stand on a tiny alter.
narcissus' table is set with five colorful wooden plates
with food and drink for each. dressed again, he not so
much as prays to the tablets as carries on a conversation.
narcissus
postumas, lilliana, guyan,
agrippina, lartes. the battle is
won, my family. of course, i'm sure
you were there with me, guyan.
grandmother always said you loved a
good fight. lilliana, i set some
local fruit at your place tonight.
they're not bad. and don't tell me
you don't like exotic food.
he lights incense that goes up fast seeming to flood the
tent with smoke.
narcissus
welcome to the table of life, my
ancestors.
narcissus hoists his arm onto a folding stool and leans
his head on his arm, exhaustion finally taking over. in
the dark and the smoke of the incense he falls asleep.
the ancestors...
there's a moment when their faces seem somehow alive in
the ghostly, shimmering smoke.
voice
daddy... daddy! daddy wake up!
narcissus
slowly focuses on the portraits in the muted dawn light.
in front of the portraits is the beaming face of a young
girl. she's his six year old daughter themis, a black-
haired, dark eyed beauty.
narcissus
themis!
she holds a doll up in his face: it's a doll dressed up
like a roman general.
themis
this is you, daddy.
he picks her up and spins around to find his wife selene
with their older daughter manto. now the others rush to
embrace him. a thirty-year old male house-hold slave --
lindo -- enters carrying woven bags of personal
belongings.
narcissus
selene! manto! lindo, too! oh,
gods... how did you get here?
ext. camp - near the danube - morning
as the family walks along the edge of a slow moving,
peaceful bend of the great river, themis holds her doll
for narcissus' approval.
lindo walks close; though a slave he's clearly part of the
family.
narcissus takes the toy likeness, makes sure his daughter
sees he's giving it a serious scrutiny.
narcissus
he's very realistic.
selene
isn't the helmet magnificent?
themis
i made the plume from a quail
feather.
narcissus
much more colorful than the ones we
wear. and, of course, less dented.
manto
father, is it true the germans are
just fighting to protect their land?
narcissus and selene swap a fast look.
selene
well, you wanted the girls to have
the best teachers.
narcissus
greeks?
selene
athenians...
that sounds even worse.
manto
teacher says that the spanine julius
used the germans as a pretext to
dissolve the republic.
narcissus
did he now...?
manto
and that the germans are only
struggling to keep their honor and
the ways of their people. and that
throughout history rome has always
been the aggressor.
narcissus
well, remind teacher: once upon a
time it was the hebrews over the
philistines; the babylonians over
the hebrews; egypt over babylon; the
greeks over the trojans; persians
over the greeks; etruscans over the
latins; sabines over the latins and
etruscans. now it's rome over
everyone and i don't know when the
world has known such peace.
manto
i can't wait to tell my teachers all
that!
can see narcissus feels better about this already.
narcissus
what about their philosophy lessons?
selene
they're studying with cynics.
narcissus
of course...
themis
daddy, lindo says these forest are
haunted by sprites and spirits! can
we go to bed early so we can meet
them in our dreams?
narcissus and selene catch lindo's smile...
int. tent - late night
narcissus and selene making love in the dark. from
outside come distant lightning flashes followed by the
hollow roll of far off thunder.
finally selene collapses against narcissus, but it looks
like she could go on for another hour if she just weren't
simply exhausted. they laugh quietly at their passion.
selene
you need to come home!
narcissus
i can see that...
selene
the battle is over. the war is
over. you've won!
narcissus
if you win, you know, you have to
stay. it's the losers who get to go
home. besides, i'm not so sure it
is over. centurions report enemy
scouts probing our lines.
selene sighs, then gets an idea and slides out of bed; she
returns with a long necked jug.
selene
look what we've brought you all the
way from spain.
he looks at the jug and the label.
narcissus
this is our oil from our estates?
selene
i've been overseeing production
myself for the past three years,
you'll be surprised at how wonderful
our oil has become.
she pushed the bottle neck between her naked breasts and
smiles.
selene
if you want to know, you'll have to
come and get it.
narcissus puts his hands on the base of the bottle, then
lets his hand slide to her breast. but she moves the
bottle aside, pulls him close -- but he snatches the
bottle and gives it a good look.
narcissus
very fancy. did you design the
bottle?
selene
who else? i'm the one who runs the
estates while you're here risking
everything we have for the glory of
rome! or for the glory of you!
narcissus
i'm a soldier -- we're at war. i
can't stay home tending the damned
olive groves?
selene
we don't need your help we're doing
great on our own.
narcissus cools down, sees this is going a bad way.
narcissus
i want to come home, of course i do,
i'd have to be mad not to want that.
it's just that marcus trusts me.
selene
let him trust quintus.
narcissus
quintus is overly idealistic.
selene
i never knew a more idealistic man
than you.
narcissus
me? well, i believe in rome...
you'd have to after what i've seen,
how people outside the empire treat
each other.
selene
i don't even want to imagine the
things you've seen...
narcissus
what you don't want to imagine is
the things i've done.
silence. all the while they've been talking the storm has
been slowly approaching, thunder beating ominously closer.
