Inspiration of the Day #22

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
– Maximus (Gladiator)

I love this movie for so many reasons. Beyond being action-packed, suspenseful, and entertaining from beginning to end, Gladiator was also a very powerful message about government, politics, and society in general. Current events are not without the obvious technological or evolutionary differences from the movie’s time period. There are a lot of indicators that we are not so far removed as we might think.

But this is about inspiration and if you can look beyond the tragedy of the movie, Gladiator is filled with wonderful examples of wisdom, drive, hope, love, and decency. Doing the right thing, even if it costs you everything. Learning that there can be light in the darkest of places. And no matter how bad things seem, they could always be worse.

It could be argued the movie teaches that being honest and straightforward can be dangerous. I am inclined to agree. To an extent. Like all things, there are times and places that are more appropriate. I am not saying, nor do I encourage lying. That is not the message. The message might be better conveyed as “it is ok to withhold certain details or information if it is a matter of safety to yourself or others.”

I have to be straight with this one. Gladiator is not for the squeamish. It is not the goriest or most violent movie ever made, but there are scenes that will test the limits of your sensitivity. Some might consider Rome to have been the most advanced and just society of its time, but that is not saying much, considering the time.

They had slaves, laws were harsh, and politicians……are politicians…..regardless of the time period. They did great things, but they did some pretty horrible things too. You will see that in the movie. I encourage you to look beyond that. Focus on the friendships. Focus on love and respect. Focus on the commitment to be and do better. And enjoy one of Russel Crowe’s best pieces of work.