An analysis of the film Gladiator - Research Paper Example

The Gladiator Affiliation The Gladiator Introduction There are several factors which come into play when making a movie. All of these go hand in hand in making the movie being delivered a success. A wrong mix of these factors falls nothing short of a recipe for disaster. Some of these factors include the lighting, sound effects among others. It is important for every film maker to be in a position to combine these factors well for the purpose of delivering something which is of quality in the market (Pezzotta, 2010).

Storytelling There are several issues which portray themselves in leadership. The ascension into power may make a person forget the virtues in the society and become a person who is out to make the lives of people miserable. This is a theme which the movie The Gladiator portrays. Since time immemorial power is something which many people seek and in most cases some will go to extreme lengths to get the power they so much yearn for. This is a phenomenon which is portrayed by Commodus, son to the dying roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

At the same time there are individuals in the society who have desirable character and personality so much so that they win the hearts of many. An example of such a person was Maximus (Berardinelli, 2000). In actual sense he was the person whom the Roman Emperor wanted to bestow leadership. However, this did not happen. He ended up being betrayed by the Emperor’s son who killed his own father for the sole reason of ascending into the throne. There ensues a power struggle between the two and Commodus emerges the leader.

This leaves Maximus, the once powerful general begging for mercy from the new leader. Together with his family they are condemned to a life of misery and suffering. However, Maximus does not give up hope but struggles through all the suffering and torment to rise ranks again to look his enemy in the eye (Berardinelli, 2000). The Acting Some of the roles assigned to some of the actors require stamina and courage as opposed to just the acting skills. These include the roles assigned to Maximus.

Crowe proves that he can deliver the expectations of him and he is dominant through the cold stare, sure gait and the clenched jaw he possesses. Commodus is depicted as a villain who falls nothing but short of detestable. He is a degenerate person with some uncommon manners and appetite. He is a character that is rather subtle but very unpredictable in his activities (Berardinelli, 2000). Cinematography The cinematography in this case was developed with the intention of depicting the events which used to take place in the society at that time.

The cinematographer in this case was John Mathieson. An example of a creation in this case was where Maximus first fought. A mud-brick arena had to be created to show how and where the wars between individual was done. The Rome colosseum’s replica was built with an incorporation of an assortment of Roman artifacts with the intention of portraying the traditional Roman setting. in the creation of the replica, the design was influenced by some textures and blueprints which had been taken from live action that revolved around the colosseum.

At the same time there was the creation of thousands of virtual actors to depict situations where the nations went to war with each other. This was made possible through the shooting of live actors at various angles and then mapping the images developed on cards in order to develop 3D compositions (Pezzotta, 2010). Editing In the course of the movie there are some goofs which can be realized upon keen observation in comparison to the script. To some extent these errors related to movies may be done deliberately in the delivery of the movie by the directors.

On the other hand they may just be disregarded. In relation to the character Quintus, during the preparation for war he says “calvary” instead of saying cavalry. There are many more mistakes which have been left to slip by in the course of editing. One of the reasons for this is because at the end of it the average user will not be in a position to follow up the movie while relating to the script. Sound The sounds that have been input in this particular movie together with the music associated therein has gained noteworthy recognition for the creativity that is involved in them.

the Gladiator soundtrack is the one that is of significant interest in this case. There has been a lot of borrowing of some of the musical themes that are used in the movie. For example, Ridley borrowed an element from his favorite movie, Zulu. The war chant which is exhibited at the start of the movie was borrowed from this movie. Style and Directing The Director, Ridley Scott was very much influenced by the ancient Roman Society and he wanted to depict it in a way which would be captivating to the audience.

The lead star in the film, Russell Crowe had many suggestions which he wanted included or excluded from the script. As a result of this, the producers and directors had to carry out quite a lot of changed on the script. Before the actual filming of the movie there were prolonged periods where the crew scouted several regions which were influenced by the Roman Empire. These include areas like Northern Africa, Italy, France and England. Scott tool several months for the purpose of developing a worthwhile storyboard for the film.

The main idea in this case that it should be in accordance to the themes revolving around the Roman Empire before its collapse (Berardinelli, 2000). Impact on the society This particular movie in this case depicts some very pertinent issues in the society. The primary one in this case being leadership. In the course of the movie there are several leadership wrangles to such an extent the even members of the same family end up hurting each other. The movie depicts the exact situation which is exhibited in the society even in the present day.

Many people are in the quest for power and will do whatever they can for the purpose of acquiring this power. At the same time there are those who are humble in nature. Their humility works for them in such a way that good tidings come their way. An example in this case is Maximus, who rose from the agony of being a slave to an avenger of the murder of his next of kin. On the other hand, the society itself might have had an influence on the general plot.. This is because most of the themes that are portrayed by the film are actual events taking place in the society.

It is a common phenomenon to hear of a nation where there are leadership wrangles and injustices being carried out on the people (Pezzotta, 2010). Genre The specific genre of this particular movie is not one that can be easily established. It has a mixture of action, drama and adventure (Berardinelli, 2000). It is a perfect definition of an epic and adventure movie. The mixture of all these has made the movie one which is rather captivating to the audience. Film Analysis and Interpretation The reason for analysis in to establish those elements that are indeed fascinating to the viewer.

Viewing a film brings about the feeling of pleasure to a person. However, carrying out an analysis and interpretation is for the purpose of understanding the meaning of the film. One of the greatest achievements of Scott in relation to this film is the creation of a second century Roman society which remained stunning in all the details in it (Berardinelli, 2000). The Roman society was one of the most notable in the world and it has been brought to life once again in a two and a half hour movie.

Gladiator is a movie that shows victory against some immense odds on some of the characters. Notable in this case is the event of a slave taking over the most powerful man in the world at that time, that is, The Roman Emperor. These are some of the ingredients which make the movie one that can win audiences from all over (Berardinelli, 2000). Conclusion The above highlighted issues in relation to the film are significantly important in making sure that the final outcome is pleasing to the various stakeholders.

These are the moviemakers together with the audience. References Berardinelli, James (2000). Gladiator: Film Review Reel Views Pezzotta, Elisa (June, 2010) Film Analysis: A comparison among criticism, interpretation, analysis and close analysis. Wide Screen