Gary Nuila

 Podcast: 28 February 2018 In the second act of the movie Gladiator, we find the character Maximus at the lowest point imaginable. His jealous brother Commodus, who idolized him, sought to destroy him and everything he valued, rather than learn from him. Maximus is beat down and we question whether the former ideal man still lives within him. Maximus: “That man is dead, your brother did his work well.” And yet, when pressed, aspects of his former character awaken, and just as before, those around him, can’t help respect that which commands respect. Having to construct himself anew, Maximus initially lives merely for the ideal of survival, Maximus is made to fight in the gladiator arena, where his supreme competence once again becomes apparent, and people again rise to their feet in honor of that supreme competence. Maximus despises what he’s being made to do in the arena, and calls out the crowd for their warped taste for blood, and still, they cheer him. Learning that his capability could earn

 27 February 2018 In Gladiator the character of Maximus exemplifies the timeless attributes of classic manhood. He is an ideal man. But wherever you find an ideal man, why is it that you are likely to find his hostile, murderous brother— the archetypal story of Cain and Abel. In the movie, the aging  Roman emperor says Maximus is the “son I should have had.” The emperor cannot favor his real son Commodus because “Commodus is not a moral man.” Commodus and Maximus are not brothers, by blood, but the story emphasizes their symbolic brotherhood. While Maximus sacrifices and his sacrifices bring him the favor of God and life, Commodus also sacrifices. But Commodus’s sacrifices are not of the same quality, and hence do not have the same results as Maximus’s. Commodus yearns for the favor of his father, and the same kind of favor which life has shown to his brother Maximus. In essence, even Commodus wants to be Maximus. But Commodus is blinded to the ways in which Maximus had to partner with life and sac

 26 February 2018 Some people today look at past conceptions of manhood, see flaws such as violence and aggression, and cry out for a need to replace it altogether. While aspects of manhood should be updated to meet the realities of the times, our stories teach us that many of the traditional ideals of manhood haven’t gotten old or less useful.   Many men and a surprising amount of women love the movie Gladiator. They love it because it tells a compelling story about the kind of man men want to be, and women want to be with—the ideal man. Gladiator is about how the ideal man acts and grounds himself in a chaotic and complex world.   The name of the ideal man in Gladiator is Maximus. That’s a fitting name because he’s man at the maximum. He’s not just one of the classical archetypes of manhood—such as the king, the warrior, the magician or the lover—he is a very satisfying combination of all the manly archetypes. In the opening act of the movie, we’re presented with what happens to a man who lives life

Podcast: 22 February 2018 Stories are the master teachers. If we pay attention, we can learn a lot from them. One of the good stories comes from the 1952 western High Noon, a favorite of several US Presidents. In High Noon everybody’s sweating. It’s Judgment Day. We think judgment day is something for another life, but in fact, judgment day comes all the time. And when it comes, you’re exposed and you’re naked. You’re seen for who you really are. In High Noon Judgment day arrives in the form of deranged outlaw Frank Miller. The town Marshall, Will Kane and some deputies arrested Miller a few years back and the judge sentenced him to hang. But he was released up North and now he’s coming back—due on the train at High Noon. What’s Frank Miller come to judge? The town. Society. In particular the men. Are there any men? And are there any women who will demand a correct version of manhood. Will Kane is the man. When he’s married to his pacifist Quaker wife at the beginning of the movie, it’s not “husb