Maximus' call to adventure begins with a scene of himself walking
through what is the roman army's camp in Germania on his way to meet
with the emperor. The first impression we are given is visually the
long line of tents spanning for acres with many rows. This immediately
helps us assess the size and organization of the army from which we
already have knowledge from the first battle just previous. The
weather here plays a key point- it is cloudy, dark and there is a
light snow falling giving very much the sensation of it being cold.
Although the snow is light and not thick it appears to give a certain
"clean feeling" almost of purity symbolizing the destruction of the
heathen hordes in previous scenes. As soon as we see Maximus we
initially regard his clothing as minimal as he is simply wearing a
short sleeve shirt and a kind of skirt. Already the director has told
us it is cold by effective use of weather and lighting therefore we
recognize Maximus is very much unconcerned with the cold and already
we are given a tough guy image to contemplate.
Although this scene is short and last perhaps 30 seconds the director
has crammed so many images and connotations for the viewer to pick up
on about our hero. After we first see Maximus he then greets three men
sitting together and as they stand to show respect, as Maximus is a
general he ushers them to sit. The director has placed a new side to
Maximus for us to see and that being compassion, he then taps one on
the head and even though we have no dialogue he smiles and says
something and walks on. This series of gestures although very short
and in a space of 5-6 seconds are very effectiv...
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already seen of Maximus' character, plus a new dimension is added. The
director builds on Maximus' praying as an important part of his life,
the procedure and dialogue has the slow and thoughtful theme music in
the background giving the prayer a sad rather than happy overtone.
Once we see Maximus has little wooden figures of his wife and child
the director has got us hook line and sinker for Maximus as a kind
family man. He has through this part of the film came across as
compassionate, polite, kind hearted, home sick amongst a list of other
characteristics. His ability to communicate with all walks of people
differing in their degree of importance and still show general
politeness and respect has been engineered by the director to its most
effective, leaving our hero with an almost universal "good guy" image.
He concludes this his speech the same way that he began: with an argument of ethos that solidifies his loyalty to the good of his country, saying that he “slew my best lover for the good of Rome” and that he has “the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.” Essentially, His entire speech employs the appeals incredibly effectively in order to portray him as a loyal Roman hero rather than the killer that
The story of Gladiator takes place in Ancient Rome and contains intense action, great acting, and fantastic storytelling. Although most of this action drama is mostly fictitious, some certain events and characters appear in the history books.
Livy begins early in establishing the basic characteristics of Romulus, arguably the most notable Roman in history. Romulus and his brother Remus were “energetic young men, who [were]… strengthened… in body and spirit.” (Livy 9). Livy then describes the clash of these attributes between the two brothers, as Romulus and Remus battle for supremacy. “From a war of words, anger turned them to bloodshed. In the heat of the melee, Remus met his death.” (Livy 11). Livy wastes no time in establishing the brutal tradition of war that helped to extend the Roman Empire. Romulus came to power because of force, and furthered his rule by the same means: “By brute force and without strategy the Roman king prevailed, using the might of his veteran army alone.” (Livy 20). This overwhelm...
Ridley Scott’s epic film, Gladiator, considered one of the greatest films in recent years, won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Scott’s film, tells the story of the fall and rise of the great Roman General, Maximus Decimus Meridius. The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, tells Maximus that he wishes that he ( ) the emperor after his death, instead of his son, Commodus. Angry, Commodus, murders his own father, thus becoming the emperor, and sentences Maximus and his family to death. Maximus escapes, but the Emperor’s men murder his family and burn his home. Slave traders, capture Maximus, and sell him into slavery. Maximus must rise to the top once more, and enact his revenge on Commodus. Through a liberal humanistic critique, the film contains an inherent meaning, shows the enhancement of life and propagation of values, and reveals that human nature never changes.
Question : Who were the spectators at Roman games? Discuss the relationship between them and the performers they watched.
Gladiatorial events were a token of the Roman civilization. A brutal form of sacrifice adapted from the earlier civilization of Etruscans, who believed when a person dies, his spirit relies on a blood sacrifice to survive in the afterlife. The first event to take place in Rome was in 264 BC, when Decimus Brutus held a sacrifice to honor his dead father (Roman Gladiator). Soon after these events became an undeniable part of the Romans lives, used for political power and general entertainment.
