Ridley Scott's Persuasion that Romans are Not Invaders in Film Gladiator

2174 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The gladiator related to the roman empire

Ridley Scott's Persuasion that Romans are Not Invaders in Film Gladiator

Gladiator is a tale of betrayal, bravery and survival. Gladiator

(2000) is the critically acclaimed Academy Award winning Action/Drama,

which sets the audience expectations high, Ridley Scott had directed

gladiator, this being his 14th film. His most famous and successful

films include Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982). Gladiator is set

in the ancient era of the Roman Empire allowing the audience to escape

to a fantasy filled with history, culture and adventure. It

ambitiously depicts, 'the story of a farmer who became a general, a

general who became a slave, a slave who became a gladiator, the

gladiator who defied the emperor.' Russell Crowe who previously

starred in Insider (1999) stars as GeneralMaximus Decimus Meridus, a

honourable General, loyal to both his emperor and Rome. Russell Crowe

impersonates the role as Maximus perfectly, powerful yet noble.

Therefore the audience acknowledges his character and are more

compassionate towards Maximus. The Romans are the villains however

they are portrayed as heroic and legendary. Then again if the viewers

weren't aware of this they have cunningly been conned into believing

the Romans are truly heroes. Throughout the film Ridley Scott uses

narrative and quality screenplay and his unique directing techniques

to manipulate the audience into believing the Romans are the

protagonist and the Germanians antagonists. Evidently from the

beginning credits Ridley Scott is deceiving the audience into a

subjective viewpoint where the Romans are in favour. Gladiator is set

in the epoch of the Roman Empire's greatest hour. Th...

... middle of paper ...

...ever acknowledged before. During the course of this

coursework I have gained much needed skills that I can use throughout

my life to come. I have learnt to recognize and identify when I am

trying to be mislead to believing false information, this cannot only

be used in films but in adverts and programmes. I can use my newfound

skills to enter adulthood prepared. The way director's influence your

judgement is very intellectual, the use of lighting, sound,

characters, speech and special effects all combined successfully

convinces viewers what is wanted of them to believe. Film addicts and

shoppers are all example of puppets where directors and mangers pull

our strings to make us believe what is wanted to benefit them.

Therefore Ridley Scott is a master at being cunning and deceitful but

we admire and praise him for it.

Show More
Related

  • Comparison of Ethan Hawke and Kenneth Branagh's Versions of Hamlet

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    Modern day directors use a variety of methods to hold ones interest. Ethan Hawke and Kenneth Branagh’s created versions of Hamlet that shared some similarities, but ultimately had many differences in respects to an audience’s appeal. An appealing movie is one that has an alluring ambiance and an intellectual stimulus. With these two movie versions, a setting and a mood forced an audience to acquire specific emotions, but Ethan Hawke’s version generated emotions more strongly and effectively. Also, these movies had extremely different uses of music and visuals, but both movie versions incorporated them well for the ambiance it tried to obtain. Finally, both movie versions drew characters to captivate the audience; however in Ethan Hawke’s version, the characters were used so effectively that it was easy to feel involved with them. While both these versions of Hamlet had a captivating ambiance, Ethan Hawke’s version was more appealing due to the intellectual incentive that it offered.

    Read More

  • An Investigation into the Portrayal or Truth Within the Documentary Genre

    1888 Words  | 4 Pages

    As documentary by its very nature introduces itself as factual, concerns exist as to where the boundary between the truth of subject and the fiction produced by its creator emerges. As anything that has been edited has by definition removed certain aspects and enhanced others, there must be at best an innocent naturally occurring bias formed from individual perception, and at worst purposefully manipulated misinformation. Through researching various sources, I intend to discover the difference (if any) between these two methods making factually based programmes, to determine any variables that lie in the ‘grey area’ between the two extremes, and to ascertain the diverse forms of conduct in which truth (and in turn documentary) can be presented to an audience, and to what effect?

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Gladiator

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    The movie starts out with an opening battle between the well-equipped Roman army and a Germanic tribe defending their lands. Russell Crowe is the main character in the movie and he plays a roman general named Maximus. Maximus is a good hearted warrior with valor and honor that is constantly displayed in the epic. He is loved by the roman people and the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The Roman army led by General Maximus defeats the ragged Germans in the opening scene. After a successful march through Germany, Maximus has a meeting with the emperor. The emperor tells the general that Maximus will rule Rome after Emperor Aurelius's death instead of Aurelius' son Commodus. Maximus being a humble gracious man is shocked that a common general could rule Rome. Commodus kills his father in anger and believes he has been betrayed by his father. He then orders the death of Maximus and his family in his rage.

    Read More

  • Roman Fever and Hills Like White Elephants

    2111 Words  | 5 Pages

    Many times in life things are not as they seem. What may look simple on the surface may be more complicated deeper within. Countless authors of short stories go on a journey to intricately craft the ultimate revelation as well as the subtle clues meant for the readers as they attempt to figure out the complete “truth” of the story. The various authors of these stories often use different literary techniques to help uncover the revelation their main characters undergo. Through the process of carefully developing their unique characters and through point of view, both Edith Wharton and Ernest Hemingway ultimately convey the significant revelation in the short stories, “Roman Fever” and “Hills Like White Elephants” respectively. The use of these two literary techniques is essential because they provide the readers with the necessary clues to realize the ultimate revelations.

    Read More

  • Maximus and Odysseus

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Maximus was a great warrior in the Roman legion under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. His first courageous feat occurs when he defeats the last of the Barbarians of Germaina. Leading his army along a 12 year campaign he brought it to an end. Next he risks his life as he defies the new Emperor Commodus, knowing that this could mean death. Commodus was the only son of Marcus Aurelius. However Commodus killed his father and took the place of Caesar.

