Ridley Scotts Use of Mise-en-Scene to Convey Atmosphere...

â€Å"There was a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish, it was so fragile.† The film ‘Gladiator’ was released in 2000. A thrilling action film, it was a huge success, scooping five Oscars and earning over $427 million dollars. Sir Ridley Scott- who directed the film-already had many great films to his name, such as ‘Alien’, ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘American Gangster’, so it was no surprise when this film became one of the highest earners of the year 2000. The mise-en-scene used throughout was, perhaps, behind the genius that made this film as much of a success today as it was nine years ago. An example of this in the opening sequence is the music. Beginning calm and gently, the†¦show more content†¦There is a close up of his face, which allows the viewer to see every emotion, which adds an essence of vulnerability to a character that is more often than not, perceived as the complete opposite. It is also used to emphasise the fact that Maximus is the character the film will be based around. Following the close up, there is a shot of a robin sitting on the branch of a tree, after a short while it flies away, perhaps sensing danger. The shot is then back to Maximus, who is smiling sadly, possibly at the thought of the robin being able to fly away from it all, when he can’t. The way that mise-en-scene has been used to depict a slight fear in the character of Maximus, adds contrast to his personality, which in turn adds depth, leaving the audience feeling able to connect to him. The music in this scene makes it almost haunting as it creates a calm yet unea sy atmosphere. Maximus is wearing gold in this which, not only continues the theme of gold, but also represents his authority. The combination of this strong, powerful figure being slightly fearful at what lies ahead, adds to the uneasy atmosphere. The lighting in the sequence is also a lot darker than the previous which adds to the implication that the atmosphere is about to change, this along with the non-diegetic sounds like the wind blowing and the distant sound of birds, help create a really dramatic, prominent sequence which leads on

The Mexican Revolution - 1259 Words

The Mexican Revolution began November 20th, 1910. It is disputable that it extended up to two decades and seized more than 900,000 lives. This revolution, however, also ended dictatorship in Mexico and restored the rights of farm workers, or peons, and its citizens. Revolutions are often started because a large group of individuals want to see a change. These beings decided to be the change that they wanted to see and risked many things, including their lives. Francisco â€Å"Pancho† Villa and Emiliano Zapata are the main revolutionaries remembered. These figures of the revolution took on the responsibility that came with the title. Their main goal was to regain the rights the people deserved. The peons believed that they deserved the land that†¦show more content†¦Dà ­az, afraid of losing his presidency, rigged the election and had Madero arrested. After his release, he fled to the United States and planned a revolt for November 20th, 1910. While this revolt did fai l, it inspired many people who were tired of being dictated to join in a revolution. Banding Together Soon after this failed revolt, groups began to form in hopes to successfully remove Diaz. In Northern Mexico, Francisco Villa returned and gathered an army of Mexican cowboys. Another army was led by a peasant unsatisfied with the government with the name of Pascual Orozco. One of the bigger groups consisted of Emiliano Zapata and they were called the Zapatistas. This force grew to include over 5,000 men. In 1911 these groups worked together to overrun Dà ­az. Zapata seized the town of Cuautla, and afterwards cut off the town from Mexico City. Dà ­az started to realize what was happening and fled to Europe. This victory would start of a new conflict beginning. The New Conflict Soon after the victory Francisco Madero was declared as the new president. Madero tried to please everybody which led to nothing being done. Nobody liked the lack of progress and people once again started forming revolutionary groups. Victoriano Huerta, the leader of the conservative federal army, and a faction of people led by Dà ­az’s nephew Felix Dà ­az fought for ten days in Mexico City. This battle is known as La Decena Tragica. On the ninth day of the battle, Felix Dà ­azShow MoreRelatedThe Mexican Revolution1019 Words   |  5 PagesMexico’s Revolution Ariel Elias HIST 112 Proffesor Cummings 17 February 2013 Ariel Elias Professor Cummings Hist 112 17 February 2013 Mexico’s Revolution Many nations across time and the world have experienced a revolution. From the American revolution to the French revolution, history has proven conflict can engage a nation at any moment. Tanter explains that two possible scenarios, changesRead MoreMexican Revolution1018 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment 1: Major Causes of the revolution in Mexico. Based on John Tutino, From Insurrection to Revolution in Mexico The Mexican Revolution (1910-1917) was caused by a variety of factors. It is impossible to place the blame on one single event or person because of the complexity of the Mexican people. One thing is for sure, if people are deprived of food and water, they will find a way to obtain enough to survive. History proves that in desperate times people will take matters into theirRead MoreMexican Women in Mexican Revolution736 Words   |  3 Pagesartists, he has an understanding of what it takes to collaborate and implement programs successfully. For which he profoundly displayed in this production. He and the actresses do an impeccable acuratcy in dipicting diversity during the Mexican Revolution. The acting was like a welcoming zepher of wind during any season. Powerful, yet comforting. Humiliating, yet humbling. I felt as though I were reliving the engagments in each act, and as if I were apart of the political front line, yet,Read MoreThe Mexican Revolution2053 Words   |  9 Pagesfrom what they call the â€Å"rich people.† That’s how the Mexican revolution began. Before he was known as â€Å"Francisco Villa†, he was Jose Doroteo Arango Arambula, born June 5, 1878 in San Juan Del Rio, Durango, Chihuahua, Mexico.​ He changed his name because in his town he had killed a man who almost raped his younger sister. He had no choice but to escape. Later in his life he was recruited as commander in chief who led 28 men to the revolution. From then on he was a military leader who had gainedRead MoreThe Mexican Revolution Essay2080 Words   |  9 Pages Scott Van Winkle (MLA Format) My Thesis is, the Mexican Revolution was important because the people were getting fed up and something needed to be done about the corruption and the possibility of a free-market. 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Madero’sRead MoreThe Mexican Revolution Of 1910 Essay1747 Words   |  7 Pagesattributed to the Mexican Revolution of 1910, that may or may not deem it a legitimate revolution, we must first establish and define that which is allocated by the term, revolution. Merriam Webster defines a revolution as, a complete overthrow of an established government or political system. The Oxford Dictionary defines a revolution as, â€Å"an overthrow of old government by force and replacing it by a new one. Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Desk Dictionary establishes that a revolution is, a great upheaval:Read MoreThe Mexican Revolution Of 19101619 Words   |  7 PagesThe Mexican Revolution of 1910 set many influences in motion shaping the course of Mexican history between 1920 up into the 2000s. There are several patterns that take its cue from the Revolution include the creation and long standing existence of a one political party rule. The Mexican Revolution is an extremely lo ng and complicated subject to perceive without much background information, but in summation the Revolution was an attempt to end a dictatorship of Porfirio Dà ­az and to establish a constitutionalRead MoreThe Mexican Revolution Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution was the culmination of a mass of political, economic, and social tension that accompanied the regime of the dictator Porfirio Diaz. The Revolution began with the aims to overthrow Diaz, but the Revolution had a pronounced effect on the organization of Mexicos government, economy, and society. Porfirio Diaz was the president of Mexico when the Revolution broke out. He was elected in 1877, and although he swore to step down in 1880, he continuedRead MoreA Reflection Of The Mexican Revolution1713 Words   |  7 PagesA Reflection of the Mexican Revolution â€Å"’I love the revolution like a volcano in eruption; I love the volcano because it’s a volcano; the revolution because it’s the revolution!’† cries a revolutionary soldier in Azuela’s The Underdogs (159). The Mexican Revolution of 1910 was aimed to overthrow the dictatorship of the Mexican government, which was in constant turmoil as presidents were constantly toppled from power. Porfirio Diaz, the president at the time the uprising began, was removed from

