Introduction
Historical events and periods require careful study of various details for qualitative display in films, music, and other art. Mistakes and inaccuracies can distort the historical truth and reduce the film’s success and popularity. This research paper will explore the film Gladiator by Ridley Scott (2000). Although the movie Gladiator is an example of a high-end historical film, it has specific inaccuracies and differences with history.
Specific Historical Differences
Gladiator, a sport in ancient Rome involving men trained to fight with their fellow men in a more vicious arena, tends to differ from the movie Gladiator in some aspects. One of the differences is that, since Maximus is supposed to be the rightful successor, Commodus tries to assassinate Maximus to be recognized as a true emperor. There was no formal succession policy in ancient Rome since emperors preferred to name their successors (Spilsbury, 2019).
Considering the historical issues, one should state that Maximus’s personality was not proven. Therefore, this character can be considered fictional. In ancient Rome, various gladiators had different names according to what they kept for fighting. For example, Retarius was a gladiator who had a net and trident.
Lastly, Lucillia is portrayed as a widow in the Gladiator movie, but in ancient Rome, she later remarried Tiberius Claudius of Antioch. In the film, she is described as a character with good motives for the people of Rome as she supports his brother Commodus (Scott, 2000). At the same time, in ancient Rome, she was involved in the assassination of Commodus to uplift his husband to the throne.
The directors and producers took different approaches in the cases of these differences for multiple reasons. One of the reasons is that a character like Lucillia was portrayed differently to add more engrossment to the movie and to make it not too entertaining. Another reason for altering the ancient information without being too noticeable is to conform with modern aspects that were not available in ancient times.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to stress that although the film Gladiator is an example of professional cinematic art, it has particular drawbacks. The research paper examined various historical inconsistencies, such as historical personalities and their behaviors. Nevertheless, it is essential to pay tribute to director Ridley Scott and the entire team who worked on creating a quality historical film that demonstrates both the gladiators and their lives at that time.
References
Scott, R. (2000). Gladiator. DreamWorks Pictures.
Spilsbury, L. (2019). The Romans: Gladiators and blood sports. Cavendish Square Publishing.