A case of history repeating itself – Beyond Bollywood

24 years later, director Ridley Scott returns with a sequel that may be a bigger visual spectacle but is nowhere near a masterpiece like the original.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫  (2.5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Two gladiators are pitted against each other at a soiree. One of them tells his burly competitor, “Take it easy, and let’s not kill ourselves for their entertainment.” The Caesars of the Roman Empire were truly despicable; for them, watching one human rip the flesh out of another was sport. For the gladiators, it was simple – kill or get killed. The bloodbath wasn’t restricted to the Colosseum. Phew, how fortunate we are that those days of barbarism are long over. Though not a sport, 24 years ago, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) was quite a spectacle for cinephiles globally. The Academy Award winner was a true masterpiece, earning all-around praise.

Though largely fiction, Scott and his writers David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson used certain real names and events to build an epic narrative. Now 86, Scott has banked on his Napoleon (2023) writer David Scarpa to continue the Gladiator story. Of course, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) is dead. And so is the late emperor Marcus Aurelius’s dream for a free Rome. Maybe it’s just the land that has an eternal thirst for blood. All it needs is another power-hungry tyrant like Commodus. Freedom here lasted for just 16 years after Maximus’ death, with the Empire now ruled by brothers Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).  Their thirst for blood knows no bounds.

Though Hanno (Paul Mescal), a Numidian soldier-turned-slave, despises the entire Roman Empire, he seeks the head of Roman Army General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), whose arrow struck down his soldier wife Arishat. Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave turned slave trader, promises Hanno revenge, but he has his own sinister ambitions.

Up until now, you expect a whole new conflict, but as the story unfolds, Hanno realizes that this place and its struggles aren’t too dissimilar to those faced by Maximus in Gladiator (2000). Nearly two decades later, history seems to be repeating itself, adding little novelty to Gladiator II. It’s Macrinus, his story, and his ambitions that truly drive the sequel. Named after the former Roman emperor, Macrinus’s lust for power is equally relentless. The real Macrinus hailed from Algeria, but Scott’s version is a former African slave who has risen to become a senator in the court of Emperor Geta and Emperor Caracalla. As he says, “This can only happen in the Roman Empire.”.

Men like Macrinus underline, how evil has no skin, but it’s thirst for blood, power that drives men crazy. His rise to the senate, stuns the white senators, but soon they come to admire his political acumen. Denzel Washington brings a cunning edge to his role in Gladiator II, masterfully weaving strength and subtle manipulation into a character that keeps you guessing at every turn.

Twenty-four years is a long time, and comparing it to the original isn’t entirely fair, but sequels often carry the weight of living up to the legacy of a masterpiece. Gladiator II ups the ante with more barbaric, bloody action, catering strictly to bloodthirsty audiences, but it doesn’t quite connect on an emotional level. Some of the action feels far-fetched, particularly the CGI baboon-like creatures and the combat arena being flooded with sharks – all part of a life-or-death game between the Praetorian guard and the Gladiators. The opening action scene, where General Acacius leads the Roman conquest of Numidia by bursting his ships through the gates, is a gripping watch. The final action in the Colosseum is equally captivating.

It’s our first introduction to Paul Mescal, who is menacing in his battles but doesn’t quite possess the gravitas of Maximus. Both characters carry familiar wounds, but as the film progresses, Hanno faces increasingly similar challenges. Maximus, too scarred by the slaughter of his wife and children, was a dead soul, with his survival driven solely by a desire to give strength and honour to Rome. In contrast, despite the loss of his wife, Hanno soon finds a new purpose that infuses him with fresh zeal. Paul Mescal’s performance in Gladiator II is respectable, offering a steady presence, though it lacks the depth to truly resonate.

A strong, righteous leader would be despised by his counselors, particularly the corrupt ones who prefer the vain Commodus, Geta, and Caracalla, who are easier to manipulate. Despite their fey portrayal, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger’s Geta and Caracalla come across as too bizarre, even for such characters. Scott goes overboard in their characterizations, making Geta and Caracalla little more than a joke.

Connie Nielsen returns as the forever damsel in distress Lucilla, now married to General Acacius. After 24 years, perhaps it’s too long to revisit the character. Ridley Scott, after establishing Acacius as a cold General, throws in a few surprises with him. Pedro Pascal is likable but his character doesn’t last long. Djimon Hounsou, beloved for his portrayal of Maximus’ fellow slave friend Juba, has a spiritual successor in Gladiator II: Jubartha (Paul Mensah), a Numidian chieftain who mentors Hanno. However, he’s quickly killed off in the first survival battle, where, for a chieftain, he simply lays down and lets a wild baboon chew off his throat. Is there a Papio activist in Jubartha? If so, should Hanno, his ward, have surrendered too? Ridley Scott also caters to Indian fans with Swedish actor Alexander Karim, of Ugandan descent, playing Ravi, a former gladiator who earned his freedom and is now a doctor in the Colosseum. With the fey Emperors desiring to conquer Persia and India, Ravi was bound to rebel against the Roman Empire. Though said to be from Varanasi, Ravi feels more Ugandan than Indian.

The 148 minutes screentime isn’t dull, but Gladiator II ends up being more a bloody gladortial spectacle than a masterpiece.