Made a few revisions, mostly to the wording and content of my explanations, which I thought left a little to be desired in the first version. I didn't want to mess around with the layout, as I was pleased with the way my first one turned out, and the songs seem to still mesh when explained properly. Enjoy!

Maximus Playlist

1. American Soldier (Toby Keith)

At the outset of Ridley Scott's hit film Gladiator (2000), we are introduced to the movie's main character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), a highly-respected general who we witness leading the Roman army to a decisive victory over the Germanic tribes. While he apparently takes great pride in his duties to the Roman legions, it becomes clear, through his discussions with then-Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), that Maximus' greatest loyalties remain with his wife and son, from whom he is often seperated for years at a time. In fact, when the Emperor asks Maximus how he wishes to be rewarded, Maximus simply replies, "Let me go home." In these early moments of the film, Maximus thinks of himself as a proud husband and father first, and a Roman soldier second. Being a Toby Keith fan, I immediately thought of his American Soldier, which I think echoes much of Maximus' thought process at the beginning of the story:

"I'm just trying to be a father
raise a daughter and a son
be a lover to their mother
everything to everyone

Up and at 'em bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed up for success
From my head down to my boots

I don't do it for the money
There's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway"

2. Hurricane Waters (Citizen Cope)

Almost immediately after his triumphant return to the Roman camp, Maximus is told by Marcus Aurelius that he, not the Emperor's son Commodus, will be named the heir to the throne, a position Maximus almost reluctantly accepts. However, when Commodus hears the news, he becomes furious, murders his father, and assumes the throne. Soon after, Commodus requests Maximus' loyalty during his reign, but the General refuses, and is thereby senteced to be executed. In a matter of hours, Maximus has gone from hailed hero to lowly traitor, and it seems he has done nothing wrong to deserve such a fate. Caught in a web of deception, he has found that thenoble path that he is chosen is the one that has doomed him. I chose this Citizen Cope song for two reasons. First, it has a quick pace that combines several different instruments in the background, giing it a complex feel, which to me relates the confusion Maximus must be feeling. Second, the lyrics truly verbalize the kind of moral tug-of-war that he finds himself in. Here is an excerpt that I think best exhibits this idea:

"Something happens when
You're caught searching for an answer
When you're stuck in the middle
Of a place that you don't belong
When you start to lose sight of what's right and wrong
When we started it was innocent
'Cause when we started it was innocent"

3. I Shall Not Walk Alone (Ben Harper)

Maximus escapes his execution, and rushes home to his family, only to find that they have been brutally murdered and that his house has been destroyed. Weeping uncontrollably, Maximus finds himself in a state of utmost dperession, as everything he has ever held dear has been taken from him in one fell swoop. He begins to have visions which show him running his fingers through the Elysian Fields, the afterlife where he hopes to be reunited with his family once more. Later in the film, Maximus meets a fellow Gladiator named Juba, with whom he often shares his feelings about meeting his family again upon his death.

Juba: Can they hear you?
Maximus: Who?
Juba: Your family. In the afterlife.
Maximus: Oh yes.
Juba: What do you say to them?
Maximus: To my son - I tell him I will see him again soon. To keep his heels down while riding his horse. To my wife... that is not your business

Though he seems incredibly sad, he also appears to hopeful that he will see his family soon, even if that requires his death. I picked this song by Ben Harper because it combines a somber melody with lyrics that express feelings of sorrow laced with a bit of hope. Harper also makes allusions to religious figures and the thought of an after-life, exhibiting Maximus' feeling that the afterlife and a higher power are his only outlets, as well as the impetus behind his future actions:

"Battered and torn
still I can see the light
tattered and worn
but I must kneel to fight

Friend of mine
what can't you spare
I know some times
it gets cold in there

When my legs no longer carry
and the warm wind chills my bones
I reach for Mother Mary
and I shall not walk alone

Hope is alive
while we're apart
only tears
speak from my heart
break the chains
that hold us down
and we shall be
forever bound"

As we see in these lyrics, Maximus is "battered and torn" from the loss of his family, but he can still "see the light" and remains hopeful. He also indicates that in times of trouble, he looks to heaven ("Mother Mary") and thinks of his family, thoughts that give him comfort and allow him to "not walk alone." Finally, Harper speaks of seperation and an ultimate reunion ("we shall be forever bound"), which we can translate into Maximus reaching his family in Elysium upon his death.

4. Eruption (Van Halen)

Exhausted, both physically and mentally, Maximus lies in the rubble of his house where he is picked up by the slave trader/entertainer Proximo, who forces Maximus to fight as a gladiator. Mentally in a haze, Maximus cares little about the theatrical importance of the gladiator battles and merely does what he must to survive, savagely murdering his opponents in a whirlwind of angst and frustration. Little thought crosses his mind except that of taking out all his rage towards Commodus on those he faces each time he steps into the arena. As he notes to Proximo at one point:

"I am required to kill, so I kill. That is enough."

I chose to use Van Halen's Eruption because to me, it illustrates the tempestuous state of Maximus' mind. The song contains no words, exemplifying the absence of thought in Maximus' mind; in fact, Eruption is merely a fast-paced and almost chaotic non-stop guitar solo, showing the kind of violent and savage reactions that Maximus exhibits in his first few battles. Eddie Van Halen almost seems to be angry at the guitar as he plays the song, which adds extra effect, considering the scene at hand. Finally, the lack of words expresses the idea that Maximus has lost sight of the things that truly matter to him at this stage in the movie. Thoughts of his family or gaining his freedom hardly cross his mind as he mercilessly slaughters his foes in the arena. His actions here lack the proper motivation that is typical of Maximus' character.

