From Ray

Hi all


Thank you for the blog notes. 

This is a general comment for you all. 

You all seem to like these scenes for more or less the same reason? No one disagrees? No one is really critical of this film? I don't think you are looking at the film with critical eyes. I have four questions for you to answer. You will need to do a bit of research to answer these. Do not copy your answers from the web. Write them from your own ideas. 

1. Is the story a hero's journey? Try to describe it as a hero's journey and see if it fits the template.

2. What did you learn about Rome from this movie? Do some research on the characters. Are they real people from history? Is the film accurate in historical detail? And architectural detail (for example, the Colosseum/ Flavian Ampitheatre)? 

3. What was happening to the Roman empire during the period of Commodus' rule? And what eventually caused the decline and downfall of the Roman Empire?

4. Is this film propaganda for a certain set of ideas or a way of life? Did the writer, director and actors intend for you to have the reactions that you have expressed here? Aren't you just a bit suspicious and critical of the film and the black and white division between Commodus and Maximus? Such a bad and nasty Emperor and such a loyal gladiator! One is a 'good Roman' and the other is just out for himself? Doesn't it all seem a little too simple? So, again, is this film propaganda for an idea of loyalty? To answer this, look at which country produced it and when it was produced. How is the film 'constructed' to provide a lesson to the audiences of that country of its origin? Is it really about Rome, or about the country it came from? What was happening in that country in the years just before it was created?

We will discuss these issues in class next week. Answer them on your blogs before then and be ready with your answers next week. 

Thank you. 

Ray
________________
Ray Langenbach 
Mobile Malaysia: (+6) 012-391-6909
rabbitiasis@me.com