«The Fall of the Roman Empire»

Alta 2022-07-04 11:24:57

Critics and short reviews included ""The Fall of the Roman Empire" blames an incompetent tyrant for the fall of Rome" and "I'm a gladiator anyway, so I hate this movie" and so on. The first kind of comment is that the commentator only sees the movie clip and makes a big imagination. However, at the 4:16 point of the movie, it says that the reason for the fall of Rome "Had not one cause, but many" "This is not one thing, but a continuation of More than 300 years," the comments from these people are completely untenable and can only show their ignorance. The second kind of comment is completely unnecessary to point out, idealism and metaphysics are the principles that these people adhere to, and there is no shortage of such bipedal barking beasts on the Internet.

In "The Fall of the Roman Empire", Andrewman metaphorically pointed out several reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire, which can be roughly divided into the following: the contradiction between the imperial power and the senate; the choice of foreign national policies and policies to maintain continuous rule; national The propaganda of hatred; the emotional entanglements in the personal lives of rulers;

The first is the contradiction and collusion between the imperial power and the Senate. The most abrupt and confusing part in the film is why the Senate wanted to assassinate the late emperor Marcus Aurelius. The film only says "to obey the will of God, the emperor is going to die anyway." They may be afraid of General Livius becoming the emperor. threaten their vested interests. At this time, the Senate obviously no longer represents "speak for Rome", whether it is the members of the Senate who advocate ethnic hatred, the blind members who poisoned the emperor, or the members who are in trouble with Commodus at the end of the film. In the mid-term, there were still many congressmen who opposed the war and agreed with Marcus Aurelius' policy. Later, Livius was pronounced a "traitor" and a "traitor". The Senate no longer represented the Roman people and spoke for the people. Marcus Aurelius symbolized positive and benevolent democracy. Although he was an emperor, he did not symbolize imperial power. Instead, Commodus represented pure imperial power: violent repression, bloody slaughter of "barbarians". Commodus in "Gladiator" is very clear about the taste of dictatorship. The Senate in "Gladiator" is not as shameful and collective tyranny as in "The Fall of the Roman Empire". In "Gladiator", Commodus intends to execute all members of parliament , Commodus and the Senate in "The Fall of the Roman Empire" used each other.

The second is the choice of foreign national policy and the policy of maintaining rule. Marcus Aurelius advocated that all nations should be treated kindly, and the grand military parade in the scarlet cloak at the beginning is the best proof. He treated the generals of all the subordinate countries kindly and actively coordinated a great and equal Rome. General Livius and Timonides inherited his legacy, advocated national integration in the treatment of the Germans, and granted the Germans Roman citizenship. Commodus, on the other hand, rejected aliens, executed all barbarians, and raised taxes in the Far East, prompting rebellions among eastern subject states. For Commodus, it was clear that crucifixion and burning were the best means of governing aliens and traitors. When Livius sent Greek philosophers to debate with the senators, there were two views of governance: inclusiveness, giving the barbarians Roman citizenship, letting other peoples know the tolerance and greatness of Rome, and making them naturally submit to submission; the other believed that The last policy highlighted Rome's fragility and gave other aliens more confidence to attack Rome, thus waging more wars. The Speakers of the Senate thought that such granting of Roman citizenship made it so cheap that it was not necessary to fight for it. I have to say that there are obvious clan system concepts and class concepts in the Senate. If the congressman who assisted all the five sage emperors in Rome spoke the truth, Rome might have accelerated its decline.

The propaganda of ethnic hatred goes without saying. Hate propaganda has always been a "good way" to provoke war and hatred. The 1964 black movement in the United States was released one after another, and white racism and right-wing forces have also been on the rise for a long time. Look at the hatred of Jews promoted by the Nazis, «Attack on Titan» The Central Malays preach hatred against the Eldians, and hatred has always been used like a poison by rulers to stir up meaningless disputes. "The unjust management of the barbarians is the result of deep-seated hatred, hatred causes war, and war represents taxes and tribute" the Greek philosopher said the truth. The role of Andrewman in the filming process not only symbolizes the inheritance of the will of Marcus Aurelius (Stoic philosopher), making the philosopher represent the philosopher, but also a wake-up call and exposure to the United States at that time.

