Gladiator II Is A Cinematic Spectacle, But Lacks A Storyline
Twenty four years after Ridley Scott’s Gladiator took the country by storm, people remain entranced by the Roman Empire — yes, women think about the Roman Empire too! Now years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, must enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home in Gladiator II. With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Both films commence with a tragedy, though the latter was not felt. In Gladiator, Maximus’ wife and son are brutally murdered, all after getting to know him as a character. The cruel murder was an act of malice and corruption and fuels the film’s intentions, both for Maximus and the audience. Tragedy in and of itself was a supporting character in Gladiator. Meanwhile Gladiator II starts with murder, but much less out of cruelty and more so for survival. There is a battle between the Romans and Lucius’ home of Northern African, which finds his wife, one of the soldiers, killed in the crossfire. Sad nonetheless, but it all happens within the first few moments of the film and it doesn’t allow for a connection or emotional investment. Given that, I felt as though I couldn’t understand Lucius’ drive and anger throughout the movie.
With all of this being said, this sequel heavily relies on the first film’s narrative to do the work. Scott rewrites the character Maximus as having an affair that resulted in Lucius, undercutting the motivations in the first film where he loved his wife and son so much so that he’d go through hell himself to avenge them. With this sequel comes a new narrative, altering fan’s perception of the character we grew to love and root for. The first film is a standalone masterpiece, don’t get me wrong, but now it’s implied that Maximus cheated on his wife. So, it leads me to wonder, what drove Maximus in the first film? What was the need for vengeance? It reimagined my thoughts on the first.
However, if Scott is known for any one thing, it’s for creating visually compelling movies, and he accomplished that yet again with Gladiator II. Boasting large set pieces and intricate action sequences, Gladiator II one-ups its predecessor in terms of spectacle. The historical inaccuracies people have been fixating on are irrelevant as Scott utilizes the time period as an aesthetic background more so than the main driver in his stories. The Roman Empire is merely a tool Scott has in his back-pocket to emphasize the main messages he’s trying to convey — power of the public, corruption within politics, familial relationships, and vengeance.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for gladiator fights. Gladiator II was another cinematic display by Scott, but it lacked a solid storyline fans have been craving all these years later.
Gladiator II is now in theaters.
