This review contains spoilers... it is a close analysis of the opening sequence of the first scene.

Rating: 8/10 (14 May 2006)

The general who became a slave; the slave who became a gladiator; the gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story! "But now, the people want to know how the story ends. Only a famous death will do. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the emperor himself in the great arena?" When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge. Director Ridley Scott uses the contrast of light and dark; peace and war; good and evil to make a unique opening such as the one in Gladiator.
Unusual, dramatic, historic. How many films open with historical facts? Not everyone was happy; not everyone likes politics; not everyone is in favour of the Caesars. Gladiator opens dramatically with the appearance of four small paragraphs written in Roman Calligrapher of gold indicating that "over one quarter of the world's population lived and died under the rule of the Caesars." It gives the audience an idea of the past; what it was like to live under the reign of the Caesars! According to the word 'died', it was very unpleasant. This is definitely not a fairy tale story. Set "in the winter of 180 A.D.," one obstacle "stands in the way" of Emperor Marcus, who wants nothing but "victory and the promise of peace through the Empire" fulfilled.
The use of close-up of the hand hides the identity to which the hand belongs to. Touching the wheat of the harvest, a part of the body is feeling the pride of an unknown person, satisfied with its field. The sunlight in the background suggest the time of the year: spring or summer. Light is associated with good and the golden tinge makes it seem like a memory or something heavenly, making the surroundings look golden. Or perhaps, the gold was shone because of the fully grown wheat which symbolises there's hope for the world and the young generations. The growth could suggest life and fertility. A wrinkle hand touches the life of the wheat; the wrinkle itself could suggest the age of the unknown identity and by touching the soft wheat, he establishes a memory. The ring on the finger of the wrinkle hand signifies the marriage or engagement of the unknown identity, and the silver suggests his wealth and status in the society of the Roman Empire. It is a sentimental value. Lastly, the black of the sleeves is very symbolic as people believe it relates to death and when there's death, there's a funeral. This person may have returned from a funeral or perhaps it his favourite colour.