Here are my thoughts on the latest Gladiator film

Flashback to the 12th May 2000, the day that Ridley Scott’s latest blockbuster Gladiator released worldwide. The all-star cast included actors such as Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix and won numerous plaudits and awards from fans and critics alike. 

Fast forward 24 years and the blockbuster Gladiator II is released in cinemas worldwide and follows characters from the original film such as Lucius, played by Paul Mescal. Maximus’ dream for Rome is dead and what has taken the place of once a great dream is two vengeful emperors set on ruling everyone and everything in the name of Rome. 

Paul Mescal plays an adult version of Maximus’ son Lucius who the audience finds has now fled Rome due to what his uncle Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix, had done within the first film. We find Lucius in a dark place as his wife is murdered and he loses his home whilst fighting off the invading Romans and their general Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal. 

The twin emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) add elements of comedy to Scott’s latest film with the latter naming his pet monkey Dundus as his right hand to help him rule over the Romans. Additionally, they add an element of unseriousness  within the film seen through Caracalla's inability to stay calm in the heat of the moment. Therefore, this begs an important question for the audience, how did these two characters gain power to become emperors? 

Pedro Pascal’s character, General Acacius embodies a more serious dynamic than the previously mentioned emperors. Much like Maximus, the audience finds out that he plans on taking Rome back from the incompetent emperors and giving it back to the people. Shockingly, the audience finds out that Lucius’ mother, Lucilla is alive and married to the man that kills Paul Mescal’s wife. This ultimately leads to Pascal’s demise because he is asked to free Lucius from the colosseum once it is discovered by Lucilla that the gladiator called Homo, is actually her son. Lucilla sends her husband to save him from the same fate that his father Maximus suffered in the colosseum. However, Pascal’s and Nielsen’s plan is snuffed out by their housekeeper and as a result of this Acacius’ is arrested and made to fight in the colosseum against the very man who has sought vengeance against him.

Denzel Washington plays a powerful merchant who has political ambitions and as he mentions throughout the film, he sees life as a game in which he says, “he enjoys.” Denzel Washington’s character is seen to be a scheming character as he is the one who puts the idea of lies and dissent in the mind of Caraculla. Furthermore, Washington is seen to be a scheming character because he promised Lucius the head of Acacius, but only makes his move when it benefits him. Therefore, this shows that he is a character that does not care about keeping his promises but is someone who will betray anyone to achieve his own goal, power

The shot of dust chosen by Ridley Scott helps to emphasise how Lucius’ is influenced by Maximus and it creates an enigma around the character yet again, is he actually Maximus’ son? 

Additionally, the costume design and the inclusion of more extravagant materials such as gold help the audience to see that time has passed from the first film and that many things have changed in Rome starting with the clothes that have been worn connoting that this is not the Rome that Maximus dreamed of.

Reviewers' thoughts, the movie takes you on a ride just like the first and shows a new era and side of Rome that was not shown previously,remaining as intense as the original. However, some could understandably argue that the plot of the film remains the same as the original. The main characters in both films have grudges against the ruler or rulers of Rome as they have taken something away from them, for instance their wives and now seek vengeance. Furthermore, the similarities continue as not only is Lucius Maximus’ son but he is also a general who has been captured by Rome. Moreover the story feels similar to the first Gladiator because Lucius plans to overthrow these dictators and free Rome much like Maximus had planned to do in the original.

7/10

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FORGOTTEN film reels of the 1950’s and 60’s showing Middlesbrough firefighters in training and on parade have been digitised by the team at North East Film Archive to allow Cleveland Fire Brigade to showcase a bit of their history.