...Gladiator: The Movie Essay | Gladiator: The Movie Ridley Scott This student essay consists of approximately 3 pages of analysis of Gladiator. Print Word PDF This section contains 804 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) Gladiator: The Movie Summary: "What we do in life echoes in eternity." A famous tag line of the movie that Maximus (Russell Crowe) said to his men before they merge in the battlefield. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). A very highly intense action sequence directed by Ridley Scott. A film that won multiple awards including, best costume design, visual, pictures and sound effects. The "Gladiator." "What we do in life echoes in eternity." A famous tag line of the movie that Maximus (Russell Crowe) said to his men before they merge in the battlefield. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his inheritor over his own son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), and a power struggle leaves Maximus and his family condemned to death. The powerful general is unable to save his family, and his loss of will allows him to get captured and put into the savage games until he dies. The only desire that fuels him now is the chance to rise to the top so that he will be able to look into the eyes of the man who will feel his revenge. A very highly intense action...
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...Week 5 Essay David A. Micciche University of Phoenix For my report I decided to write about Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which is an action, adventure, drama. This film was released in 2000 with Russell Crowe who is a method style actor, as the lead actor, Starring as Maximus. Maximus was the favorite general of Caesar Marcus Aurelius played by Richard Harris. After defeating the German Barbarians, general Maximus only dreamed of returning home to his wife and son to live a simply life tending to his crops, and leave behind his life as a respected general. After defeating the German barbarians, and with his health failing Caesar decides to appoint Maximus as the protector of Rome and wishes to pass all of his powers as Caesar to Maximus, on the condition that Maximus restores Rome to its former glory, then returning all power to the senate. Commodus, who is played by Joaquin Phoenix who is also a method actor, is a spoiled self indulged aristocrat that believed Caesar would name him as his successor. Commodus kills Caesar and takes the title of Caesar and orders his soldiers to kill Maximus and his family. Maximus escapes, wounded, only to return home to find that Commodus’ soldiers beat him there and slain his wife and son. He awakes to find himself captured to be sold as a slave to Proximo, played by the late Oliver Reed. Promimo is a Gladiator manager, and trains his slaves to fight as gladiators in arena settings, so that he can profit from their blood. Upon returning...
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...Poverty is the mother of crime Poverty is the lack of income source to buy food. In some cases it is not only the state of having income that is below the line of poverty but it is also the inability to sustain a specified level of well being. So it is in fact that most of the crimes that occur are due to poverty. No matter how much moral the person is, if the poverty threatens his or her life then he/she is likely to indulge into such criminal acts and could try to attack the prevailing social structure. Sometimes honest people who hate corruption from depth of their beings fail to keep their mental balance and due to the pressure of poverty and resort to crimes just to maintain their existence. In such circumstances the judge only looks at the crime committed instead of finding out the cause that lead the committer to such an act. What happens is the person is sent to jail and is labelled as a criminal and after his release he is further humiliated by the society and therefore is forced to become a habitual thief. The majority of men that are locked up came from a background of poverty. They did not have their fathers. Many of their mothers had them at a young age. They did not have any positive, real male role models. They basically had to raise themselves. The fathers did not have the money to get abortions and then once the baby arrived, they did not have the money to raise the child. Then once the baby arrived, they were living in squalor and poverty and they turned on...
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...Hum I: Philos. Thought (HUM-101-OL010) Written Assignment 2 18 May 2013 The Evolution of the Hero Heroes are part of every culture’s mythology and the most famous and diverse is that of ancient Greece. In order for us to assess the development of the Heroic ideal in ancient Greek culture, we must be able to identify where the Hero’s identity comes from. The Heroic identity has been useful for thousands of years, serving as a perfect representation of a super-human, a human that is capable of dealing with problems that require unique skills and knowledge beyond that of a normal person. But where does it come from? The answer is simple. A Hero’s identity has its roots in the culture it lives in. That is to say, the Hero’s identity is a direct reflection and embodiment of the values and ideals of its society. The Hero is society’s way of reproducing its values and beliefs for the next generation. As a result, the characteristics that make up a Hero are as varied and different as the cultures that created them. When examining the evolution of Heroic ideals, one must be aware of the always changing cultural conditions and the necessity of the Hero’s criterion to fit an ever evolving society. If you look at Homer’s The Illiad, his portrayal of a Hero is someone who is famous, has great strength, kills many people and governs strongly. The Homeric Hero must obey all of society’s customs and religious rituals, and if threatened, was required...
