'Gladiator' film analysis

Gladiator is a dramatic thriller, the same as our film, and this is why we chose to analyse this film opening. The other reason is that the atmosphere that is developed in gladiators opening is the kind of atmosphere we wanted to create in our film opening. We chose this film beginning because the main character doesn’t speak, diegetically or non-diegetically, until he needs to. This gives a feeling of suspense, which is what we want our film to do. We want to make the viewer wonder what will happen next. The opening of gladiator gives the impression of what is to follow but does not allow the audience to have enough information to know, it also gives the audience enough information to know what point the story is starting from. This is what our film does, the non-diegetic dialogue gives away the past and gives the impression of the future.

The film opens with the ‘Universal’ clip and the ‘DreamWorks’ clip, but instead of it being bright and colourful it was turned sepia to give it an old-looking effect. This also sets the viewers mind into an old time-frame for the film before it even starts. The scene stays in this colour-scheme as text comes onto the screen explaining the exact year in which the film is set. This also explains why they are at war and gives a brief history of Roman leaders. It explains all this at the beginning of the film; if it didn’t the film would be very confusing. Behind all this writing is the constant movement of golden dust reminding you of the golden sand found in the Roman Coliseum.

Following these opening shots, it goes from a match-cut to a shot of a field with a close-up on a gladiator's hand. The camera follows his hand using a handheld camera going up and over the plants. This technique is used for 22 seconds giving an illusion of peace and almost not wanting to disturb the grain and wheat. The golden colour of the field gives a sense of warmth and happiness to the viewer, yet the hand is dirty and looks rough, his ring shows that he is not poor, but a working man of some sort. When the vambrace comes into view it gives the audience an idea of a fighting man or a hero but then another match-cut puts you in the dark, dreary war zone in ‘Germania’ at a medium-shot with the main character who seems to be daydreaming. This gives the viewer the idea that it was his imagination showing them the field. When he comes to his senses (after blinking multiple times) the viewer follows his eye-line (shot) to a robin, which may have sparked his daydream.

The non-diegetic music which has been playing since the first second suddenly increases in tempo and everything seems to suddenly get faster, busier and more intense. The cameras do wide shots on cantering horses and on people moving into larger groups and setting up for war. All of these shots were filmed in low-angle shots giving the viewer the feeling that these men are important. This idea is reinforced when the next cut shows the men kneeling for the main character, thus showing that he is in high power. The love shown by him to his men shows that they are important too. The next scene shows the opposite; it is a wide shot of two men with a blurred background of working men. The man says that the expense of some men’s lives is acceptable. The non-diegetic music lowers in volume as the camera zooms into the distance and focuses on the blue horsemen (who in history would protect Caesar), past the horsemen, and into a close-up of an old mans face (Caesar’s face). The non-diegetic music continues. I chose this film beginning because he doesn’t speak in the film or non-diegetically until he needs to. This gives a feeling of suspense, which is what we want our film to do. We want to make the viewer wonder what will happen next.