"Gladiator" is a 2000 movie based on the Roman Empire. Sure we've seen or have heard about it, because of its cinematic quality and accolades. However, to what extent this film offers a realistic vision of the era and recreates the events?
In this film, director Ridley Scott has combined the classic historical recreation with great special effects, making a show much visually more credible than the previous movies that have tried to recreate this historical period.
The film begins at the end of the life of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, circa 180 AD and shows how his son Commodus becomes the new emperor. Although the film seeks the excitement and intensity over the truth, and his script would not be a work of history but a historical novel, presents aspects of society, urbanism, art and traditions of the Roman Empire with large dose of credibility.
In the "Making of" The director explains that he tries to show the colossal Rome in a credible way, trying to show the greatness of Rome, but at the same time its corruption and decadence, embodied by the two emperors of the film. The father represents the end of the boom of the Empire, while the son represents the beginning of the decline.
Analyzing the figure of Commodus, although it is mainly characterized by negative aspects, there is so far from that offered in Roman historiography, which practically calls him crazy. Regarding policy, the highlight is the lack of interest in further expanding the limits of the Empire and wanted his father, which leads to stop wars.
Referring to the constant presence in the film of Commodus in the arena, is based on a true historical basis, since the sources state that the emperor liked to participate in gladiatorial games to show their strength.
The character of Max, born in Augusta Emerita according to the film, is a totally fictitious character, but is said to embody values \u200b\u200bthat are very repetitive in the Roman tradition.
Uzuki According to Amorim, who previously analyzed the historical aspects of the film better reflected the historical aspects of the film are present at all times disputes between supporters of returning to the Republic (represented by Graco and Marcus Aurelius himself) and the strong defenders of the Empire (Convenient and Praetorians) and the Roman army , which shows detachments of infantry and cavalry, weapons, war machines and hierarchy of controls with features that can be seen in Roman military history books.
Compared with other films about the Roman Empire, the attitude of the soldiers shown in a more credible in other movies and technology gives more importance to the characterization that the narrative quality.
As Roman architecture of the time, we see a huge effort to reflect it so real. The Roman Colosseum, the main building of the film, was made by a computer with amazing realism, so it provides an absolutely credible image that should be spectacular.
If we seek historical wrongs, the film is full of them. For example, the use of stirrups, printed leaflets, entry in Rome for a land access rather than a road, certain buildings, the accuracy of the reign of Commodus (which lasted over 10 years), Lucila death before his brother, among others. However, as we can see, these are details and no egregious errors that distort the story greatly.
Therefore, to wonder about the veracity of the film, one can conclude that, despite the errors that have been found and the fact of being based on the life of a fictional character, the film has some truth in the aspects of setting, costume, Roman army, the historical context and characters like the emperors. However, it is necessary to take into account that being a blockbuster film and not a historical documentary, not all aspects are not being truthful history the most important focus.
References
Wikipedia contributors. Roman Empire. Retrieved on January 12, 2010 From
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperio_romano
Wikipedia contributors. Decline of the Roman Empire. Retrieved on January 12, 2010 From
Amorín Uzuki. Historical Analysis of Film: Gladiator . Retrieved January 10, 2010 From
Unknown. Roma: An Empire Mediterranean. Retrieved on January 12, 2010 From
Internet Movie Database. Gladiator. Retrieved January 10, 2010 from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/
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