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...The Gladiator, is a film which revolves around two main characters, protagonist Maximus Meridius and antagonist Commodus. Through the film, we are able to see the struggles and accomplishments of both these characters. We are also able to differentiate each of their own unique personalities, how they are motivated in achieving their goals and how they leave an impact on others around them. Need-Based Theories Both Maximus and Commodus are motivated differently through the many need-based theories described by Sniderman, Bulmash, Nelson, and Quick (2010). The theories as explained in the textbook, includes Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Alderfer’s ERG theory, McClelland’s theory of learned needs, and Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory. According to Sniderman et al. (2010), Maslow’s theory suggests that people start from the bottom of needs and move up in the hierarchy and that as each need is achieved, they will no longer motivate the person. He or she would then need to move up to the next level of the hierarchy in order to be motivated, which is also known as the progression hypothesis. From the beginning of the film, Maximus was already seen at the highest level of needs, which is self-actualization (Sniderman et al., 2010). The audience never gets to see Maximus go through the different stages of needs, because the first scene of the film is already showing his victory on the battlefield. However we can see just by his character that he has already fulfilled the lower level...
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...The Movie: Gladiator The movie Gladiator takes place in Rome, the year of 180AD. The main character is Maximus Meridius who is the general of the Roman Army, leading his fellow soldiers to victory against the Barbarian Army. Maximus has a very respectable reputation within this country and is highly favored by Roman Emperor Marcus. Furthermore, the Roman Emperor is dying and his final wish is for Maximus to become the new Roman Emperor and desires to name him as his heir even though he has a daughter, Lucilla and son, Commodus. However, the moral and honorable Maximus is horrified at the idea of becoming Rome’s emperor and his only request is to return home to his wife and son. Upon hearing the Emperor and Maximus’ discussion, Commodus kills his father in a jealous rage. After discovering that the beloved Roman Emperor had been murdered by his son, Maximus rebels against Commodus and when he is arrested by Roman soldiers he is informed that his family will be murdered also. Maximus escapes the soldiers and in desperation of saving his family he flees to his home in Spain. Unfortunately he is too late and his wife and son are already dead. Once seeing his family brutally murdered, Maximus collapses and then awakens at the hands of slave trader, Proximo in North Africa. As a part of Proximo’s slaves they are all trained to fight and participate in lethal battles. Once these slaves receive training and are superior fighters they are now seen as “gladiators”. In...
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...This approach is interesting in the fact that it doesn’t involve his environment, and I would say that Aurelius is stating that to grow up a mature adult you don’t need a good house, just a good family and community. His grandfather gave him morals, mother piety and beneficence, great-grandfather taught liberality, and his father's reputation modesty. His teachers gave him many things such as not to gossip, discipline, benevolence, stop finding fault, envy, duplicity, hypocrisy, stop indifference, truth, justice, self-government, and mildness of temper. The biggest lessons from his teachers that he holds dear to him is to love philosophy and stoicism. From there on he goes into specific detail upon his father's contributions in his life and growth in the early years. “To the Gods I am indebted for having good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister...
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...The Life Worth Living According to Stoic Philosopher Epictetus Kayla Cook Lead 723 Fresno Pacific University Instructor: Peter Wasemiller July 20, 2013 The Life Worth Living The Lessons of Epictetus Though a literal slave during his lifetime in Turkey (A.D. 55-A.D. 135), Epictetus provides a definition of freedom and happiness that is relative through the ages. Considered a “Liberator the Soul”, his prescription for liberty and happiness start with extracting ourselves from all external forces that enslave us. Epictetus believes that “inner subjugation to any other man or woman is a state of being completely without honor” (Morris, 2004 p.78). Epictetus also believes that once our stance in life is set, everything else will follow. Mental practices, productive listening skills, and practical application can foster and emphasize our stance in life. He states that Epictetus’s philosophy “has the capacity to redirect our thinking to great things in new and fulfilling ways (Morris, 2004 p.68). Our minds control our actions; therefore we must think and live differently. Epictetus proclaimed that one basic concept was truly at the core of autonomy and happiness. The concept was recognizing and truly accepting that some things are within our control and some are not. Slave or free man, captivity is imminent if we do not choose well and put what is learned into practice. If philosophy is defined as the love of wisdom, Epictetus believed that it was necessary...
