In 180 AD, Maximus is a Roman general loyal to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. As the Emperor lay dying he decides to make Maximus the temporary Emperor, so he can restore governmental power back to the people, through the Senate. Commodus, the Emperor's power-hungy son, learns of this decision, and condemns Maximus and his family to death. Maximus escapes and races home but is not in time to save his family.
Maximus is overcome with grief, captured by slave traders and eventually winds up in Rome as a Gladiator. Through skill, cunning, and the use of his skills as a soldier to rally his fellow gladiator's, Maximus becomes the main event in Rome.
Gracchus, a Roman politician, states, "The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the Senate, it's the sand of the Colosseum. He'll bring them death and they will love him for it."
In the stories conclusion, Maximus fights Commodus in the Colosseum and wins the battle. He restores the throne to Gracchus, of the Senate, frees the other gladiators and makes sure that Commodus's sisters son is safe.
Maximus states, "What we do in life echoes in eternity."
-Gladiator [Blu-ray]. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Russell Crowe. Dreamworks, 2000. Blu-Ray.
Additional Great Revenge Movies
- The Italian Job
- Mystic River
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn
- Braveheart
- Man on Fire
Revenge
Revenge is a great story because it starts simple, get's complex, and then ends simply. The hero starts out and is wronged somehow. It is not a slight or a simple thing but the hero is devastated by someone. The hero then starts out to right the wrong and punish the individual who wronged him. Revenge stories have a strong value play. They are about right and wrong, order in our society, and respect not only for individuals but also for the order found in society. The main thing to understand is that our society loves to root for the underdog and DOES NOT like the villain to win. The hero must restore things to their proper state, or a better state.
-Morgan, Nick. Working the Room: How to Move People to Action through Audience-Centered Speaking. New York: Harvard Business School Press, 2003. Print. p.67-68
How Should I Use This Information?
As you analyze your topic and the audience you will be presenting to, think about what the audience might face as they do what you ask them to do. Someone or some business has taken the lead from them. They are a bunch of scrappy upstarts working hard to move out of the shadow of some other giant conglomerate. They are battling for market share with one other company that is cutting their price below cost.
Frame the conflict, capture the emotion, outline the path and then, right at the end, bring in the right, honorable, and moral thing to do. Motivate the audience to "see" the conflict and then show them how to solve it by using their skills and knowledge to rise above simple revenge. Help them see that winning this battle can be done by using the talents and skills that make them great, as people. Then send them out to accomplish the right.
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