selene embraces him.
suddenly manto and themis leap into bed with them and push
beneath their bearskin blanket. themis is crying and
manto is shaken.
selene
girls! what's the trouble? manto?
manto
lindo was right! this is a haunted
place! the night spirits came to
us...
themis
we had horrible nightmares!
lightning flashes and thunder drops like a bomb as the
storm settles on the camp. the girls pull themselves
close to selene and narcissus.
int. narcissus' tent - late afternoon
themis and manto help selene and lindo pack the last of
several baskets.
narcissus
don't stop to visit -- take the
children straight home and i'll
follow as soon as i can.
themis
tomorrow?
narcissus
as soon as i can.
themis
on your honor as a roman officer,
daddy?
narcissus
on my honor as your daddy...
one of narcissus personal guards enters.
personal guard
sir, caesar commodus and quintus
clarus to see you.
narcissus
tell them to come in!
commodus and quintus enter as the guard returns to his
post. quintus sets his helmet down. he's wearing his
lorica segmentata.
quintus
selene, girls.
commodus nods as selene motions for the children to sit
quietly.
quintus
marcus aurelius has died.
commodus
he left us at dawn.
everyone stunned. selene embraces the children.
narcissus slowly sits back at the table.
commodus
please accept my deepest sympathy as
you were one of his most loyal
officers.
narcissus takes out four scrolls, hands them to commodus.
narcissus
these were my latest reports to
marcus.
but quintus takes them.
commodus
i want to extend my hand in
gratitude for what you have done for
my father and rome, and to offer my
friendship. the next few weeks will
be trying. as you know marcus
wisely or unwisely laid the
foundations for greater senatorial
control and there are those likely
to take advantage of his good
intentions. will you join me in
strengthening my government? as you
know your support, your friendship
at this critical moment would
silence a dangerous faction.
while they speak quintus unrolls the documents. he's not
happy reading them.
quintus
serious stuff...
narcissus
centurions on both sides of the
river are convinced the germans will
try one last offensive. they've got
nothing to lose and it's so very
like them.
commodus and quintus swap a fast look.
commodus
i'm ordering a general stand-down in
preparation for withdrawal back
across the danube.
narcissus
we have to stop the germans now!
quintus
we must obey our emperor and the
senate.
commodus
i met with falco, and the senators
have agreed to call for a truce with
the germans.
narcissus
forgive me, caesar, but do two
senator represent the mood of the
whole senate or the will of the
roman people? besides, every truce
we make with the germans they break!
commodus
they won't break this one.
narcissus
apparently my opinion wasn't needed.
quintus
everyone knew you would have been
outspoken against this deal.
narcissus
what deal?
quintus
rome is going to pay an allotment to
the german tribes on an annual
basis.
narcissus reacts as if he'd been stabbed.
narcissus
rome is going to pay tribute -- like
a defeated nation begging for mercy?
have you told your troops that?
quintus
my troops don't make policy.
narcissus
well, they die for it!
selene
narcissus -- it's over! pack and
come home with us...
commodus
you have a wise woman by your side.
narcissus
on his death bed i promised marcus i
would complete our work here. the
senate may be vacillating, but i
have the army behind me. i'm taking
half a cohort and restocking that
fort.
quintus
i can't let you do that.
narcissus turns and for the first time really looks
quintus over.
narcissus
in you armor, quintus? is that how
you come to visit a friend?
they stare at each other. narcissus goes for his sword
just as legionnaires rush in. commodus backs against the
tent wall. narcissus heaves one soldier into the
furniture, fells another with a chair and grabs his
sword...
quintus
don't kill him!
three soldiers tackle narcissus to the floor. soldiers
grab selene and the children -- lindo reaches for a knife
and he's immediately killed. the children scream...
selene
narcissus...!
int. cell - night
narcissus sits in the dirt leaning against the log wall,
his hands chained in front of him. the door opens and
four heavily armed praetorian guard enter.
ext. cell - night
narcissus stands in the pouring rain facing falco, gaius,
tribuus and several tribunes. four slaves hold a canvas
over commodus and the others -- as they talk narcissus
continues to be drenched.
narcissus
where is my family?
commodus
cooperate and they will be returned
to your estate. i could have
executed you.
narcissus
and my army would have thrown your
body into the danube.
they glare at each other in the dark; commodus' eyes seem
to burn in the lamp light.
commodus
the army is a problem. they love
you. you have led them from victory
to victory in the name of rome and
they love you. and after all,
you're just a hothead acting from a
misguided sense of loyalty -- who
could fault you for that?
(nods to falco)
thus have i reached a compromise
with the senate over your fate:
instead of executing you, i'm
sending you to rome where you will
be tried...
narcissus
on what charge?
falco
insubordination. to the emperor...
and the senate.
commodus
quintus will tell the army that you
are being called to rome to
celebrate your victory. they will
hear that you are living in luxury.
he will let them feel you have
betrayed them for the good life.
and soon the army won't even
remember your name.
all turn and leave but gaius. two soldiers hold narcissus
while a third goes t