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...through." — Nicholas Sparks (Dear John) "I don't ask why patients lie, I just assume they all do." "Truth begins in lies." "Mistakes are as serious as the results they cause!" People will hate you, rate you, shake you, and break you. How strong you stand is what makes you. In exams, we look up for inspiration, down for desperation, left and right for information. Friends, the only reason for going to school. Life is full of secrets and lies, so when you get screwed over, don't act surprised. Not all single are available and not all taken are in love. You pretend to text on your phone if you don't wanna talk to someone passing by. Lowell Thomas: Hard Work Quotes Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can. Marcus Aurelius: Hard Work Quotes Do every act of your life as if it were your last. You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour. The hard way is the right way. Laziness may appear attractive but work gives satisfaction. Life doesn't require that we be the best, only that we try our best. Full effort is full victory. Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it. Always give a hundred percent, and you'll never have to second-guess yourself. Careers, like rockets, don't always take off on schedule. The key is to keep working the engines. Gary Sinise The world is divided into people who do things--and people who get the credit. More funny Dwight Morrow quotes If hard work is...
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...beginning of the film, which is a beautiful forest covered in snow with trees lined on the outside of the Roman base, and Caesar’s palace, which is very big with tall rooms and many different pillars and marble floors. The most notable set in the film is the famous Coliseum of Rome which stands about twenty stories high, holding about 20,000 people to watch the gladiators battle to the death, looked as if it were the actual coliseum being used by the gladiators. Scott gives the film a sense of realism by showing blood and gore as it might happen if they were actually fighting in a ring. The film’s main character, Maximus (Russell Crowe), is made a slave by the new ruler of Rome, Commodus, (Joaquin Phoenix), because his father, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), was murdered by Commodus in a jealous rage because Marcus decides to make Maximus his successor, which does not go over well with Commodus. Maximus is taken away to be executed, but escapes and sets out to find his wife and child dead and is captured by slave-traders to become a slave. He is bought by Proximo who makes him fight as a gladiator around different arenas to make money. Proximo realizes Maximus’ potential and heals him up to fight in the great Coliseum of Rome, where he finds Commodus and in the end faces him one on one in the Coliseum. One scene that has the most impact on the whole movie is when Maximus and Commodus fight their final battle in Rome’s famous Coliseum one on one. The coliseum is filled...
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...Film paper: Gladiator “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius; father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.” In the 2000 film, Gladiator, Russel Crow plays a victorious Roman general, Maximus, whose charismatic leadership and order to return Rome back over to the Senate led the emperor’s son, Commodus Aurelius, played by Joaquin Phoenix, to murder his father, Marcus Aurelius, and plot the condemnation of Maximus. After escaping his own execution, Maximus is captured by slave traders and sold to Proximo’s business of harvesting gladiators. After growing in popularity he and his fellow gladiators are sent to Rome where he later forms a plot with Lucilla, Commodus’ sister, and Senator Gracchus to overthrow his nemesis, Commodus, and to return Rome to a senate-based government. Maximus was successful in his attempt to lead his followers and defeat his enemy through his charismatic leadership style and his reliance on his expert and referent power. Maximus exudes charisma through his self-confidence and humility in which he leads his followers. In the beginning of the film, Maximus walks the talk by fighting on the front lines of battle amongst his army with the Germanic barbarians. In order to inspire his men, Maixmus uses imagery and rhetorical language to motivate his army to be strong and succeed...