5. Heart of a Champion (Nelly)

After several dominating, but perhaps unrefined, victories in the arena, Proximo reveals to Maximus that the only way he will win his freedom is by giving the crowd a entertaining show, not by crushing his opponents in an instant:

"Listen to me. Learn from me. I was not the best because I killed quickly. I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd and you will win your freedom."

From this point on, Maximus has a new motivation: to win his freedom and avenge the murders of his wife and son. He begins to fight with a purpose and earns Proximo's travelling band of slaves a spot in the games at the Colosseum in Rome. Where before Maximus killed because he had to, he now kills with purpose of winning his freedom. For these reasons, I chose Nelly's Heart of a Champion. Not only is it a song that gets the adrenaline pumping, which corresponds to Maximus' new-found enthusiasm in the arena, but also its lyrics relate the kind of purposeful attitude Maximus now takes to his pursuits. Where before his attitude was a hectic, rage-filled attack, he now fights with his mind in the battle and with two goals in his sights: freedom and revenge (in the form of killing Commodus). Here is an excerpt that I think best shows exhibits this change in attitude:

"Ain't no way they can stop me now
Cause I'm on my way, I can feel my reign comin'
It's the blood of a champion, pumpin'
Deep inside my veins, too much pride to be runnin'
I'ma get what I can and more, even if
My blood, my sweat, and my tears don't mean nothin'
It's the heart of a champion....
in me"

6. 'Till I Collapse (Eminem)--Credit to Thomas Ryan for the suggestion

After a stunning first victory in the Colosseum, Commodus chooses to meet Maximus, whose identity he does not know at the time. When Maximus is forced to remove his helmet and give his name, he stares down Commodus and delivers a response that makes for one of the most gripping moments of the movie:

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.

From this moment on Maximus has the crowd, and essentially the whole of Rome, on his side, for which Commodus attempts to get rid of him repeatedly, to no avail. It is clear that Commodus is quickly losing his control over Rome, and Maximus has become its local hero. As this becomes more and more apparent, Maximus sets his sight on revenge, and reclaiming what should have been his several years before: the throne. He begins to plot revolution with several of Commodus' closest advisors. This mindset I think fits nicely with Eminem's 'Till I Collapse. Eminem's raps always contain a bit of an edge, a certain anger that he composes his songs with, an emotion that I think matches Maximus' hatred of Commodus. His lyrics also mesh well with Maximus' thoughts and the fact that, as Commodus puts it, "[He] just won't...die." The lyrics also convey a bit of a taunt at their target, just as Maximus intentionally disobeys Commodus' commands several times in front of the entire Colosseum, embarassing the Emeperor in front of his people. These actions incite Commodus' sister, and Maximus' fellow conspirator, to comment, "Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the Emperor of Rome." This excerpt from Eminem's song demonstrates the kind of mindset that drives Maximus at this point in the film:

"Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out
Till my legs give out, can’t shut my mouth.
Till the smoke clears out and my high wear out
I’ma rip this sh** till my bone collapse."

7. Hang On (Guster)

After winning over the crowd to the point where they boo Commodus upon his entrance, Maximus and his fellow conspirators decide to hatch their plot; however, Commodus, sensing that something is up, foils their plot and decides to challenge Maximus to a final duel in the Colosseum. But from the time his plan to seize power fails to his date with the Emperor in the arena, it appears Maximus has lost all direction. With no possible escape and subsequent revolution possible any longer, Maximus' sole motivation to live is to kill Commodus out of vengeance. After that, though, he simply has no desire to remain on this earth. He is driven merely to "hang on" long enough to kill Commodus, and then move on to meet his family in Elysium. This Guster song has a lazy, slow rhythm which I think fits perfectly with Maximus' apparent apathy at this point in the movie. Also, its lyrics speak of a lack of purpose or direction, which certainly meshes with Maximus' current state of mind. It also speaks of "Waiting for an end," which it seems is all that is on Maximus' mind at this juncture:

"Here we are inside a novel
Waiting for an end
We don't know the authors of the book
Maybe someone's writing chapters
For us while we sleep
From a million miles away

Stuck without a captain or a chart
No one seems to know just who to follow anymore
Hang on
Hang on
There's a twilight
A nighttime and a dawn
Who knows
How long
So hang on
Hang on"

8. Gospel Song (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)

Before their final duel in the Colosseum, Commodus stabs Maximus in the side with a dagger, knowing that he cannot possibly beat the former general in a fair fight. But his plan backfires, and Maximus kills Commodus with the Emperor's own knife. His goal fulfilled, Maximus collapses to the dirt and dies. Though he has passed away, Maximus seems content, as he has avenged his family's deaths and believes he is going to meet his wife and son in the afterlife. I believe this B.M.R.C. song is a fitting choice to conclude Maximus' saga because its peaceful melody corresponds quite well with Maximus' final state of contentment. Also, its lyrics speak of going to "walk with Jesus," which Maximus believes he will now do in the afterlife:

"I will walk with Jesus, 'till I can't go anymore
And I will stay with Jesus, 'till I can't go another mile"