Gladiator was one of the great commercial successes of the early twenty-first century, a fascinating example of how an old genre can be resuscitated for a new generation. The film's story is not complex yet the ways in which it is told says much about mainstream narrative techniques. And beneath its action-packed scenes and richly detailed sets, Gladiator carries specific values and messages which deserve close scrutiny. In Studying Gladiator, Sandy Irvine considers:

Film language - how Gladiator overcomes incredulity with compelling use of sound, costume and...