Week 1: Genre Research Post

MY COMMENTS ON THE

GLADIATOR II OPENING

In the opening of Gladiator II, the director Ridley Scott uses sophisticated camera work, sharp and quick editing cuts, sound design, and very detailed misce-en-scene to start a conflict right out of the gate.

The film starts with an aerial shot over a body of water, most likely the Mediterranean sea, slowly descending to reveal the Roman navy approaching the shores of the African country. The high angle shot emphasizes the size of the navy compared to the small sized city they are attacking. As the scene moves on, close-up's of the General are used to capture his demanding, powerful position. The use of handheld camera shots during battle fights add a sense of chaos and defeat towards the small African city. The camera focuses and tracks some of the Roman weapons such as the canon to show the evolved Roman army fighting a small city. 

Rapid cross-cutting between the Romans and the African fighters adds tension and makes their clashes more intense. This engages the viewer right away. The editing accelerates as the fight heightens, capturing the desperate African defenders who are slowly losing. 

The sound design plays a crucial role in the opening. When the movie begins, we hear ambient wave and seagull sounds that convey a calm mood. As the Romans approach the shore, the wave sounds get louder and more intense to foreshadow something bad. The clash of swords, the destroying sounds of the wooden ships, and the screams of the dying soldiers are very clear and highlighted, immersing the viewer and giving them a sense of what old war was like.

The misce-en-scene is made to set the historical time period. The high class Roman armor show the powerfulness that Rome has over the defending city. The African city have limited armor with no shiny colors. The city is shown as a coastal village built on the edge of the water. The houses are small with roofs made of straw while the city of Rome is depicted as gigantic and glorious. The battleships are new, and built very strong.

Gladiator II was produced by Paramount Pictures along with director Ridley Scott's production company. The film had a budget of about $200 million and grossed $461 million around the world. John Mathieson, the cinematographer, also filmed the previous gladiator with Ridley Scott.

The opening credits show an ancient roman depicted font to highlight the time frame and immediately take the viewer back in time right from the beginning. 

The movie received 2 Golden Globe nominations such as Best Supporting Actor for Denzel Washington and best Costume Design. 

I chose this film as I really enjoyed the emotional effect it conveyed in the first film. The new filming aspect that is used in new movies made me very interested in seeing how movies have changed within the past 20 years.