    Read More

  • Stanley Kubick's Spartacus

    1710 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stanley Kubick's Spartacus In the 1960 film Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick, the character called Spartacus is depicted as a revolutionary who leads an army of slaves against the oppressive forces of Rome during the first century B.C. Though the overall story is true, and most of the main characters are real, the presentation of their character is entirely fictional. Spartacus and the other characters have been split into groups epitomizing good and evil, and the story itself has been vastly romanticized. This essay will address the ways in which the story deviates from reality and finally will show how Kubrick and those before him have used such interpretations as a valuable tool for social change.

    Read More

  • Gladiator: Commodus A Tragic Hero

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gladiator. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. Dreamworks L.L.C and Universal Studios, 2000. DVD.

    Read More

  • Essay On Roman Gladius

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Roman Gladius was one of the main weapons used during the early Roman empire. “Gladius is the Latin word meaning sword” (Rayment), so any kind of sword could be called a Gladius, but the Roman short sword was mostly referred to as the Roman Gladius. The main parts of a Roman Gladius (As shown in the picture to the right from Rayment) are the Pommel, Hilt Wasp waist and the 50-cm blade. The Roman Gladius was very popular because of Its double bladed edge and its point. It was very popular for light infantry because it was small and good for close quarter combat. The disadvantage in length was made up with its light and maneuverability design. The Roman Gladius was used mostly in organized formations so they didn’t suffer a lot of casualties when charging in with a short-sword. The Roman Gladius could also be used in

    Read More

  • The Importance of Gladiator Games

    1758 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Gladiators – History’s Most Deadly Sport. New York: St. Martin’s Press/Thomas Dunne Books, 2003. Potter, David S. and David J. Mattingly, eds. Life, Death and Entertainment in the Roman Empire. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1998.

    Read More

  • The Life of a Gladiator

    1998 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much like today’s athletes gladiators competed with one another to decide a victor and is a form of entertainment for people spectating. But Gladiators competed much different than professional athletes do today. Gladiators were forced to fight for the entertainment of others and were considered slaves (“ The Roman Gladiator”). Gladiators did not just fight for friendly sport either they had to fight to the death. This made the gladiatorial games so exciting for the people watching. The people loved to watch others fight and the gore that they would see while the gladiators were fighting. It may sound horrible in today’s society but back then it was the most prominent form of entertainment. Different from today’s athletes and entertainers, gladiators were slaves and were told what to do against their will. Much of the gladiators were slaves, criminals, and prisoners of war. Gladiatorial games were mostly held by the Roman Republic and forced there enemy’s to fight for their lives in the...

    Read More

  • Film Analysis Of Gladiator

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gladiator (2000) is an action drama about a Roman general that is betrayed by his country and is forced to fight in the Colosseum. This particular scene, which runs for approximately 5 minutes, is the aftermath of the fight scene between Maximus, the betrayed general, and Commodus, the jealous emperor who betrayed him. This scene is not only significant because it is the concluding scene of the film, but also because it represents the end of Maximus’s enslavement and his coming to peace with dying.

    Read More

  • The Roman Army

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout history, no other era was more significant than that of the Roman Empire. The power and influence of the Roman government and it=s rule over the world was accomplished by the Roman Army. The Roman army was the ultimate weapon of war because of the well trained men, their effective weapons and their brilliant battle tactics.

    Read More

  • The Film The Matrix

    1368 Words  | 3 Pages

    The culture and philosophy of Ridley Scott (pp. 231-243. United States: Lexington Books, Inc. Pramaggiore, M., & Wallis, T. (2005). Film: A critical introduction to the film.

    Read More

  • Are The Romans Good Or Bad Essay

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Romans learned an immense amount deal from the Ancient Greeks. They first had come in touch with the Greeks in about 500 BC, part of Greece. Greece had become a part of the Roman Empire and by 27 B.C., the Romans were in not only in dominated the Greek speaking areas(Medicine In Ancient Rome) around the Mediterranean approximately . The Romans used the ideas of the Greeks but didn’t simply imitate them. Greek ideas they found unimportant as they ignored and it had seemed that the Romans were sharp on things that would lead to the improvement of the quality of life of the people in their huge empire and other areas such as hygiene. As the Roman Empire expanded through conquering Greece, many Greek doctors traveled to Italy and Rome. Many prisoners of war and could be were purchased by wealthy Romans to work in a household.

    Read More

  • Ancient Roman Society Vs. America

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    America has grown since its humble beginnings in such a way that it is now overwhelmed by its own greatness. Actually though, the original quote was by Titus Livius, a Roman historian who died around 15 A.D, and he said “Rome has grown since its humble beginnings in such a way that it is now overwhelmed by its own greatness.” Like Rome, America has become overwhelmed by its own greatness. We Americans now shake our heads in disgust at the antics of Miley Cyrus… we question the works of Tarantino and we criticize the values of our country’s leaders, but we do not seem to fully understand the gravity of the state of our society and government. On the other hand, many have reached a state of cynicism, also forgetting on what America was founded, and as George Santayana once said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Indeed, this great country seems to have forgotten the rise… and the fall… of great empires like itself. This speech will be a reminder of where America has been, where we are now, and where we could be if we changed course. So in this speech, I will juxtapose three vital components of Rome and America, first comparing our societies, then our governments. Finally, I will show the main difference between America and Rome, and how we might yet be saved.

    Read More

More about Ridley Scott's Persuasion that Romans are Not Invaders in Film Gladiator

Open Document