Film Analysis Of Gladiator

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.
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,

There are numerous shot/ reverse shots as Lucilla kneels over him. Highlighting is used to portray Lucilla as an angelic figure. After she says “go to them”, we see Maximus die. At this point, we see the films first use of theatrical mise-en –scene. While Maximus is lying down, a close up shot shows the floor of the Colosseum moving beneath him. This gives the illusion that Maximus is floating through the air. This element of mise-en-scene is designed to represent Maximus’s escape from the physical world.
As the Colosseum floor moves underneath, we see red rose petals scattered about the sand. Here, the use of the color red holds two different connotations. For one, it represents the love Maximus has for his family as well as Lucilla. In this case, red also represents death. When these two connotations come together, they hold a very powerful meaning. That is, in order for Maximus to get back to those he loves, he had to die. The use of color in this shot aligns with Eisenstein’s idea that filmmakers should not fall into the trap of matching one color to only one