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Media Essay: Gladiator The film ‘Gladiator’ explores the theme of ‘power verses morality’ very successfully throughout and uses powerful imagery to enforce its message. From within the film I have selected one five minute scene, in which I believe this theme is explored in the most depth, using the many tools of sound, special effects, etc, which filmmakers have at their disposal. The scene begins with the gladiators entering the arena. To display the gladiators’ sense of awe at their surroundings a low angled shot pans around the amphitheatre displaying the thousands of eyes watching them. This low angled shot also displays how the gladiators/slaves are socially lower in the eyes of the crowd. We hear the bustle of the crowd as they jeer and stamp their feet, which creates quite a intimidating atmosphere for the gladiators and also gives the impression of the crowd as a metaphor of Roman society at that time who frequently enjoyed blood sport and brutality. We then cut to a reaction shot of the gladiators to show how they are feeling at that moment. This is useful to us, the audience, as it helps us to relate to the characters feelings as we have just been placed in their position with the previous shot. We see the gladiators wearing very little amour and carrying quite feeble weapons, making the audience feel sympathy for them as they pale in insignificance to the great arena, which has obviously been produced using CGI techniques in an attempt to make the scene feel as realistic to the audience as possible. When Caesar enters a low angled camera shot is used, once again to show how socially superior and more powerful he is compared to those surrounding him. However when he is speaking to his sister and the senators, we suddenly switch to a high angled shot of his face, to show that although he may be greater socially, his sister is actually morally superior, which sums up the message of the film.
Approximate Word count = 1255
Approximate Pages = 5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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