Ridley Scott has recently talked about how the most iconic scene in his epic movie, Gladiator was completely unplanned. Released in 2000, the movie ended up getting several Academy Awards, raising the bar for movies in the historical epic genre.
The movie revolves around Russell Crowe’s Maximus, a Roman general who seeks revenge for the injustice he got after his family is killed. While the movie on its own is an epic cinematic piece, the most memorable scene is undoubtedly the scene where Maximus is moving through stalks of wheat in a sprawling field, which represents the afterlife. However, many might be shocked to know that the scene was a last-minute addition with Crowe not even there to film the sequence.
Gladiator’s Most Iconic Scene Did Not Feature Russell Crowe
In an interview with Deadline, Gladiator director, Ridley Scott spilled the beans in the making of his 2000 movie. He revealed that the most iconic scene where Maximus stands alone in a wheat field as the winds led grains gently touch his hands was not filmed by the lead actor.
Clarifying that the shot was a last-minute add-on in the sequence, it was Crowe’s double who performed the scene. He shared,
“I shot that hand it was the last shot of principal photography. Russell didn’t come to Italy, it was his double.”
The scene represented paradise or the afterlife which left audiences spellbound. He also talked about how he came up with the idea of creating that filming sequence.
Ridley Scott Talked About How Gladiator’s Most Iconic Scene Was Filmed
![Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott in Gladiator (2000) [Credit: © 2000 - Dreamworks LLC & Universal Pictures]](https://fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/gladiator-4.jpg)
In the same interview, he mentioned that the Unhinged actor’s double was smoking in the dry field which could have caught fire. While he was stopping him from his act, he ended up getting the idea of filming the sequence.
“The guy was standing there in this field, smoking. I go, get out of the field, are you joking? It was mid-summer, dry. He says, ‘Oh, sorry man.’ He walked out [off the field], and did that thing with the hand. I said, ‘Stop right there. Get the Steadicam.'”
He further explained the entire procedure of creating the iconic scene by keeping the double from lighting the wheat field on fire.
“We followed the hand, no kidding. It became the catalyst for immortality, or heaven if you like, right there. It was discovered the last day, spontaneously. I consider spontaneity to be essential to what I do, you’ve always got to be watching. That’s not on paper. And so suddenly that becomes the editing room and then the theme happens.”
He continued,
“The theme is magic, and the hand is magic. Russell didn’t come to Italy, that’s his double. He said you’ll never use that. I said, I will. When he saw the scene, he groaned. I said, too late, It’s shot. I got it, mate. It was, put out that cigarette and get the Steadicam. And don’t walk on the wheat.”
The movie ended up becoming a major win for Scott as it surged past $503.1 million worldwide, bagging 5 Oscars including the Best Picture award. Meanwhile, a sequel is currently in the works which will be released on November 22, 2024.
