GLADIATOR

 

THREE STARS - Challenging

 

 

       Our interest in being entertained by violence has plagued human beings for centuries.  Though many point to the violence portrayed in television and film as a new development, the Colosseum of Rome made the violent deaths of persons popular entertainment 2000 years earlier.

       Although the Caesars of Rome claimed to bring civilization to the world by conquering the “barbaric hordes,”  they only moved the killing from the battlefields to an arena where delighted fans could enjoy the slaughter of innocent persons as an afternoon’s fun.

       What this enjoyment says about who we are as human beings is the central message explored in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator.”

       Like all such films, the very violence it abhors is the central theme of the film.  As in Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven,” which in displaying the deformity of a gunslinger’s soul nevertheless shows the violence in graphic detail, the same is true of “Gladiator.”  The majority of the film focuses on the violence of war and the gladiator “sports.”

       Though fictional in many aspects, the general historic setting is the second century after Christ, in the years 180 A.D. at the change of Caesars from Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) to his nefarious son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).  The real Marcus Aurelius is written in historical accounts to be the seventh Caesar who sought to bring peace to the empire.  Conversely, the real Commodus is considered to be one of the most despicable characters of his time, bringing great dishonor to Rome and setting the stage for its downfall.

       Rejected by his father as the successor to the throne, Commodus realizes that his father has chosen the general of his army, Maximus (Russell Crowe) to be the “Protector of Rome,” asking him to give the power of the government back to the people through the senate.  It is this choice that causes Commodus to murder his ailing father before he can announce his decision.

       This is the first message within the film.  Violence comes with a full range of options.  Although Aurelius and Maximus are conquerors and warriors for the “Glory of Rome,” Commodus is a murderer in his own home.  Though varied in context, all live by the sword and eventually die by it.

       Since Maximus will not pledge his allegiance to Commodus, Commodus has him arrested and taken to a desolate spot to be murdered.  But Maximus escapes.

       In cruel reprisal, Commodus sends his soldiers to murder Maximus’ beloved wife and son and destroy his home.  This sets the stage for a deep-seated vengeance both within Maximus and within all of us as viewers of the film.

       Though many argue that violence on film does not beget real-life violence, the evidence points to the contrary.  In two studies reported in the 1999 Journal of Applied Social Psychology conducted by the University of Alabama and Virginia Tech, it was found that “prolonged exposure to gratuitously violent films is capable of escalating hostile behavior in both men and women.”

       This dangerous encouragement of violent reactions to the disappointments and injustices of life is a real concern for those viewing this film.  The gladiator sports of ancient Rome certainly “brutalized” the Roman culture.  One might certainly ask today if the popularity of the World Wrestling Federation or TV gladiator sports aren’t doing the same to our culture. 

       What happens to a society when a modern day gladiator such as Jesse Ventura is popularly considered as a candidate for the Presidency of the United States?

       Though we won’t reveal the intrigue and final outcome of the struggle between Maximus and Commodus, history does reveal that Commodus thought himself to be a great gladiator and participated in the actual death sport.  In the end,  this film doesn’t give the viewer any real sense of justice or hope.  Unlike “Ben Hur” or “Sparticus,” it is simply a slice of the dark shadows of the descent and fall of Rome.

        There is one glaring historical and spiritual omission within the film:  there are no Christians.  Writing a history of this period and omitting the holocaust of Christians who died horrific deaths at the hands of Marcus Aurelius, is like writing a history of Adolf Hitler and never mentioning his treatment of the Jews.

       The only spiritual reflection presented in “Gladiator” is that of a modified pagan worship in which Maximus prays to his ancestors and believes in an afterlife that has no requirements to live a holy or pure life in this present one.

      

(words:  739)

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