I have found a lot of deep spiritual meaning in both the movies Gladiator and Star Wars - Two of my favorite movies.  I know both of them don’t have direct Christian themes, and in fact both have what would be beliefs (new age, and pagan idol/ancestry worship), nonetheless, I feel God’s voice in a personal way speaking through these movies to me.  It all belongs to God and he is Sovereign.  Even so, as you can see below they have many similarities to each other I never thought about, and themes that bear Biblical redemption models, of which are of great interest to me.  I thought I would share them.  I’m sure I missed plenty and would love to hear more insight.

Gladiator and Star Wars Similitude

Both Luke and Maximus are farmers turned warriors

The senate is corrupt in both

Older man mentor or father figure dies:  Marcus Aurelius & Ben Kenobi

From a low position to an all-important “savior” type role:  Gladiator/Slave and Luke as a farmer to both destroy the Emperor, ultimate evil

Pedigree:  Maximus was a great General, and Marcus Aurelius anointed him as his son, and Luke’s father was a great Jedi

Pedigree lost:  with Maximus, Marcus Aurelius is killed by Commodus and sent to be executed, and survives to become a Slave/Gladiator; with Luke he is born not aware that his father is a great Jedi, but has bits of a story he longs for that his Uncle keeps him from.

Unconventional victories over darkness/evil:  Maximus and Lucilla plot for the overthrow, only to have their plans foiled, but ultimately end up victorious when Maximus is supposed to be given a death wound, but perseveres and kills the evil Emperor; Luke & his “friends” fall into the Emperors plot, only to have the evil plot turn against him to his ultimate destruction.

Both ultimate bad guys were “Emperors”

Families are killed at the beginning of their “calling”.  Luke has the Empire destroy his Aunt & Uncle along with the farm; Maximus is meant to be destroyed by the Emperor and given a death sentence.  He survives, makes his way to the farm, and similar to Luke in that he comes back seeing fire and smoke with the farm being destroyed and his family along with it.   

Have an influence on a “Lone Ranger” type:  Luke – Han Solo, Maximus - Proximo

Blessings,

Tony