3.4 Task 2 : Gladiator

When creating any film, whether it’s a horror, a romance or a tragedy – the director will always use a specific technique in order to successfully portray his intentions to the audience. Though we as the viewer may not be able to identify all of these techniques, if used correctly they are able to manipulate how we interpret the story as well as the characters. From carefully chosen camera angles to the use of non-diegetic sounds directors are able to make their audience feel specific emotions. Directors want their audience to feel a release of emotions whilst they are viewing their piece.
A renowned director, Ridley Scott who has directed films such as Alien, Blade Runner, The Martian and the main focal point of this essay; Gladiator. By using many traditional conventions of tragedy and dramas, he is able to create such a compelling cinema-graphic experience and whilst doing so the directors main intention is to give the audience a cathartic experience. The manipulation of camera angles and precise use of non-diegetic sounds assist in exposing the protagonist, who in this case is Maximus and how he successfully engages the conventions of a Tragic Hero.

The first scene that i will be analysing is the opening scene, This makes use of many film techniques. The scene establishes Maximus as the main character of the story as well as giving us an insight into what he has experienced throughout his life. This plays a major roll in later scenes as the audience are able to form some sort of backstory to the protagonist and how this has assisted in developing him into the tragic hero he portrays throughout the rest of the film.
The use of camera angles also gives the audience an insight into where Maximus comes from as well as the constant change in settings as the film progresses.
Soon after the exposition, the audience is presented with two different camera shots, the first of which is a close-up shot of a males hand brushing through wheat. This camera shot is used effectively as it forces the audience to focus on one specific thing and that is the ring on what we can assume is the protagonist’s hand. Though as the audience we have not yet been introduced to the protagonist this shot allows us to perceive said character in a specific way. The audience will most likely make the judgement through symbolism that Maximus is trustworthy and loyal due to the fact that a wedding ring will identify that the protagonist is committed and to many, they may already assume that Maximus is a ‘good’ character.
By manipulating simple yet traditional film conventions of character within a tragic setting the director is successfully able to make the audience perceive the Tragic Hero as a ‘good’ character/person which successfully embodies what a tragic hero is most typically perceived as. This is further explored within the following scene, during the next scene is the audiences first glance of a man that they will soon learn to be Maximus, the tragic hero of the film. This close up shot of the characters face plays a vital part in what judgement the audience makes of the protagonist. During this scene, Maximus has a look of concentration, this indicates to the audience that he is deep in thought rather than in the present moment. However, his facial expression isn’t the only thing that is highlighted within this shot, Maximus’s costume plays a major roll in assisting the audiences insight into his life as well as manipulating their opinion of him at this stage in the film.
It is evident that Maximus’s costume is far more prestigious than the other characters present in this shot; His armour is made of well-crafted armour with the addition of warm wolf fur, whilst the other characters are wearing relatively standard/identical plate armour. This helps the audience identify that Maximus is of higher power/authority which will later insinuate is Hubris. Maximus’s hubris is evident to the audience through his excessive pride, which is presented to the audience when he talks as if he is of a higher status/ value whilst interacting with the other comrades. The tradition between these two scenes is very dramatic, going from a sunny bright scene; immediately to a dull and dark scene. This assists in portraying not only what the character is feeling but also manipulates the audience’s emotions as well.
Additionally, non-diegetic sounds are used within these scenes to manipulate the conventions that are traditionally used within tragedies. Returning to the previous scenes used, when the audience is presented with the shot of Maximus running his hand through the wheat field, the camera shot is accompanied with music that is very eerie and mysterious; therefore adding to the enigma and gives the audience a sense of mystery as to what this camera shot may be foreshadowing and/or implying. In the second half of this scene when the audience is presented with the close up of Maximus’s face, it is pair with music that gradually intensifies with the scene. The seemingly orchestral music builds and speeds up. This is a technique used in many Roman Tragedies when the director uses non-diegetic sound/ music as a convention to build the story up whilst in the midst of the action. As the scene continues, Maximus enters a crusade against barbarians. By introducing the tragic hero at such an intense moment it allows the audience to learn a lot about the tragic hero in a very short time-frame.
Through Maximus’s actions, expressions and dialogue the audience can make judgements on what sort of character he might be, the addition of music and non-diegetic elevates these conventions successfully and gives the director some form of control over the opinions of the audience. By altering the audience’s perception of Maximus, it will somewhat ensure and result in a cathartic experience towards the end of the film.

