10 Brilliant Historical Movies With Unforgivable Inaccuracies

3. Commodus Died Under Completely Different Circumstances - Gladiator (2000)

Ridley Scott knows how to make a great historical drama. His Roman epic, Gladiator, is no exception. It follows the tale of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), a Roman general who is betrayed when he refuses to support the rule of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the murderous son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris).

The fictional Maximus becomes a gladiator in the far provinces of the Roman Empire, but fairly soon his skill and fame bring him to the Colosseum in Rome. He fails to win his freedom but finally gets his revenge, killing Commodus during an epic showdown in the arena.

Telling a fictional story in a historical setting is just fine, but when fictional characters come into contact with real figures there is a certain obligation to be authentic. It is true that Commodus was a fairly loathed ruler, but he most certainly did not kill his father. It's also true that he often fought in the Colosseum, but never in a fight that put him in any danger. If anything the movie missed a trick by not including Commodus' true fate. After years of paranoid rule, he was assassinated by being strangled to death in a bath by a Roman pro wrestler.