Controversy
While it can be argued that emotional elements are drowned out by the intense action scenes, that case hold no merit. There are only seven fighting episodes spanning the entire film and the rest is focused on the emotional effects of events. Even more strikingly, the biggest battle of the entire movie contains intentional close-ups that expose the emotions of the 'action' hero. Therefore, emotional elements are key to the very use of action in the film and are not an insignificant aspect.
conclusions
Gladiator is a groundbreaking action film that focuses on emotional connections. Emotion is the center of the film as is connect the viewer to the characters. Close-ups provide a unique exposure of character emotion and are a powerful tool for ensuring the audiences' understanding of the characters. If emotional exposure isn't evidence enough, the costumes succeed in presenting connections between emotionally involved characters. They also provide explicit symbolism that resonates emotionally with viewers. Confirming the focus on emotion, plot changes throw out history in order to include emotionally riveting events. Gladiator is collectively an emotional film that shadows over any before it in its success with emotionally connecting to the audience.