He walks to the center of the arena, a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. He stops opposite his opponent and thrusts his sword into the ground. Crouching down, he grabs some dirt, stands up, and rubs it in his hands.
The battle is about to begin, but before there's a clashing of swords, Maximus is distracted by two groups of men pulling up chains buried under the dirt.
Then the battle is on but Maximus falls to the ground. Within seconds he rises and escapes from a tiger coming out of a trap door. The gladiators keep on fencing, the crowd cheering, also, other tigers are released.
At this point, the movie goer is faced with the reality of Man's relationship with the wild cats. That is, you see a tiger trying to get free from the chain tied around its neck-it even goes as far as playing tug of war with the men at the end of its chained leash.*
This scene is one of the most explosive in 'Gladiator' and reveals that the epic story has not died. Ridley Scott took a chance on its making. It was a chance he was willing to take. A chance that would pay off and prove to the world the power of epics. This was evident in its blockbuster nature and mainstream appeal.
'Gladiator' was acclaimed for its great direction and its attention to detail. For example, the reconstruction of the Colosseum in all its glory was a magnificent sight based on computer generation and research; the tigers coming out of trap doors, the human face of war and gladiatorial battles were equally impressive for the costumes, fencing techniques as well as computer generation and research.
Although the actors and the script cannot be dismissed, the former is the crux of the film. Without the talented actors there would be no story. Russell Crowe, gave an Oscar winning performance with his portrayal of Maximus, the general who became a slave and then a gladiator. Mel Gibson may have turned down this role, but Russell Crowe makes the character his own. As the hero, the audience knows from the outset that he would rise above the tyranny of others by merely believing in the ideals of Rome.
The script is another great feature of 'Gladiator.' It begins with the human face of war by showing how much of a toll the legion takes. As the movie progresses the conflict grows as well as that of good versus evil, and the conclusion shows, a new age has been ushered in.
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