In this essay I will be comparing certain scenes from two films. The scenes in which I will be comparing are from two of the greatest films to be produced, they are 'The Gladiator' and 'Spartacus'. I will be finding the differences and ...
In this essay I will be comparing certain scenes from two films. The scenes in which I will be comparing are from two of the greatest films to be produced, they are ‘The Gladiator’ and ‘Spartacus’. I will be finding the differences and the similarities from within these two motion picture scenes. I will also be explaining in both scenes, the camera movements whether they are fast or slow, and which scene has captured the greatest effect. I will be including the names of the characters, the names of the actors who play the parts of the characters and also what the characters are doing in each scene.
Here are some brief descriptions of both scenes from ‘The Gladiator’ and ‘Spartacus’. Gladiator was made in year 2000 and was directed by Ridley Scott. The cast for Gladiator include such names as Russell Crowe who plays the character of The Great Roman General Maximus Decimis Meridus, Joaquin Phoenix who plays the character of the Emperor Commodus, Richard Harris who plays the part of character Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Oliver Reed who plays Atonius Proximo. The film has won three Oscars for Best film, best actor and Best special effects. The location was Germania. The music in which was played throughout was orchestral and heroic, there was also a lot of sound effects used and special effects, which therefore makes the scene quite loud. The scene that I was watching was the part in which they were in the arena and Maximus has been handcuffed to another slave, and are fighting together against Roman Gladiators that are all dressed in armour and riding in chariots. The scene is very fast and in during parts in which there is victory the camera is slowed down to make it look a victorious and ceremonial event. Before the gladiators enter into the arena, the camera just focus’s on one person, Maximus. Then just as they begin to enter inside the arena, the camera begins to circle around the whole of the arena, on the crowd, on the gladiators and on the emperor. The camera then circles round to the balcony and looks out onto the arena in which the gladiators are now standing. The camera then takes a ‘medium’ shot on Commodus as he talks to the gladiators. As the emperor gets half way through his speech the camera starts to circle the audience which is seated in the arena. The camera begins to take close-ups on each of the gladiators. As the fight begins and the chariots come thrashing into the arena, the movements made by the cameras are extremely quick. There are many camera angles shot from the chariots, and there is evidence of very fast editing being used to create such dramatic and thrilling scenes, lots of low shots on the horse’s hooves banging on the ground are also used to create a sense of tension. As some gladiators begin to attack it is shown in slow motion to give realism by showing the faces made by the men. At the end of the fight the gladiators which were on foot show their exhilaration over winning, but is soon dampened by a confrontation between Maximus, which is played by Russell Crowe and Commodus, who is played by Joaquin Phoenix. The atmosphere is very tense and drawn as Maximus removes his helmet and is recognised to be Maximus a very dear friend of Caesar, (Commodus’s father). The special effects are exceedingly good in this scene, there is lots of blood and there are close-ups of all the attacks. The special effects are particularly realistic and do not look fake and computerised.
