MovieChat Forums > Gladiator (2000) Discussion > Quintus was a disloyal idiot

Quintus was a disloyal idiot

posted 7 years ago by JH66 (143)
3 replies | jump to latest

He starts off the film as a seemingly loyal officer serving Maximus as the legion faces the German tribe, and follows his general out of the tent after the Emperor was slain, snubbing Commodus (if shyly). But soon follows the new emperor's orders to have his friend's wife and son murdered?

Then, not once does he speak up for, or even connive, to help Maximus one bit, except for the lame last fight whereby he orders (finally!!!) the praetorians to 'sheath their shields'.

Was he duplicitous, or a loyal career officer to the extreme like a mercenary?

[–] Volley (3433) 7 years ago

He probably did not want to disobey the orders of the new Emperor, and likely had no idea that Commodus killed his own father to get into power.

You are right, he goes and betrays Maximus on a whim instead of letting him go and be with his family. His family did nothing wrong, yet they have to pay the ultimate price... very despicable, and the fact that Quintus followed his orders from new Emperor Commodus to the letter, yet betrayed Maximus on a whim despite being his friend for many years, tells us he can be bought and his loyalties go according to that. Very sinister indeed.

Then at the end of the film, Quintus betrays his Emperor and lets him die, he probably realized the error of his ways, but that does not equal redemption for the character, what he was was very distasteful. Who kills women and children for no actual reason? He could have easily ordered his men to do no such thing.

The actor plays a similar type of character on other TV shows and movies as well, I remember him from 24 Season 4.

[–] JH66 (143) 7 years ago

I wondered if deleted scenes or alternate script drafts might explain more, the former partly do, but Quintus was as you described, nasty.

[–] Betamax66 (588) 6 years ago

I never quite got this guy's actions either?