Download Sociological Perspective Paper The Gladiator movie was showed on

Sociological Perspective Paper
The Gladiator movie was showed on cinemas last May 5, 2000, that cost $103 million to
produce and grossed $188 million in cinemas (Gladiator, 2010). It was directed by Ridley Scott,
written by David Franzoni, and featured Russell Crowe as the gladiator. In many scenes, it
presented a story that is within another story. There is a major conflict between the optimistic
schemes of the senate and the emperor and the minor role of the gladiator as a device in their
community. Majority of the film presented various topics in sociology and the conflict between
the society and its government is always the major concept in the modern world. Karl Marx was
specifically fond of one’s domination at the price of others and how this domination guides the
redeployment of resources within the community. In addition, the gladiatorial matchups
themselves showed an obvious purpose which is entertainment for the society as well as
concealed purpose which is killing of members of the society that are lowly and deprived
without the need for execution. Sections of this paper will discuss the sociological devices and
functions showed in the movie and discuss those devices within the frame of the conflict
viewpoint and functionalist viewpoint of sociology.
Gladiator: The Film
The film started during the Roman war for Germania and land of Barbarians. The Roman
Emperor Marcus Aurelius witnessed the glory of his General Maximus Decimus Meredias in
defeating the barbarians to take the land for their colonization (Scott, 2000). During the night of
their celebration, the emperor told in private that Maximus would be the next emperor in case
the former died. On the other hand, during the emperor’s sleep his son Marcus Aurelius killed
his own father and succeeded as the new emperor. The new emperor offered the service of
Maximus but he declines causing the new emperor to execute him but Maximus successfully
run away and became a slave as a gladiator after he falls short to save his family from the
Emperor. He fought as an unpopular gladiator and later on named as “The Spaniard”. He was
successful in attaining the privilege of fighting the Emperor himself in the Roman Coliseum.
Subsequently, he was able to kill the emperor but he sustained a fatal injury. After he was
victorious he was named as the new Roman Emperor and declared that the power be brought
back to the senate which is the wish of the late Marcus Aurelius before he died. Maximus died
and then went to see his family in the afterlife. It is a glorious story of virtuous retribution, the
fight between the good and the bad, and the ability of the human soul to hurdle any difficulty.
In the end, the courageous general died but gave the Roman society stability and consistency.
Conflict Perspective
Karl Marx was greatly fascinated in the conflict between the stages of societies and how the
lower members of a society are oppressed for the advantage of the higher class. He described
the lower classes as the proletariat. In its simplicity, the conflict viewpoint of sociology
discusses that, “…social activities is best comprehended in terms of quarrel or disagreement
between groups” (Schaefer, 2006, p. 15). In the course of the film Gladiator there is one query
that infused every scene:”Emperor or Senate?” Rome was established as a republican
government or Senator Gracus would have us think. In the course of the movie, the
government is subjugated by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his son Commidus right after
him. It is obvious that these Roman Leaders are tyrants. They rule the military, the government
institution, and the society simultaneously. On the other hand, before the death of Marcus
Aurelius he grieves this system and explains that he desires the power of the government and
military to revert back into the senate’s hand totally. The concept is that the senate is chosen
by the people, from the people, to converse for the people. In this idea, Marcus Aurelius was
suggesting that the working group should govern themselves through the means of a chosen,
representative government aside from an unelected Emperor that is through power of heritage.
In the Emperor’s view this would lighten the gap between the ruling group and the working
group and therefore, would provide equality to the Roman Empire.
Functionalist Perspective
The Gladiator, as an instrument of society is best described by the slave owner Promixo:
Eventually, we’re already dead…plunge this into another man’s flesh, and they will cheer and
admire you for that. You may even start to admire them” (Scott, 2000). As Proximo view it, the
obvious goal of the gladiator was a recurring relationship of entertainment between the Roman
Society and the gladiator themselves. The gladiator would fight and kill each other for the
satisfaction of the public and the public would cheer and love the gladiators that survived. On a
different stage though, the concealed purpose of the gladiatorial matchups was to avoid the
Roman culture of the lowest members of the community. The prisoners, homeless, and the
slaves were utilized first in the gladiatorial matchups. In this view, the gladiatorial matchups
were used as an innovative device that brings the feeble and ill members of the society to their
deaths while at the same time giving worship and glory to those that could survive the game.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it would appear that the conflict viewpoint and functionalistic viewpoint of
sociology find to clarify two sides of the same coin. On the other side, the conflict of class
stages exemplified in the Emperor or senate query defines the large-scale events of the Roman
Empire, while the purpose of the gladiator within that society struggle as a microcosm. The
concealed purpose of the gladiator aside from the obvious purpose of the gladiator intrinsically
is under the lowest stages of society to the service of the ruling group. It’s obvious that the
suggested solution to this group inequality is to provide the power of government to the senate
which is chosen by the working group.
References
Gladiator. (2010). The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 9, 2010, from IMDB Web
site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/
Scott, R. (2000). Gladiator [Motion Picture]. United States: Universal Pictures.
Schaefer, R. T. (2006). Sociology: A brief introduction (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.