This scene occurs just after Maximus' first victory in the Coliseum. He plans to kill the emperor once they are face to face, however Lucius acts as a shield in this instance. Maximus has met Lucius and does not want to put him in danger. If Maximus had attacked in this instance, Marcus Arellius' last wishes would not have been fulfilled. Had he killed the emperor in this scene then Rome would have not had the chance to admire Maximus and support him, essentially making him more powerful than the emperor of Rome. Lucius being used as a shield is a minor act, but makes a huge impact on how the rest of the movie develops.
I like what you had to say about Lucius being used as a shield. It would have been easy for Commodus to simply leave Lucius at his side or in other positions, but he literally holds the boy in front of him as if he were a shield, which makes the act more obvious and, in a way, intentional.
ReplyDeleteVery nice comments, Casey and Kim. The fact that Commodus uses a child as a human shield, when he is already surrounded by heavily armed bodyguards, also emphasizes his lack of courage, a recurrent theme in the movie ("Is the battle over? Did I come too late?").
ReplyDeleteNice points. I also think the way in which Commodus grips him rather possessively shows his personality and his need for control.
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