The Book of Revelation pictures a life and death struggle between Christ and the anti-Christ for the hearts of men. The movie Gladiator depicts the same story, with Maximus being the Christ and Commodus, the anti-christ. In the title scene, the word Gladiator appears in black and white lettering. This sets the theme for the entire movie. The movie begins in a wheat field.
Wheat is a universal symbol of fertility and harvest.
Because wheat is sown, grown, and harvested, it also signifies the cycle of birth, life, and death as well as rebirth. In Christianity it symbolizes the Resurrection of Christ. This film, therefore, begins with eternal life. Germania Note the color shift as the film moves to Germania. The words that appear are central to the movie theme.