Review of the movie Gladiator II. The return of the historical epic from Ridley Scott

The mass audience knows Ridley Scott thanks to his science fiction films, but the director's very first feature film was the 1977 historical drama The Duellists. Since then, the artist has regularly returned to stories about various historical periods, but the 2000 epic about the Roman Empire, Gladiator, remains one of the pinnacles of Scott's work in many ways.

Plans for the second part began to be discussed in Hollywood back in 2001. However, it didn't reach the screens until 2024. The wait was worth it: Gladiator II is a benchmark historical movie in which everything is done at an extremely high quality level, and there are almost no drawbacks.

After the events of the first part, Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of Lucilla and grandson of the assassinated emperor Marcus Aurelius, starts his life anew. He settled on the northern coast of Africa, matured there, and even found a wife among the locals. However, the Roman Empire, whose current emperors' ambitions are almost impossible to quench, still got to him. Lucius could have become an ordinary slave, but his strength and unquenchable rage lead him to the Colosseum arena as a gladiator. His main goal is to kill General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), who led the Roman attack on Lucius' new home. However, the protagonist does not yet know how dirty a political game is unfolding outside the Colosseum - and how it can affect the whole of Rome.

[caption id="attachment_258164" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Still from the movie Gladiator II[/caption]

Talking about Gladiator II is much harder than it might seem at first glance. It's clear from the trailers that this is a great movie, and after watching it, such opinions only grow stronger and more confident in Ridley Scott's next outstanding achievement as a director. But in the case of other films, I often want to emphasize some specific moments, scenes and episodes. In the case of Lucius' story, there is nothing like that. But you shouldn't worry about it.

[caption id="attachment_258170" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Still from the movie Gladiator II[/caption]

It's just that Scott and his team have made such a gorgeous movie that there are practically no moments in it that fall short of the quality level. The cinematography, the development of characters, dialogues and storylines, the color palette and various directorial techniques, the sound and attention to detail, the relevance to the chosen historical period - everything evokes extremely positive emotions. The director has done a titanic job, and one might even think that for all these 23 years since the first discussions about the sequel appeared, Scott has been thinking about how to finally put it into active production.

[caption id="attachment_258162" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Still from the movie Gladiator II[/caption]

At the same time, Gladiator II is also a perfect second part. Ideologically, it is strongly connected to the original Gladiator; it is not a soft reboot created solely to attract new viewers. However, the movie's story is structured in such a way that people will be able to understand all its key points even without watching the previous film. There are no unnecessary moments of exposition and boring explanations. Ridley Scott communicates with you in the language of high cinema and does not take you for fools. And such a respectful attitude towards the audience always evokes sympathy.

[caption id="attachment_258174" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Still from the movie Gladiator II[/caption]

Of course, Gladiator 2 looks stunning on the visual level. Epic battles, colorful "entertainment" at the Colosseum, and even relatively ordinary fist fights are equally satisfying. Pathos and epicness literally ooze through the screen. It is better to watch Ridley Scott's new work exclusively in IMAX. Then you can fully feel yourself in Ancient Rome, right in the middle of the spectacle of the Colosseum.

[caption id="attachment_258166" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Still from the movie Gladiator II[/caption]

The director hasn't forgotten his love of symbolism and pompous phrases. From time to time, Scott experiments with these elements too boldly and thoughtlessly. Then the audience gets something like Alien: Covenant, when reflections on the nature of the divine divert attention from the central story. However, in the context of Gladiator 2, all the pompous phrases and quotes from philosophers mixed with poets look appropriate, and at the same time further reveal the essence of the characters and the main conflict of the film.

[caption id="attachment_258168" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Still from the movie Gladiator II[/caption]

The setting of the Roman Empire also proved to be successful for the political part of Gladiator 2. In the movie, Scott and his team try to reflect on the nature of tyranny, democracy, empires and republics, and pay special attention to the role of force in the state. Yes, in modern contexts, everything may seem naive and detached from reality. This is most noticeable in the final scenes, which seem to sacrifice all the subtlety of history for the sake of banal Hollywood pathos. But if we remember how much simpler politics was in ancient Rome compared to today, even this nuance turns into just another element of the story.

[caption id="attachment_258172" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Still from the movie Gladiator II[/caption]

In fact, Gladiator II doesn't need much advertising, because the synopsis and trailers tell the audience everything they need to know. It's a worthy return to a modern Hollywood classic with world-famous stars in the lead roles, who also play perfectly, with good meanings and unique form.

It happens very rarely that a movie gives absolutely everything the audience wants from it, in exactly the form you expect from it. However, Gladiator 2 is just such a pleasant exception to the modern rules of cinema.