The 3 disc Special Edition VCD (Video CD) is edited:
Excessive sexual and violent scenes, including profanities are censored.
Documentary "Blood, Sand, And Celluloid" on the 3 disc VCD Special Edition:
Contains some unused scenes not included in the movie.
VCD Version by HVN is 154 minutes long:
Excessive sexual and violent scenes, including profanities are edited.
Numerous deleted scenes that were left out of the film were compiled onto the DVD release. All scenes with the exception of the mini-film come with an exclusive Audio Commentoary by Ridley Scott. They are:
A brief scene showing Maximus surveying the cost of the Battle with the Germanians. They are hacked and dying Roman's everywhere.
A brief scene preluding the confrontation of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. It shows Marcus praying to his ancestors for wisdom.
Friends of Proximo try to get him to bet against his own gladiators. We are also introduced to Hagan, the German in this scene.
Proximo tries to reason with Maximus as to not killing his opponents so quickly but to entertain the crowd.
Maximus watches condemmed Christians executed in the arena as they are fed to the lions.
Lucilla, Gracchus and Gaius have an important meeting in Gracchus' house. They discuss the future death of the Roman People as her brother Commodus is selling the grain reserve to pay for the games. They conclude that Commodus must die.
Commodus, dismayed by the re-appearence of Maximus, attacks a bust of his father with a sword.
Two of the Praetorians that knew of Maximus's escape from Germania, are executed by Commodus. Quintus and Commodus have an argument.
Commodus orders his spies to watch senators and Proximo. Proximo notices one of his followers.
Lucilla realizes that Falco is in league with Commodus.
Praetorians attack innocent civilains by setting them on fire.
There are a whole slew of unused shots and sequences compiled into a short film. Some of those sequences are:
A few new shots of Commodus riding to meet his father along with his entourage.
New footage of Maximus riding to flank the Germanians.
A whole Alternate Sequence of the Death of Maximus's Wife and Son. In this version we see him ride through many different scenes and he overlooks the farm seeing his son getting trampled by horses and his wife screaming. He screams and he reaches forward with his open hand. He pulls it back and there is blood. He cries out loud in pain over the death of his family.
New footage of the Arabs and the Gladiator Training Grounds.
Commodus not-so-warm reception in Rome. We see people graffiting his name on walls.
New footage of the first Gladiator Chain-Gang battle. We see an Alternate Take of Hagen impaling the man on a spike protruding from a wall. We also see that after the battle is over, a huge man wearing a mask walks out and kills the wounded.
Hagan in a bath accompained by exotic women.
Germanian Ground Battle footage of Maximus fighting of many Germanians!
The first printing of the bonus disc from the 'Signature Selection' DVD release contains a documentary about the links between sport and violence which includes a picture from the Hillsborough football disaster. After complaints from a support group for relatives of the victims the picture was removed from subsequent pressings.
The ABC version of "Gladiator" (aired in 2002) was made into a two-part movie including scenes that were deleted in the theatrical version, but found in the DVD version. It had been heavily edited for violence.
German TV version was edited for violence to be broadcast at primetime (which is required by law for films with a "Not under 16" or higher rating).
A 171-minute extended version incorporating formerly deleted scenes has been created specifically for DVD release.
