Gladiator - Analysis of lighting, cinematography, and sound

The first scene that seemed to follow this central them was after the first battle of the movie against the barbarians of Germania, when Maximus and Commodus have their discussions with Marcus Aurelius, the Caesar of Rome. Here we really begin to see the evil arise in young Commodus as he talks to his father, the Caesar. The lighting in this scene is very dark and low, which give Commodus a very malevolent look. The low lighting also helps portray how old and fragile Marcus Aurelius really is. A great lighting shot is that of the statue, where it covers one eye and one eye only, symbolizing that someone is always watching.

When Marcus Aurelius informs Commodus that he will not be next to rule, we can capture his anxiety through his facial expressions and sound. Every sob he makes, every jerk of emotion; is felt/heard quite readily; the quality of his

The next scene of importance can be considered the first Maximus has with Tigris of Graul. In this scene we are drawn into the action completely as if we were observers in the Coliseum itself. The constant roar of the crowds and their urging for death capture your ears and keep the adrenaline rushing; you become a Roman and are cheering for death yourself. Every clash of swords, every bang of metal on metal, and every cut, slash, puncture, punch and kick are all felt by the devastating realism of sound and camera angles. An awesome aspect of this scene is the fading in and out of the crowd while the fight surges. A favorite of mine, which caught my full attention, was the chains of the tigers running through the rings, symbolizing danger, as they were the only distinct sounds. The music draws you into the scene with its constant growth of intensity as the action comes to a climax with the wish of Tigris’s death following the action perfectly in sync.

When Maximus converses with Marcus Aurelius, we find his character to be that of a “common man,” one who had the virtues of wisdom, justice, fortitude and temperance. Maximus is so perfectly portrayed as a virtuous man, one with an inner struggle to attain justice and freedom for himself, his family and his country, with the aid of superb camera shots, lighting and costuming. When Maximus is talking to Caesar, the camera is focused on Marcus, which in turn makes us feel like we are Maximus himself. Through these camera shots we are able to feel this his emotions, his need to be with hi

Some topics in this essay:
Tigris Graul, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus Maximus, Maximus Commodus, Scott’s GLADIATOR, Caesar Rome, Ancient Rome, Ridley Scott, marcus aurelius, camera shots, drawn action, maximus commodus, Ridley Scott’s, justice freedom family, freedom family country, justice freedom, freedom family, family country, dark low, commodus maximus, attain justice freedom, cut slash puncture, struggle attain justice, facial expressions,