A convention that is used in all tragedies and is a key element in exploring the Tragic Hero is Peripeteia. it is when a character, most commonly if not always the tragic hero experiences a sudden reversal of fortune. Maximus’s Peripeteia is presented to the audience through a chilling scene of Maximus returning home to find that his family had been slaughtered due to commands made by Commodus. The well thought out close up camera shot successfully portrays to the audience the devastation and agony that the protagonist is feeling. From the beginning of the film, it had been evident to the audience how important family was to Maximus which results in this scene of suffering being such a vital and heartbreaking moment. Naturally human as well as many other animals, rely on body language and facial expression to identify how someone is feeling. With the precise use of camera angles and non-diegetic sounds within this scene as well as both facial experience and body language, the audience is able to determine just how distraught Maximus is, incredibly this is all displayed within a few seconds.
In the build-up to this heartbreaking moment, the non-diegetic sound is used to manipulate the audience’s feelings. The use of fast-paced orchestral music and crashing symbols presented during Maximus’s race against time to get back to his family, the audience becomes hopeful for his situation. Somewhat alluded to believe that Maximus will successfully rescue his family but as he gets closer to his farmhouse the music takes a sudden turn and becomes uncomfortably eerie and quiet. With all sounds fading out as Maximus sees what has happened to his family. Silence. When soft euphonic voices being to build in the background the audience is suddenly left with the feeling of sympathy and emptiness. These precise techniques and conventions used are what help reinforce and exploit the audiences cathartic experience. By first establishing their connection and empathy to the protagonist it is almost guaranteed that they will feel a strong surge of emotions when the scene of suffering occurs. With the visual element of Maximus’s face and the addition of non-diegetic sounds, the cathartic experience is enhanced greatly.

Tragedy is a drama where the focal point of the plot is centred around human suffering in the hopes that it will evoke the feeling of empathy, pity and fear within the audience; otherwise known as catharsis. It is believed that people enjoy the tragic genre due to the intense release of emotions during them. Humans like to be able to relate themselves to another character and it is only a natural response to feel empathy for a protagonist going through times of suffering. Within the few scenes I have mentioned and analysed the audience is presented with close up shots of the protagonist. Both scenes causing the audience to feel two very different emotions.
To elaborate further, within the first scene; the audience is shown the face of a very strong and bold man who is of a higher status and in charge of a large and seemingly powerful army. By exposing this side of Maximus it causes the scene where he returns home to his murdered family to be so much more heart wrenching, as the audience finds it difficult to see someone whom they believed was so powerful and strong suddenly change to become so helpless and vulnerable. Using such contrasting emotions assists to manipulate the audience into recognising the significance of Maximus’s downfall and reversal of fortune. By implementing non-diegetic sound with such precision in further supports the development and execution of a tragic hero as well as help the audience to have a better understanding of the journey that Maximus has been through.

Ridley’s combination of these techniques all tie together beautifully and successfully encapsulate the conventions of a tragedy. Gladiator precisely uses not only visual features but also perfectly executes audible features to engage the conventions of a tragedy. After analysing two fundamental scenes: the opening scene and the family death scene, it is apparent that Maximus possesses the tragic hero traits which are revealed through camera shots; more specifically in this care, close up ones and well as the meticulously placed non-diegetic sounds/music. These techniques together assist the audience into understanding how and when Maximus experiences both Hamartia and Peripeteia which is essential when exploring a tragic hero. Though many of the minute details may go unnoticed by the audience they have all been carefully chosen to enhance the audience’s awareness of the character in the hopes that it will all result in Catharsis. It is astonishing how much effort directors and filmmakers go through in order to create a cinematic experience that evokes the emotions of the audience. During the creation of Gladiator, Ridley Scott’s main intention was to ensure that the audience’s emotions were purged. A humans natural reaction is to feel empathy for other human beings. By having a character encapsulate all the traditional conventions of a tragic hero, it is almost guaranteed that if the correct film techniques are used, the audience will have a cathartic experience.