Gladiator Final Scene Analysis

Source: http://3rdreel.blogspot.com/2010/04/gladiator-14528.html 

There is a lot going on in this scene, all of which contributes to the overall picture and the message that it implies, a message of loss and distress that still has underlying feelings of hope.  To begin with, Maximus is located dead center of the frame which shows how important he is to the scene and how his death and his struggles in life will live on for years to come. This fact is even more obvious because of all the people surrounding him who have just witnessed what he has done.  The number of black-clad soldiers in the foreground alludes to the black and dark present that Rome is experiencing, but behind them is the Senate dressed in white robes, which alludes to the bright future that Rome has now that Commodus is gone.  Another visual that drives home the evil of the present and the recent past is the red flower petals scattered on the ground, petals that look suspiciously like pools of blood.  To top it all off, we see Commodus's sister running toward the fallen Maximus, dressed in yellows and golds, looking suspiciously like the sun that will burn away the dark clouds or like the light that Maximus is nearing.