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...in complex of the events in the film. Truth: The beginning of the movie starts out with a bit of truth. Aurelius was a philosopher and man of peace and he did spend most of his life fighting Germans in one way or another (Ward, Heichelheim, and Yeo 347).Fiction: The depiction of Aurelius children is somewhat false. Aurelius, in the Gladiator, is presented as having only two children. Truth: Aurelius however did not choose to carry on this tradition of senatorial succession. Instead, when it came to succession instead of picking a senator to replace him he picked his son Commodu. Fiction: The movie shows Aurelius wanted to pass down his position to Maximus, who never historically existed. Fiction: In the Gladiator Aurelius, while talking to Maximus, voices his concerns about Commodus taking over the position of emperor. He calls his son an immoral man and says that he should never be allowed to rule Rome. Fiction: There is no historically fact that Aurelius thought this of Commodus: this is quite evident in his gesture of making Commodus his co emperor. Truth: when it came to succession instead of picking a senator to replace him he picked his son Commodus (Ward et al., 351). Truth: Commodus portrayal as a disturbed, immoral, hateful and unstable man. Fiction: In Gladiator Aurelius was suffocated by his own son Commodus. Truth: Commodus did not kill his own father. Aurelius is rumored to have died either from being very tired or from some form of illness (Ward et al., 351).Truth:...
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...Gladiator Julius Mitchell ENG 225 Prof. Jonathan Beller 13 March 2011 What would you do if you were engaged in a twelve year campaign; you have a wife and son who are waiting for you, but you are asked to be king and leader of your country? Would you refuse your king, and turn your back on your country, for the sake of two? Ridley Scott, director of Universal Pictures “Gladiator,” brought to life, writer David Franzoni’s epic tale of Maximus, an inspiring and powerful Roman General. After twelve years of fighting, Maximus longs for nothing more than the warm embrace of his family. Unfortunately, the king, Marcus Aurelius asked that he should be crowned king of Rome instead of his corrupt son Commodus. Maximus is caught in a power struggle, which leave him and his family condemned to death. This critical analysis of the motion picture “Gladiator,” will analyze the key elements of film, which embody the storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing, sound, style and directing, societal impact, genre, film criticism and analysis. The story of Maximus, once the most powerful, and respected, general, in Rome, reduced to a slave who fights for an opportunity to exact his vengeance for the brutal death of his family is written with three basic elements. It has character, desire, and conflict. The narrative structure of the film is organized in six stages. These stages are developed by the turning points in the plot. The stages are the initial setup, new...
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...Oscar de Cárdenas Prof. de la Vega English Composition 2 * 18 October 2013 * Final Essay * Integrity * * Integrity is a personal characteristic that should be considered as the most important characteristic of a person. A person who has strong ideas, and strong moral values, but who does not have integrity might stray in the wrong direction if they cannot support their ideas. A person with integrity will not fold under pressure and will stand to defend his views regardless of the situation. * Integrity is considered a contract with yourself. If you make a decision to support an idea or belief, that contract with yourself, integrity, will keep you on a constant and steady path to support and defend your ideal. As described by Damian Cox :“A related approach to integrity is to think of it primarily in terms of a person's holding steadfastly true to their commitments”. This commitment will present your integrity on the subject and will earn you the respect of everyone even those who oppose your views. A commitment of integrity to yourself could be the most important commitment you can make in your life. For example a commitment to quit smoking, start exercising or finish college would build your character not only towards others but most importantly towards yourself. * In today’s world there are many ways integrity can be attacked. With the development of social media, every person’s integrity is subject to scrutiny and challenge. In the same...
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...Shakespeare powerfully focuses on the negative consequences of ambition in the text 'Macbeth' and in the film 'Gladiator' directed by Ridley Scott and how it can lead to one's downfall. Macbeth is shown as the "noble" hero by the King after slaying the Thane of Cawdor and claiming victory in the war for Scotland, while Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' portrays Maximus as the "noble" hero but still not comparing to Macbeth like Commodus does in the film. Shakespeare effectively focuses on the cynical repercussions of ambition in 'Macbeth' and how it can lead to one's failure. Macbeth is shown as a wellborn protagonist after being regarded as "Noble Macbeth" by the King of Scotland, King Duncan after slaying the Thane of Cawdor and winning the war for his country. This starts to show the effects of Shakespeare's Aristotelian Tragedy where the tragic hero is established. Macbeth's ambition begins after he and Banquo are told their fates by prophesising witches. "All hail, Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter". This quote is indicated by one of the witches that starts to show the beginning of the end for Macbeth. The behaviour and attitudes of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth leading up to the murder of King Duncan are completely contrasted. Macbeth expresses great reluctance to act, convincing himself that the murder is unjustified, and will bring him great troubles, grief and negative consequences. "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition". Macbeth...
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