The bloody and violent fighting scenes presented in the film at the beginning have to be reluctant to feel that it has many similarities with Lu Xun's "seeing and being watched". Those strong fighters are nothing but tools manipulated by the slave owners for greater benefit, and the new emperor's dolls for fooling the people. However, when the new emperor discovered the true identity of Massimos in the arena, the fierce scene of the crowd shouting "live" forced the emperor not to act arbitrarily, I knew that this was after all a cultural environment different from China.
There are many dialogues that are worth thinking about in the film. Throughout the film, there are explanations on how to govern a country and nation and how to build an ideal country for a democratic republic. "Speaking for the people" and "pretending to be one with the people" are the struggles between these two regimes. However, to treat a two-hour movie as a copy of the history of governance is obviously lacking in strength and depth. Therefore, I prefer to regard it as a record of a warrior's journey home!
Maximus was given multiple identities. He was the emperor's servant, an invincible general, heir to the throne, and a fighting gladiator. But before becoming these characters, he was, and has always been, a husband and father who loved his wife and children! He has been fighting for several years, fighting to death, and finally working hard to go home and reunite with his wife and children. This also explains why this film full of political power struggles and bloody violence has many times interspersed with the gentle scenes of a pair of big hands stroking wheat ears in the evening sunset.
However, I can’t figure out why the black gladiator at the end of the movie, after gaining his freedom, buried the little wooden man, who symbolizes his wife and children, collected by his old friend Maximus in the arena? The last sentence he said with an expression that was difficult to comprehend, "I will see you again, but it's not the time yet", was it a farewell and an agreement with an old friend? Or is it a vow with the still thriving arena? Will he be the next prosimo who is passionate about fighting?
2011.10
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