Gladiator

How this film uses it

John Mathieson's cinematography gives the whole film a warm amber tint. It is strongest in the Spanish farm scenes, which stand for the paradise Maximus has lost. The color wraps Rome's brutality in a nostalgic glow, so the empire feels beautiful and dangerous at the same time.

Where to see it

The wheat field vision sequences. The warm amber light makes the afterlife look like a memory.

How this film uses it

Scott and Mathieson shot the Colosseum fights with handheld cameras and fast, aggressive cutting. The arena battles feel chaotic and dangerous, and nothing looks rehearsed. The camera gets knocked around by the action and never settles into a neat, composed shot.

Where to see it

Maximus's first Colosseum fight. The camera swings through sand and weapons.

How this film uses it

Throughout the film, Maximus has visions of walking through a wheat field toward his family. They are shot in warm, overly bright light and slow motion. The repeated image tells you that death, for him, means going home. That is, when the ending delivers what the vision promised, it feels peaceful and earned.

Where to see it

The final wheat field walk. As Maximus dies, the vision becomes real.

How this film uses it

Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard's score mixes a big, sweeping orchestra with Gerrard's wordless singing. She sings in an invented language, so you feel the emotion without understanding a single word. Together, they give a huge film a human voice and keep it away from the usual sentimental music.

Where to see it

'Now We Are Free' over the closing credits. Gerrard's voice is the sound of Maximus being set free.