Five Ways to Kill a Man Free Essays

In this very blunt poem, Edwin Brock describes five distinct eras in which death had taken place. It is also hinted how man has evolved in their methods to kill themselves. Each stanza represents a different time and place. We will write a custom essay sample on Five Ways to Kill a Man or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is ranged from the biblical era to the mid-twentieth century. Different phrases within the stanzas give away which era Brock is referring to. All of which have different meanings and a very unemotional tone to them. â€Å"And one man to hammer the nails home. † The first stanza features the phrase above. It refers to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, when nailing a person to wood using nails to hold the victim was capital punishment. The people are assumed to be Roman, since this form of capital punishment was only practiced by this group in ancient times. The line in which â€Å"a crowd of people wearing sandals† reinforces the idea of the people being Roman. Brock suggests that in order to do something as gruesome as killing a person, all one would need was a person, some wood, as well as nails. Things become more a tad more complicated in the â€Å"war or the roses†, or the European Middle Ages when weapons come into play. â€Å"A length of steel, shaped and chased in a traditional way† applies to swords or really any type of weapon that could be used â€Å"†¦to pierce the metal cage he wears†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or armor. Brock illustrates how wars were fought for honor. â€Å"At least two flags†, is referring to two different armies, or royalties that fight against each other so that one can gain glory and celebrate their victory by having a banquet. Gas warfare in the First World War is described in the third stanza. In this time, men would blow mustard-gas, or chlorine gas, at their enemy when the wind would be blowing in the right direction. In this time, â€Å"mud ditches† were also introduced, allowing for soldiers to hide from their enemies as well as attack without being in full view. â€Å"Round hats made of steel† describes the helmets that soldiers would wear for protection. In the forth stanza, the â€Å"age of aeroplanes† describes being to dispose of the enemy by only â€Å"pressing one small switch†. This means killing by bombing, as what was done in world war two. Since bombing was practiced by he Germans, the Japanese, as well as the Americans, no one can be too sure which nation Brock is referring to, if any specifically. However, since the line â€Å"an ocean to separate you, two systems of government, a nation’s scientists, several factories† it is implied that it is referring to the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. This is be cause both nations used every scientist possible as well as every factory in order to find new ways to destroy one another. â€Å"A psychopath†, is mentioned in regards to Hitler. The last stanza is even broader than the last. Purposely making it to where the reader’s own opinions can take form and assume their own reasonable explanations. â€Å"Simpler, direct, and much more neat is to se he is living somewhere in the middle of the twentieth century, and leave him there. † In my own interpretation of this line, I think Brock was trying to say to us that it’s so much easier to kill a man in this day and age than it was in biblical times or the Middle Ages. Man has evolved so much in their attempt to perfect their way of killing, that all one would have to do is leave a man in this day and age and death would be able to find him. How to cite Five Ways to Kill a Man, Papers