Those who are familiar with ancient Greek literature should not be unfamiliar with "Iliad". This extraordinary and magnificent epic has a pivotal position in the history of Western literature. One of the most talked-about narrative features of "Iliad" is also a narrative feature imitated and referenced by later epics: its chapters are always repeated in a symmetrical form, such as "Iliad" The first and twenty-fourth chapters (the last chapter), the second and twenty-third chapters in the content all have similar kinship. This kind of circular structure of narrative is also the most impressive feature of the film "Gladiator". It can be said that "Gladiator" not only pays tribute to the era of rich and full classical spirit in the content of its heroic narrative, but also in the structure of epic literature.
"Gladiator" was released in 2000, directed by the famous director Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. This film once won the 73rd Academy Awards for Best Picture, and it is also a famous work in film history. Although the length of less than three hours is a bit unsatisfactory for an epic film, the detailed narrative is handled properly so that the film does not feel weak or procrastinating. Next, I will talk about my views on "Gladiator" from the perspective of content, form and technique.
"Gladiator" tells such a story:
The ancient Roman emperor Ole made great strides when he stayed in power. His general Maximo was brave and well-fighted, had a republican spirit and was deeply loved by the old emperor. The son of the old emperor Comodore and Maximo were originally brothers, but the old emperor finally decided to pass the throne to Maximo, causing a fight between the two. Commodore was jealous of his father, and sent someone to execute Maximo and his family, and then arrogantly became king. At the same time, Maximo managed to escape, but was sold to the border areas of the empire as gladiators fighting and killing each other for the pleasure of others. Maximo relied on his bravery all the way through the battle, and several times to overcome the murder of Commodore, and finally killed the emperor personally in the arena, and used his life in exchange for the revival of the Roman Republic.
Someone once commented that "Gladiator" is a history of man's growth. Judging from the content of the film itself, this statement is indeed understandable, because what flows through Maximo's body is a kind of heroic spirit that has been eulogized by countless epics since the barbaric era. Whether it is riding a horse or heroic general on the battlefield, or an abandoned slave or gladiator, Maximo always wields the iron sword in his hand and crowns himself with the blood of the enemy. He is a hero of the Roman Empire, and even a warrior of the Roman Empire. Heroes often finish their work, and then stand at the top of everything and look down. However, once the tiger falls to the sun, it is difficult to make any progress, so everyone can become a temporary hero. However, the warrior is not. After the hero fell to the altar, if he could still pick up the shield and sword, let go of his arrogant self-esteem, and gather and condense those painful moments and cryless sadness, and gain the courage to climb upward from it. He is a warrior, a hero with boldness and personality. From this perspective, Maximo's history is not only his growth history as a man, but also the growth history of everyone who has been thrown into a world of strict hierarchy and uncertainty.
If Maximo was just a gladiator who slaughtered countless and merciless in battlefields and arenas, then he shouldn't be named after a "gladiator" at all, but a "executioner". The reason why the character of Maximo can be called a hero and a warrior is that he is a real hero and a real warrior. A warrior is tough, but if a warrior doesn't care about any people or things, he is only a machine that executes killing procedures, and cannot be called a complete person. The most moving scene of the whole film is the scene where Maximo knelt down and kissed his wife's feet when he returned home to find his wife and children were slaughtered and nailed to the cross after he struggled to escape the pursuit. Since the end of the battle, Maximo has been eager to return home. When he described the courtyard, olive trees, and children playing in his home to the old emperor, we could see the scene through Maximo's eyes, and even more could see the peace and hope he felt from the heart. This kind of hope supported him through the days of being enslaved every day, killing every enemy in front of him, but it was also this kind of hope that prompted him to give his life in the end. Maximo's lover is the softest part under his tough shell. Commod also caught this and tried to provoke him, humiliate him, and give him a crime of slaying the king. But Maximo finally condensed the anger and sadness inward. He knew that only by enduring this moment would there be a chance for revenge. At the end of the story, Maximo killed Commode and fell into a pool of blood in the Colosseum. This can't help but remind people of Zweig's emotion in "When the Stars Are Shining": "Although a person destroys himself in the fight against invincible doom, his soul becomes extremely noble as a result. All These are the greatest tragedies of all ages.” Maximo represents the warriors of all ages, and also represents the spirit of the Roman Republic-"There was a dream that was once Rome."-the destiny of Rome, and The fate of this general was indivisible at the moment of his death.
If Maximo, who has both morale and love for family, is not like a rising sun, then the young Roman emperor Commodore is like a bright crescent moon, looking down with a cunning, cruel and cruel hook. The world is full of attitudes. The old emperor's preference for Maximo left an eternal shadow in his heart, and this painful feeling of losing his father's love runs through all the actions of Commodore. The complex emotions when he heard his father announce to him that he could not sit on the throne—from surprise to humble to resentment to anger—condensed the cruelty and sadness of this character in just ten seconds of footage. After Commodore killed his father, he immediately turned to Maximo, who was once close to brothers and sisters. He stands at the pinnacle of power, his decision is no longer his own decision, but an emperor's decision. The struggle for power has always been life and death. One side is in power, and the other is inevitably uprooted—the Roman Empire, the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the Northern Song Dynasty—this is the iron law of struggle. Commodore’s father-killing was also expressed on an abstract level: his restoration of entertainment in the Colosseum was not only to satisfy his inner bloodthirsty desire, but also to resist his father, and to “kill the father” politically. In this sense, if Ole wants to restore the republic, then Commodore must completely eliminate the remaining "father's psychological structure" in his heart, and his desire for monopoly is not difficult to understand. Commodore hopes to prove himself by gaining the recognition of the Roman people, and more importantly, to prove that his father's judgment of his lack of "wisdom, justice, perseverance and courage" these four most basic qualities is false. He finally fell on Maximo's sword. The downfall may be the inevitable result of this tragedy.
