Gladiator: A Classic Is Born

Aaron Gerhardstein

Professor Dyer

Rhetoric and Composition 131-04

14 October 2004

Gladiator: A Classic is Born

The film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, made its debut on May 5, 2000. Gladiator left its audience with both the highest praise and harshest rebuke. The historical action film was described as a “flashy, violent spectacle, everything a movie needs to be” by Haro-online, but Stephen Hunter of Entertainment Guide said, “Thumbs down! Drive that short sword though its palpitating heart, and pay no attention to its squeals for mercy…It’s not great. It’s a disappointment, so kill it swiftly and be done.” Reviews that contrast this much lead one to wonder what the criteria for a great historical action film would entail.

One important criterion a historical action film must have is a certain degree of historical accuracy. However, a film doesn’t have to mirror history; rather, it has only to give a sense that what takes place in the film could have actually happened. It is nearly impossible to convert history in its exact form over to an entertaining film; therefore, some liberties are certainly allowable in historical accuracy, but the directors must be careful not to stretch the possibilities. Another piece of criteria that fits well with the historical accuracy is how meticulous the setting, costumes, weaponry, and battle scenes are created. A historical action film would lose much credibility if its setting isn’t set in its appropriate time period along with the costumes and props. A majority of the time, this is also where special effects come into play. A filmmaker has to utilize special effects and computer graphics to reconstruct its venue and replicate its date in history. The most important piece of criteria is the universal criterion for all movies, the plot. The only way to captivate an audience and keep it enthralled is to have an interesting, unpredictable, and intriguing plot. The plot is the backbone of the film; without a plot, nothing else matters, and the movie has no substance. The final piece of criterion is how well the film uses emotion to appeal to its audience. The amount of emotion that a film radiates and causes its audience to experience is the main factor in separating the good films from the great ones. The emotions that a movie calls forth are the biggest contributors to the audiences’ opinions and reactions to the film. If a movie wants to win a viewer’s judgment and movie ticket, it has to first win that viewer’s emotions.

Gladiator is set in 180 A.D, and contains many accurate pieces of history. The current Caesar of Rome, Marcus Aurelius, played by Richard Harris, is an actual historical figure along with Aurelius’ son, Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. However, the main character, Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, is a completely fabricated yet a believable character from history. The Coliseum games in general are historically accurate, but the individual battles are not. James Berardinelli says Gladiator “uses actual historical personages and events for background. The events that transpire in the film are largely fictional, but they blend well with the known facts.” Even if the film isn’t completely historically accurate, its background and conditions make the film realistic enough to recognize that director Ridley Scott isn’t intentionally trying to stretch his film to bizarre extents.

If Gladiator’s historical accuracy is merely “close enough,” its setting and scenery are remarkably accurate. One of Gladiator’s most spectacular achievements is its recreation of second-century Rome. It is astonishingly credible and stunning in its detail. Gladiator brings back to life in all its grandeur one of the greatest periods in history. The most amazing recreation is the Coliseum. The amount of detail and accuracy can’t be over-emphasized. Flipside Movies says, “From the gothic forests of Germania to the center of the Coliseum, Scott delivers a fully realized vision of Rome at its height. We can feel the rose petals falling on the parades, and hear gladiators clash with jaw-rattling intensity.” Even Gladiator’s costume and weaponry are accurate down to the last detail, thanks to costume designer Janty Yates and supervising armorer Simon Atherton. Haro-online points out the, “Costumes and sets are beautifully detailed, from Maximus’ tents and Commodus’ opulent living quarters to the dusty slave pens of Proximo.” Gladiator’s battle scenes and sword fights were also very carefully choreographed and very realistic. They were electrifying and elating, but at the same time not overdone or overwhelmingly unbelievable.

The impressive settings and scenes in