The piece of film I will be analysing is a 12 minute period that leads up to the end of the film, I will analyse the footage and camera angles fully and portray my opinion on why the director has chosen to place each detail in the way he has.
The film is based in Rome, and displays controversy towards the running of the Roman Empire by the emperor Commodus. Maximus on the other hand wants Rome to be returned to the people, and he tries to fulfil the wishes of Marcus Oralius who was the previous emperor, but was murdered. .
The director Ridley Scott has made "Gladiator" in such a way in the scenes I have viewed, and he has done it in such away that our sympathy goes towards Maximus, and we feel distant from the emperor Commodus and feel anger and hatred towards him. .
As the scene begins the camera pans over the stadium and chants Maximus, Maximus, can be heard, it has been done like this in my view, to show the crowd support and honour Maximus, and that as well makes you feel closer to the character played by Russel Crow. The chants also make you feel like you should join in, the shot also in a way sets the scene and lets the viewer know where they are.
The next set of events we see Commodus entering the dungeons where Maximus is tied up in chains, this shows that he is vulnerable and that he is under the control of Commodus, and he is being held back from doing the right and honourable thing. You see a high angle shot on Maximus, to symbolise inferiority and how he cannot do anything, how he is trapped. The emperor is viewed with a low angle shot to show his power and superiority over Maximus in professional manner.
In the scene there are crosscutting shots between Commodus and Maximus when they are in the dungeons also there is quick fire short edits between the two to show apprehension and nerves, this all builds the tension. The dark room and lack of lighting gives you a sense of deception, the light that does not allow us to see the whole face clearly of Commodus, symbolising darkness and evil.
