Gladiator Movie Analysis

This 2000 film is one of the most celebrated of its kind. Within the epic-historic drama category of movies, the film is notably one of the most sought for. The movie which was directed by Ridley Scott and stars Russell Crown among other actors had a budget of $103 million but was met by a box office reception of $458 million. In the United States, the movie was released on different dates between the first and fifth day of May in 2000. In Los Angeles, the movie was released on the first day of May whereas it was released on the 12^th day of the same month in London. Internationally, the movie is distributed by Universal Pictures while DreamWorks Pictures is responsible for the distribution in America.  The movie is set in 180 AD and revolves around the activities of the Roman Army. The main aim of this paper is to analyze a scene within the movie through breaking it down completely. Some of the important elements of analysis that will feature in the course of assessment include composition, cinematography, performance, sound, and movement (Gladiator).

            There are major events that shape up the course of Gladiator. The film – Gladiator – is divided into the background, the death of Marcus Aurelius, the arrest of Maximus, the death of his Wife and Son, the capturing of Maximus by slave traders and his subsequent sale to Proximo, the journey of Promixo and the gladiators to Rome, the gladiatorial combat in Rome, victory in the Roman Colosseum, Lucilla and the plot to overthrow Commodus, and the death in the Colosseum. The gladiatorial combat in Rome is one of the most captivating scenes within the course of the movie. Here, there combination of sound and music from the background is simply breathtaking. Before Maximum and the other gladiators who are scheduled to fight get to the arena, there are different events that take place. Here, the costumes that were used brought out the atmosphere of battle. In readiness to take on the other gladiators, Maximum is presented as being ready through the setting of his armor. There are instances when the various Gladiators fought in pairs. In these instances, Catervanni was the name attached to a group of two fighters working together. In the Colesseum, the gladiators were the center of attraction and every other time a fight was to take place, there were high expectations attached to these events. One of the elements that stand out with regards to the gladiators is their armor. Gladiators were heavily armed and the type of armor differed from one gladiator to the other. The gladiators were also distinguished from other fighters through their armor.  In the gladiatorial combat scene in Rome, there were Provocatores who had also gathered for the purpose of combat (Gladiator).

            This scene is important as it brings out the background information about Provocatores. This group of fighters was best known for their breastplate armor. Provocatores were also known as the challenges that were protected by armor which included a breastplate. In Rome, the gladiators were classified according to two major factors. One’s identity as a gladiator was underpinned either on their fighting style or the weaponry they chose to utilize in battle. One of the elements that are brought out in the scene is order. In Rome, the various fighters were expected to not only participate in battle, but also adhere to the set rules and regulations. There was a protocol to be followed which laid out the terms and conditions through which fighters would adhere to. In the various fights, it was unusual to encounter a fighting experience where the same types of fighters were lined up against each other. Ever since the inception of the fights in Rome, Gladiators were usually prisoners of war. Over the course of time, this changed and the fights were expanded and developed to include fighters who were not necessarily prisoners of war. There were different messages being communicated by the different elements that shaped up battle in Rome. For instance, the fighters used armor that would communicate their origin and values. In most – if not all – of the various occasions, the gladiators employed armor that was characteristic of their origin. Although there were different enemies of the Roman Empire, the Gauls, Samnites, and Thracians were the three most common enemies with regards to the Roman Empire’s stability. In the fights – as brought out in this scene – the element of prestige is also dealt with extensively. The Roman Empire boasted about its numerous victories and this was amplified in the manner through which the fighters conduct themselves. The fighters we dressed in armor and carried exotic weaponry through which the element of barbarianism was presented. The power of the Roman Empire was not only established with barbarianism as one of the founding blocks, but also developed through this vice (Gladiator).

            The Provocatores were unique due to the manner in which they labeled themselves within the numerous fighters. This group of fighters exhibited the highest level of courage as they even dared any other fighter or force to stand up against them. They were also unique in their selection of opponents. This group of gladiators only took on other provocators. In the scene, details about their armory are presented which helps the viewer to understand the provocators better. One of the important part of their armory that set them – the provocators – apart was the helmet. Also known as a provocators Galea, the helmet was without a crest. Provocatores were also unique as they were the only fighters who stood in battle having something to protect their upper body. While other gladiators had nothing to protect their upper bodies, the Provocatores wore a helmet and breastplate as well. The gladiator fighter also stood out with regards to their attacking weaponry. Usually, they used swords which were refered to as gladius. Gladius is one of the Latin words that have been embraced by English. The word is derived from Latin where it is utilized in referring to sword. Originally, the word was referred to as Gladius Hispaniensis or simply Hispanic sword. The sword is important in the historic analysis as it brings out one of the conquering behaviors of the Roman Soldiers. Once the Roman Empire conquered a goven region, it had the tendency of adopting some of the best tools and practices from the fallen nation. After the war with the Hispanic nation, the Roman Empire adopted the design of their weaponry. In a nutshell, the Roman Empire has communicated so much about its warfare in through this movie. Gladiator is one of the best references with regards to the activities of the ancient Roman Empire (Gladiator).

Work Cited

Gladiator. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix. DreamWorks Pictures,

2000. Blu-Ray.