Analysis of the Opening scenes of the film Gladiator

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Analysis of Techniques Used by Ridley Scott in the Opening Scenes of the film Gladiator¹ to Enhance our Viewing Experience

Gladiator is the critically acclaimed 2000 film, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Academy award winning actor Russell Crowe. Nominated for one hundred and nineteen awards, the film won forty-eight, including a BAFTA award for Best Film.

        In this essay I will be studying the techniques used by Scott and how they enhance our enjoyment and viewing experience.

The opening scene of Gladiator is shot in gold, gold is usually associated with perfection and calm, and during the film it often represents a peaceful afterlife, Elysium. There is quiet, serene music accompanying text which gives us background information about Rome and its circumstance.  Scott tries to give us an idea of the vast scale of their empire, telling us, “one quarter of the world’s population lived and died under the Caesars.” This is a very important statement as the emphasis on “and died” prepares us for the coming battle scene, in which there is large loss of life.

        We are then given a date, and an accurate account of past events which all seem to lead to this one coming battle. “Just one stronghold stands between Roman victory and the promise of peace throughout the empire.” Peace is not a word we usually associate with the Roman Empire, and it seems to contrast with the brutality of the film and its subject. This word challenges us to think, were the Roman invasions and act of aggression or necessary acts of evil in the name of self-preservation.

The text fades and we get our first view of the protagonist of the film. Maximus, although we do not learn his name in the opening scene, we can learn about him and his character. We see his hand brushing through a golden cornfield. On his finger is a wedding ring. We already have images of a family man with a loving wife and children. The golden corn and peaceful music give us an idyllic scene of calmness, but this scene cuts to the harsh reality of a cold, dark Germanic battlefield.

        We then see a long shot and Maximus is shown walking alone with no one around him. This gives the sense of isolation and loneliness which recurs throughout the film. There is then a crane shot which shows the Roman army and its magnitude, although it is a dark and smoky shot it is very impressive to behold.

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        The low angle shot which is shown next of the riding cavalry makes the viewer feel very vulnerable, and it is in the next shot that we are shown the Emperor, the most powerful man in the world, this only adds to the sense of vulnerability.

        The next shots are of Maximus walking along the line of troops, and this is when we learn more about him. Firstly we see his impressive armour for the first time in detail and establish that he must be an important figure, this is confirmed by the men’s salutations. They nod to him and ...

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