Film: "Gladiator" (Scott, 2000)

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the ancient Roman gladiators were individuals, who were not free, were mainly condemned criminals and were prisoners of war or slaves. The paper further explains that, in contrast, the film "Gladiator", the protagonist Maximus Aurelius was simply an injured man considered to be homeless and worth money as a potential gladiator. The author points out that most gladiators were rigorously trained, fed a high energy diet and given expert medical attention; conversely, in the film, gladiators received very little training. The paper relates that the film did not display any religious factors except for one moment before battle when one of the gladiators remarked to Maximus about the color red that surrounded them: "Red is the gods' colors, you will need their help today".

From the Paper:

"In the film, Maximus and other gladiators were sent to a battle that they were supposed to lose. The battle was a real life reenactment of a previous war in which they were to be the losing barbarians. The trainer did not want to risk his best men in this battle because death was almost a sure thing. Despite the odds, Maximus rallied his fellow gladiators with his previous army experience and won the battle. The ruling emperor Commodus then comes down to the arena floor to meet the man they call "Spaniard". Commodus was the sponsor of these games, and the sponsor decides who lives or dies."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Carter, M. (2003). Gladiatoral ranking. Phoenix, 57(1/2), 83-114.
• Coleman, K. (2003). Gladiators: Heroes of the Roman amphitheatre. BBC: History. Retrieved April 27, 2007, from www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/gladiators_01.shtml
• McManus, B.F. (2007). Arena: Gladiatoral games. Retrieved April 27, 2007, from www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/arena.html
• Thompson, L. (2002). The martyrdom of Polycarp: Death in the Roman games. The journal of religion, 82(1), 27-52.

More papers on Film: "Gladiator" (Scott, 2000):

• Comparison Essay # 93962 : "Film: "Gladiator"
• Film Review # 123318 : "Reaction to "Gladiator"
• Comparison Essay # 99624 : "Gladiator" by Ridley Scott"

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