The two protagonists illuminate the day and night of the Roman Empire like the sun and the moon, while the members of the Senate guard the city like stars. The Senate cannot be said to be a model of democracy, but at least it is a reasonable means to get rid of the constraints of the monarchy in the historical context of the time. Aurelius’s brutal force brought serious disasters to the people. He had to reflect on what he had done and reform the Roman monarchy. This was the scene where Maximo was in danger. To be more abstract, the struggle between Maximo and Commodore is actually a struggle between the republic and the monarchy, or between the forces represented by the two factions: in the film, the Roman Senate represents the Roman Republic. Tradition represents "where the people are" and the manifestation of democracy; Maximo represents the legacy of Aurelius, the guarantee that the Senate can represent the people and the basis for the formation of democracy; Commodore represents the tradition of Roman monarchy , Is the most stubborn enemy of democracy. If you want an empire to regain its life, it is difficult to rely on a warrior. It is possible only by relying on wise political skills, but this often leads to corruption and various problems. At the end of the film, Comodor’s sister and Senator Glax stood in front of the gladiator’s corpse and called for the return of the republic. As for the history of the republic, that’s another story.
Perhaps the most overlooked thing is the crowd in the Colosseum in the film. They sat on the sidelines to watch the bloody and brutal killings, calling out for good from time to time. Even the slave owner Prosimo said to Maximo: "Your task is to entertain the audience." It is a cruel ethics to please people at the expense of human lives, and to use human lives as a means of pleasure rather than a goal of development. The audience admires the strong, advocating infinite violence and massacre. The cheers from the stands reflect the ugliness of the gang in Rome, which is the worship of the mob. The decline and fall of the Roman Empire is also deeply related to the brutal ethics and mob worship of gangsters.
The story of "Gladiator" is based on real historical events or historical background. The white hair fluttering at the beginning of the movie, waiting for Maximo to conquer Germania is the famous philosopher Emperor Marco Aurelius in the history of the Roman Empire. He is a believer of the ancient Roman Stoics, and author of the book "Meditations", mainly in the form of aphorisms to state his views on life and the world when he was an ancient Roman emperor. His son, the emperor who was killed by Maximo's sword in the final duel, was the son of Aurelius, the last emperor of the Roman Empire, Commode. The story of "Gladiator" is mainly based on the assassination of the Emperor Kang Maude. At the end of the second century AD, Commode’s mistress, Marquia, the commander of the Guards, Letus, planned to return to the palace from the arena to take a bath. Suss strangled him in the bath. The next day, Letus elected Pettinax as the new emperor. This Pettinax is actually the prototype of Maximo: Pettinax was once the military commander of the Roman Empire, and he is very much loved. From a historical perspective, "Gladiator" also embodies a part of the beautification of the ideals of history: Maximo's final abandonment of the throne did not happen in history, and the Roman Empire eventually declined and fell apart and failed to continue. In fact, in the eyes of mainstream historians such as Yoshimoto, Commodore is one of the main culprits in the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. After him, the Roman Empire has been unable to maintain the illusion of a republic, and it has irretrievably moved towards its destined decline.
From the perspective of gender narrative, "Gladiator" mainly unfolds the whole story from a male perspective. Despite this, the elder sister Lucia of Commodore still shows a distinctive personality, but like several protagonists, she is also the bearer of the irreversible destiny of the Roman Empire and a tragic figure. Lucia was constantly threatened and oppressed by Commod. Her worries about her children and her love for her father became her constraints. Lucia is a typical tragic figure, but she rebelled through her love for Maximo. She contacted the councillor and conspired to overthrow her brother. Everything is for Rome, but also for her father's will.
Going back to the beginning, the narrative form of "Gladiator" adopts a circular structure pattern, which makes the emotions and journey of the main character Maximo even more emotional. For example, at the beginning, Maximo's hand swept across the reed grass blown by the breeze, and it appeared again at the end; the film begins with a battle scene and ends with a duel scene, which can also be said to be a "reproduction". Maximo's family appeared twice at the beginning and the end, symbolizing his destiny from the beginning to the end. The whole film is permeated with a strong religious atmosphere, and there are many metaphors of heaven and imagination of the afterlife, which adds a bit of mystery to the mixed political environment of the Roman Empire at that time. The film is also very distinctive in the use of light and shadow: When facing his sister, Kang Maode always turned half of his bright face toward her, and put away the dark part himself. When he faced Maximo in a white armor, his eyes sank like black holes, and he couldn't help giving people a sense of horror. All of these reflect the skillful use of "Gladiator" in technique.
In general, "Gladiator" is an epic of heroes and an anthem of heroism and republican spirit. The struggle between Maximo and Commodore is not only a struggle for imperial power, but also a struggle for spiritual concepts. Two contradictory forces are intertwined, entangled and finally destroyed at the same moment, adding to the magnificent historical process of the Roman Empire. This epic is enough to present its own tragic meaning, and because of this, it can impress generations of audiences. And will continue.
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