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Ridley Scott’s GLADIATOR (2000) is both a very incisive look at the corruption and capriciousness of Ancient Rome and it is also a very moving portrayal of one man’s struggle to attain justice and freedom for himself, his family and his country. Through this central theme, there are three key scenes which help depict the ideals Ridley Scott exposes throughout the movie. The first scene that seemed to follow this central them was after the first battle of the movie against the barbarians of Germania, when Maximus and Commodus have their discussions with Marcus Aurelius, the Caesar of Rome. Here we really begin to see the evil arise in young Commodus as he talks to his father, the Caesar. The lighting in this scene is very dark and low, which give Commodus a very malevolent look. The low lighting also helps portray how old and fragile Marcus Aurelius really is. A great lighting shot is that of the statue, where it covers one eye and one eye only, symbolizing that someone is always watching. When Marcus Aurelius informs Commodus that he will not be next to rule, we can capture his anxiety through his facial expressions and sound. Every sob he makes, every jerk of emotion; is felt/heard quite readily; the quality of his