"Gladiator" by Ridley Scott

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at the main character of Maximus in the film "Gladiator". The paper examines the reception of Maximus in three different nations; Canada, Great Britain and Australia and discusses how the respective cultures of each land embraced or rejected him according to their tastes. The paper shows how trans-national responses to Hollywood productions are culturally-determined responses that offer a great insight into the political economy of nations.

From the Paper:

"Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" was one film that endured anything but an uneventful production and filming process. For one thing, veteran actor Oliver Reed died before he completed all of his scenes; for another, the elaborate battle scenes which are one of the chief attractions of the film were frequently logistical and artistic "nightmares". Additionally, the live tigers used in the making of those unforgettable scenes occasionally got "too close for comfort" - at least for Scott. Finally, the film was expensive, with the eventual production cost running to US$103 million (Mantz, para.5). With regard to other features of the filming and creation of the motion picture, it must be noted that the overall cost of not only making the film but also promoting it eventually ran to US$145.7 million. A pricey thing, to be sure, but the movie grossed $187 million in U.S. theatres and a further $269 million overseas ("Gladiator," sec.2), thereby suggesting that the film's main character of Maximus enjoyed an international following."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "All-time Australia Box Office." Box Office MOJO. 2006. Boxofficemojo.com. 11 Oct. 2006 <http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/alltime/australia.htm>
• "Crowe's Maximus Tops List of Heroes." The Times of London. 24 Apr. 2004: 15. Newspaper Source. EBSCOhost. University of Calgary Lib., AB. 11 Oct. 2006 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=7EH3796594244&site=ehost-live>
• "Gladiator." Informat.io on Gladiator. 2006. Vacilando. 10 Oct. 2006 <http://www.informat.io/?title=gladiator-(film)>
• Mantz, Scott. "Gladiator Storms the Colosseum." Scott's Movie Reviews. N.d. Scott Mantz. 10 Oct. 2006 <http://www.moviemantz.com/movie_reviews/500/gladiator.html>
• Mattingly, David. An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire. London: Allen Lane, 2006.

More papers on "Gladiator" by Ridley Scott:

• Comparison Essay # 7842 : "Gladiator" and "Braveheart"
• Film Review # 123318 : "Reaction to "Gladiator"
• Analytical Essay # 115076 : "Social Class and Concerns"

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