The scene above shows Commodus confronting Maximus before the final combat scene. The scene seems to embody the continuous theme of "squaring off" as it undoubtedly resembles scene from movies as far back as Ben-Hur (1925) where Messala and Ben-Hur puff chests at each other before the race. However, Gladiator is true to its claim of being visually different in that for one of the first times the evil villain is clad completely in white, contrasting later with Maximus' characteristic black armor. In the specific scene above, Maximus is intended to resemble Jesus. His arms are spread in the pose of crucifixion and his garment is simple light colored cloth. Thus, his death makes him a martyr of the cause of the Roman Republic rather than Christianity. Additionally, the use of lighting in this scene creates a stronger contrast between the enemies. The light hits Maximus in streaks over his face, illuminating him, while Commodus is left in the dark to mirror his character. Hopefully the filmmakers hoped by slightly blurring the background that nobody would notice Maximus not securely chained. In fact it looks like he is holding himself there.
It is interesting how Maximus is higher than Commodus, usually the one with the most power is above, looking down at the other. However Commodus is below, looking up to Maximus. This help sets the next scene when they fight, showing the Maximus is still the one with power, even though the odds favor Commodus.
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