Gladiator

The realistic opening scene really places the audience in the time period of the movie, 180 AD. From the costuming to the barbaric weapons and battle scenes it gives the viewer a good sense of how basic the amenities were at that time. The Director did a good job of placing the viewer on the enormous battlefield and then later in the gigantic coliseum helping viewers feel as if they are right there in the action. If you get a queasy stomach at the sight of blood, it might not be the movie for you.

The opening battle scene helps us identify with Maximus, the proud warrior whom the army and Caesar respect. Crowe plays the character well and viewers like him because he’s a leader and hero. He proves himself by going into battle at the front of the line showing his soldiers he is not above them and they fully support him because of this. His statement while he is with the king reinforces that he identifies with his troops as he replies to Caesar’s question of how are you doing “I’m sitting in here while all my men are out in the cold and mud.” He supports the Roman Empire and is a true patriot but still, his family comes first, as he indicates when he is faced with the dilemma of leading Rome or going home to be with his wife and son.

You know that he places his family on a pedestal and loves and misses them by the fact that he worships the two little statues, symbols of his wife and son, throughout the whole movie and is happy beyond words when his friend sneaks them to him as he’s being paraded through the streets of Rome as a Gladiator. He’s also a man of faith as proven by the fact that he indicates to the black slave that he will see them in the hereafter and he prays several times during the film.

Caesar’s comment to Commodus when he comes upon the battlefield “now you show up when the fighting is done” reaffirms his view that Commodus can’t be counted on to lead and reinforce that his son is not fit to lead in battle nor defend the Roman Empire and that he can’t be trusted.

Commodus knows he will not succeed his father unless he kills him soon before an announcement is made, especially after being told he will not take his place once he dies. By the look on Commodus’ face when he’s rejected by Maximus afterward, the audience is aware that Maximus will be killed. He overcomes the soldiers carrying out the order because of his desire to be with and protect his family.

Commodus is easy to dislike in this movie, therefore the Director has also accomplished the task of making him the ‘bad guy’ that everyone despises and hates. A sniveling weasel he is. His main objective once he comes back to reality after the king has been killed, his wife and son are killed, and he’s been sold into the slave trade, is to get revenge for all three of them.

I believe the theme of this movie is good vs. evil or right vs. wrong with emphasis on doing what’s right for everyone instead of for personal well-being.

The dishonesty the king talks about within the senate and in Rome reminded me that behaviors such as that are timeless as we have the same corruption and dishonesty in our Congress of today, almost 2000 years later, so we can all relate to the behavior.

I don’t usually find satisfaction when someone is killed in a movie, but I actually have to say I took pleasure in watching Commodus be killed; his behavior truly was disgusting. Phoenix did a good job portraying the character. And to reinforce the feeling, which I’m sure many viewers had at the end, they carry Maximus out as the true statesman while leaving Commodus lay in the dirt of the coliseum. In one last act of respect the black man who befriended Maximus gave the statues of the woman and child a proper burial in the coliseum and confirmed that he would see Maximus again but “not just yet”.

Casablanca

In order to appreciate this movie fully, the viewer needs a good understanding of the history of what was happening in 1942. The movie, in that context, exudes a sense of hope for freedom, the possibilities for love and romance, opportunities for the pursuit of happiness and a better life far away from the ravages and atrocities of war. And this is all encompassed in a little American Café in the city of Casablanca. Let’s face it, the scenes for this movie were all extremely simple, but fully effective in conveying your presence in that place at that time and the dangers associated with being there.

With the knowledge of what the Nazi’s were doing in Europe and the possibility of ending up in a concentration camp or even worse, dead; the movie reinforces the sense of urgency in the scene where Rick and Ilsa were to leave France with the crowds trying to get on the train and also in Casablanca when they were looking for the person with the letters of transit. The carefree scenes in France during the flashback bring you fully into the love story of the movie where you’re drawn into Rick and Ilsa’s little romanticized world, while everyone else is concerned with Germany and the war.

I don’t think the movie would have been quite as successful if not for the characters who were chosen for the parts, debonair Rick: tall, dark and handsome, carefree, seemingly hard-hearted (probably because of having his heart broken), apolitical and smart; he never seems to answer any question with a direct answer and continuously throws out catchy vague comments. And Ilsa: beautiful, seemingly innocent, but with a mysterious side and torn between the two she loves, plays the part very well. Very few could have played the part of the little weasel Ugarte quite as well as Lorre from his demeanor, to his voice, to his looks; he’s a character that you know you wouldn’t trust from the first time you see him. From their first scene together you’re aware that Renault and Rick had an understanding that had been developed through many encounters and that they were on the same page when it came down to despising the Nazis and their control.

The lighting they used in the filming brought out the yearning eyes of Ilsa while they were planning their departure from France and the spark of tears in the Café as she requests the song “As Time Goes By” once she recognizes Sam in the nightclub in Casablanca and then shock as she sees Rick come in. The lighting they used throughout the movie set the tone and mood for scenes from the happy, cheerful, fun in the nightclub to the quiet shut-down town of Casablanca after hours with the rotating beacon giving you a sense of danger if you’re found out after curfew. It made me think of the war camps I’ve seen in other movies or prisons. The soft glow on Ilsa’s face as she’s explaining her situation to Rick in his apartment brings you once again back to the fact that she is torn between the love of her husband and of this man she met in France when she thought her husband had been killed. It pulls at your heartstrings as you also feel the dilemma of her statement “I am so confused, I can’t think, you need to think for all of us.” Should she stay with her husband or should she leave with Rick; the audience is drawn into the movie by trying to answer the question. And of course, he does the right thing, sends the married couple off at his own risk as he knows that that’s what needs to be done; but the audience is kept intrigued wondering what he’ll do.

The background music always makes an impression in any movie. If you listen closely you can determine just what type of scene is about to happen. In this movie, from the tenderhearted strings of a violin in the love scenes, to the upbeat piano music played by Sam at the Cafe indicating it was an oasis in a city of refugees and a symbol of America (probably why everyone retreated to Rick’s place in Casablanca), to the staccato, high-energy music playing when Ugarte tries to run or when Rick pulls the gun on Capt. Renault giving you a sense of urgency and danger; the music plays a major part in the movie. And maybe in some cases not just the music but the actual ‘sounds’ that surround you: sirens, the finality of a gunshot, breaking glass, the sound of running, etc.

In conclusion, the letters of transit everyone is trying to obtain and the city of Casablanca portray symbols of gateways to freedom and escape from war-torn Europe, one step closer to freedom in America far away from the Nazis, the war and the dangers.

First Assignment

I've completed my first assignment. Set up the blog. Yay! Sounds like it's going to be an interesting and fun class!