Member review

Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott in the 2000s is a timeless film that presents revenge, absolute authority, corrupt power and liberty. This film shows a strong man, Maximus a general in Rome and him being betrayed by Commodus due to his need for power which caused Maximus to lose his freedom and is forced to become a gladiator where he tries to show honour and justice to Rome. I found that the person who played Maximus (Russel Crowe) performed really well and presented an honourable, likeable, powerful character really well. The actor of the antagonist Commodus presented a villain very well and made the audience understand how he was corrupt and very power-hungry. I also thought the cinematography and different shot types used helped to make this film so good especially in different battle sequences. The settings and how ancient Rome was shown was very powerful and beautiful to watch. It includes lots of different relevant themes to Ancient Rome such as power, what ambition can do, revenge and freedom. Power is shown through Commodus has “power” due to his status but in reality, he doesn’t, and power is truly shown through Maximus through his strength and honourability. This shows that status doesn’t always equal power. Commodus shows the cost of ambition and represents what happens when you’re too power-hungry and ambitious. Revenge and freedom are shown through Maximus as he fights for freedom and gets his revenge. The sound in this film was very effective, music helped guide the audience’s emotions and enhanced them. I personally thought the film was very good as it was emotional and fascinating to watch however, editing in places didn’t flow well however this was a film created over 20 years ago so it’s understandable however it would be better if some editing was better, I’d rate this 4/5. Overall, Gladiator is a great film and has some amazing sequences.