On top of justice is being done, we need to look at the functions of
After its debut in America on May 5th of 2000, the movie Gladiator has been a nationwide symbol of heroism(Imdb). The film was directed by Ridley Scott and the lead roles of the film were carried out by Russell Crowe as Maximus and Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus(Imdb). The movie takes place during the reign of the Holy Roman Empire in the year 180 A.D. The Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is dying and wishes to leave the Roman Empire under the control of Roman General Maximus Meridius. The Emperor’s son Commodus betrays Maximus, kills his father, and takes control of Rome. In betraying Maximus, Commodus has his family killed. Maximus knowing this returns to Rome as a gladiator under the alias “Spaniard” in search of revenge(Imdb). According to Aristotle, “Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude”(Kwheeler). In order for someone to be considered a tragic hero, the person must meet the criteria of high social status, suffer from a hamartia, face a catastrophe, invoke catharsis, and experience anagnorisis and peripeteia(Kwheeler).
While watching the film Gladiator with my girlfriend I realized the striking similarities that heroes share. However, I always wonder who is more of a hero. The definition or hero is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. So let us compare the two heroes as the dictionary defines them. In the end I hope to be able to define who is a greater hero.
When I watched the movie Gladiator (1999), the protagonist named Maximus. He shows the qualities that would represent on how great he was for Rome. In Aristotle’s ideas about tragedy
During the middle and late third century Roman republic era gave rise to the arena games and became a great phenomenon for the Romans. An amphitheater, also known as a coliseum, housed these dangerous games that potentially harmed the audience as well as those who participated in them. Gladiatorial combat originated as part of funerals for deceased influential Romans. These large gladiatorial games were held by emperors during funerals of important roman officials, but were also included during other occasions. Over time the connection among the gladiator games and funerals decreased, and the upper class put on the games mainly to raise their social standing and gain favor with the public. Many politicians held these highly known games to help them sway votes of power and popularity (Meijer 2003, 27). “The arena was the embodiment of the empire.” (Futrell 1997, 209). The contestants, or the gladiators, had more significance of the Roman Empire beyond that as their role of entertainment.
The life of a gladiator could be a grueling life unless you were the best and never lost. Gladiators fought in events known as gladiatorial games. The first gladiatorial games were recorded in 310 BCE. The first Gladiatorial games were not held in the huge coliseums we see today. Instead they were most likely held to entertain a powerful person or ruler. Gladiatorial combat originated as a religious event to honor the dead, victory of an important battle, a sacrifice to the gods, or to honor the death of someone in a high standing position. The first Roman Gladiatorial games were held in 246 BCE to honor Marcus and Decimus Brutus. ("Life of a Gladiator") These games started an era of gladiatorial events that would last for nearly a century to come.
The Scene begins with a high angle extreme long shot of about one quarter of the inside of the colosseum. Roman guards surround Maximus as he stands over the body of the defeated Commodus. Here, the graphic blocking of the guards represents Maximus’s enslavement and further reminds the viewer of the futility of his situation. After all,
He wants to be a husband to his wife, and a father to his son. He is a decorated warrior who has risen through the ranks to become Rome’s greatest general. His fellow officers regard him as triumphant in battle and courageous. He symbolizes the values of valor and honor that were key to developing a great Roman officer. His compelling sense of motivation in the beginning of the film is his yearning to go home to his wife and son. He has been a decorated soldier, all he wants now is to retire from the army, depart from the Germanic territories, and go home to live in peace. This Christian theme states that there is a time and a place for everyone, and everything. There is a time for war, a time for peace. There is a time for love, and a time for sorrow. Ecclesiastes 3:8 states, “7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. 8A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.” Maximus understands that the time for war has come and gone, now he must no longer be an officer of the military. He must be an officer for his
Two primary leadership roles were between Maximus and Commodus, who demonstrated two completely different leadership styles. Maximus thrived based on his task-oriented, and people-oriented leadership style. For example, in the beginning of the movie Maximus painted a clear image of what the outcome of the war would be for his men. He had claimed that they would be victorious, some men would die, and that he planned on returning home to his family. He also made it clear of some errors some of the men would make, and how to prevent them. Maximus primarily looked towards what the people wanted, and how they could