The ruler's personal emotional entanglements are the most complicated. Marcus Aurelius embodies the emperor's undeserved vulnerability and helplessness. At the dawn before the military parade, he said: "I am always afraid that the night will come and will not end, whether we will live in darkness all our lives, this is a The words "Insignificant fear" and "It is said that many people will die when the darkness turns into day" have strong symbolic meanings, which basically set the tone of the whole film. He was not only worried about the future of Rome, but also sighed that he would not be able to lead Rome to continuous glory. Under the roar of thunder, in the darkness, in the last few moments before death, he could only sigh to himself that his wisdom could not save the future, and finally had a conversation with Charon, the ferryman of the Stygian River, in his head, begging "give me a few more. year". However, the night is coming, and the thunder is roaring, and the death and darkness that Aurelius feared most came under the poisonous apple.

Aurelius loved his son, but knew that his son would lead Rome to the abyss. Commodus asked his father "why do you hate me" at his father's bedside, and he couldn't even get an answer from his father, and he went to the end of his spirit and character. Commodus was proud of being in the blood of Aurelius, but like a rebellious teenager, he wanted to resist the patriarchy, overthrow everything from his father, and establish his own system independently. He is self-willed, narcissistic, narrow-minded, selfish, shameless and tyrannical. He controls a huge empire like an immature teenager. He thinks that he is comparable to a god and then laughs madly, and his love for his father is deformed. He used to have brotherly love for Livius, but jealously angered Livius when he learned that he would succeed him. When Verilus claimed to be Commodus' father, Commodus's concept of blood ties collapsed instantly (in fact, the plot of Verilus's self-proclaimed Commodus's father is also very abrupt and untrue), Commodus did so much just for Aurelius, he lost his power as emperor Self-esteem and belief, make a series of crazy moves.

Lucilla and Livius represent the voices of Aurelius' will in the Commodus period. The feelings of Lucilla, Livius, Commodus, and Aurelius pushed Rome forward and pushed Rome to its end.

In fact, whether or not Livius defeated Commodus in gladiatorial combat, Rome was completely destroyed. Commodus realized the truth before he died: God is laughing. God has been laughing at the insignificance and ignorance and arrogance of the Romans, what if Livius succeeds the emperor? The people and the army are enough to be bought and enslaved by money, and the throne of the emperor can be bought with money! In the sound of gold coins falling to the ground, in the cries of the people shouting long live the emperor, in the flames of the stake and the cries of aliens, in the mad laughter of Commodus, Rome has completely fallen and fallen into the abyss and forever. Endless darkness, subsequent monarchs to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, there are many people like Nero. Andrew Mann satirizes and criticized the money worship and corruption in the United States with artistic exaggeration at the end of the film.

"The Fall of the Roman Empire" is more historical than "Gladiator", but it also has a lot of artistic processing. "Gladiator" emphasizes the role of the Praetorian Guards. Whoever the Praetorian Guards chooses to be the emperor is the emperor, while "The Fall of the Roman Empire" does not emphasize the power of the Praetorian Guards at all. The audience can compare the two Commodities in the two films. Joaquin Phoenix and Christopher Plummer play two completely different Commodities, both of which are very charming.

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Extended Reading

The Fall of the Roman Empire quotes

  • Livius: You were always with me. Everywhere. I took you into battle with me. You were with me in the gold fields. But you know this.

    Lucilla: Only this. I know this. You were with me, too. Always!

  • Lucilla: In these buildings, you store all the writings of the great men of Rome. I am leaving - with my husband - and soon I'll be far from this city. Now I ask that you guard these, the "Meditations" of my father, Marcus Aurelius. Whatever else happens, in the days to come, let not these be destroyed. For this - is Rome.