Gladiator (2000) - 178 mistakes

Continuity: In one scene, where you see a view of the Colosseum and its flags, all the flags are pointing towards the middle and that's strange keeping in mind the wind comes from one direction.

Revealing: When Juba kills the gladiator lying on the ground during the Battle of Carthage with his helmet, we can actually see Juba hitting the ground beside the gladiator's head. Then we see blood splash up from the ground beside his head.

Revealing: In the beginning of the film at the major fight sequence. When you see the Romans shield themselves with the rectangular shields against the barbarian's arrows and then they charge at each other. If you look closely enough, you can see two Roman soldiers standing there having a great laugh, one pointing a sword smiling, and the other one staring at the ground laughing to his heart's delight.

Factual error: As the Gladiators are being led into the Colosseum for the first time, an elephant is led across the background. Although the Romans used elephants in the arena, they used African elephants, and the one we see is an Asian elephant.

Continuity: During the first gladiator battle Maximus grabs another gladiator's sword by the blade. Two shots later he is holding the sword by its handle with no time to change grip.

Continuity: When Maximus comes back to his tent after seeing Aurelius dead he tells Cicero to wake Gaius and Falco. Then he says "Sword" and Cicero gives Maximus something and walks away as Maximus turns around. When it cuts Maximus turns around again.

Continuity: After Juba has thrown the sword to Maximus, Maximus tries to gather the gladiators by shouting "Single column, single column," then it cuts to him charging on his horse while holding his sword arm out. When it cuts from behind him he is holding his sword arm in front of him instead.

Continuity: At the Coliseum when the crowd is placing bets, you can see a man writing on a blackboard. He stops writing and turns around. When it cuts back to a closeup he turns around again.

Visible crew/equipment: After Maximus defeats Tigris of Gaul, there are Praetorians shown coming out of a gate on the left-hand side into the arena. In the next shot, you can see an open gate at the far end of the arena and you can see some kind of golf cart-like vehicle driving by on the outside of the Colosseum. It is very a motorized vehicle because there is no horse and it moves too smoothly.

Continuity: At one point during the first Germanian attack you see the Roman soldiers creating a line-up with shields, soon after followed by the Germanians running towards them off-hill (starting their attack). Clearly a few Germanian stopped fighting a little too early and you see them (left-side) turning and looking around.

Continuity: At the slave market when Proximo is checking Juba, he grabs Juba on his wrist above the lock. When it cuts he has grabbed him below the lock.

Continuity: Right before the attack on the Germanians when Maximus gets to his soldiers and shouts "Fratres.", you can see two soldiers walking right behind him. When it cuts to the soldiers shouting "Maximus.", the two soldiers behind him has suddenly disappeared.

Continuity: When Lucilla is talking with Gracchus and Gaius about Commodus and she says "He must die", we see Gracchus in the background looking at Lucilla. When it cuts he is looking down lifting his head to look at Lucilla. (Extended version only).

Continuity: In the middle of the film, just after the last gladiator match in the Roman province arena, Maximus goes to see Proximo. In one particular shot we see Proximo walk away and Maximus turn his whole body to face him, yet in the following shot, it is just his head that is turned.

Continuity: When Richard Harris is talking to his daughter about her future, the fire lamp behind them changes positions between shots.

Visible crew/equipment: When Maximus has killed the tiger you can see a whip hitting it as it lies on the its back. It probably belongs to the lion tamer who tries to make the tiger wriggle.

Continuity: When Aurelius says "Enough with politics. Let's pretend I'm a father." to Lucilla, she smiles and looks down. When it cuts she is still looking down, but in the next shot she is suddenly facing Aurelius again.

Continuity: When Commodus and Lucilla are lying in bed, after Commodus tries to seduce her for a kiss, he lowers his arm and says "You know I love you". When it cuts he suddenly has his hand lying on her shoulder.

Audio problem: Before the first battle in the Colosseum there is a speech about Hannibal by Cassius. He says "Ferocious mercenaries and warriors from all brute nations bent on merciless destruction conquest." As he says "Conquest" it cuts to a closeup of the gladiators. Look at the crowd in the background. They are getting up while cheering and clapping. However you can't hear anything else than the speech.

Factual error: There are several points in the film that show horses with saddles and stirrups. Pretty odd as the stirrup didn't arrive in Europe from China until the 3rd or 4th Century at the earliest.