Gladiator Historical Accuracy

Film Analysis For the film analysis assignment I chose to watch the movie “Gladiator.” With any modern day movie one runs the risk of finding flaws in the historical accuracy. Most modern historical films have been adjusted to fit Hollywood standards thus compromising the historical accuracy. Gladiator is no different; this movie is a mixture of historical facts and Hollywood’s version of what really happened. The film attempts to depict the life and journeys of a Roman gladiator. We know the Gladiators for their brutality in the process of displaying their strength against an opponent. The movie definitely does not lack in the area of violence. It seems like the movie depicts the spilling of another man’s blood was a valiant act of strength and courage. The Roman crowd cheers on the hero Maximus as he completely slaughters a man. As viewers of the film we too, begin to begin to cheer on Maximus as he destroys dozens of men to win glory
Aurelius was actually a philosopher and “as a man of peace and he did spend most of his life fighting Germans in one way or another” (Ward, 347). While the way he is depicted is true the way his children are shown is false. Aurelius, in the Gladiator, is shown as having two children. In actuality the way history tells it, Aurelius had 14 children not just two. “Out of those 14 only one male and five female children survived into adulthood” (Ward, 347 & 348). Aurelius came from a line of senators so one senator adopted the position and passed on the position of emperor. Aurelius however did not choose to carry on this tradition of the succession. Instead, when it came to succession instead of picking a senator to replace him “he picked his son Commodus” (Ward, 351). The movie, however, shows that Aurelius wanted to pass down his position to Maximus. Maximus is another historical error made on the part of the movie writers. Maximus was someone who never actually existed in