Creating this fan cut requires a scalpel, not an axe. Here is how the editor would navigate the film’s most infamous scenes.
Not a frame. This scene is PG-11 perfection. There is no violence. There is only Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius, a dying philosopher-king, and Russell Crowe’s silent grief. This is the heart the fan cut protects. Gladiator - FanCut - PG-11