This high action film is a sequel to Gladiator 1 (2000). It features Lucius Verus, heir to the Roman Empire, who becomes a gladiator after being forced into slavery.
GLADIATOR 11. Starring: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, and Derek Jacobi. Directed by Ridley Scott. Rating M (Animal cruelty, blood and gore, injury detail and violence). 148 min.
Review by Peter W Sheehan, Jesuit Media Australia
This American-British film is directed and co-produced by Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa from a story with Peter Craig. The plot-line follows Lucius Verus, heir to the Roman Empire and son of Maximus (who is the main character in Gladiator 1). In this film, Lucius’ home was invaded by the Roman army, led by General Marcus Acacius, during the reign of the Emperors Caracalla and his brother Geta. Gladiator 1 starred Russell Crowe as Maximus.
This film covers a different historical period to Gladiator 1, and takes place more than two decades later. Lucius Verus is the grandson of Rome’s former emperor, Marcus Aurelius, as well as the son of Maximus. In the film, Roman soldiers, led by General Marcus Acacius kill Lucius’s wife and force him into slavery. Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator and is tutored by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave, who schemes to overthrow his emperors and to control Rome. In the movie, Paul Mescal plays Lucius Verus, and Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius, who trained under Maximus. Marcus fights Lucius in Rome’s Colosseum and Mescal’s performance is exceptional. He brings rage, sensitivity and humanity to a complex role, and the charisma of his performance makes him a worthy successor to Russel Crowe.
The film is centred around Lucius as the secret son of Maximus and Lucilla, and Connie Nielsen returns as Lucius’ mother. She watches Lucius fight in the Colosseum arena, but fails to recognise him as her son. In the sequel, Lucilla is feared by those holding power in Rome, including Caracalla and Geta, and Derek Jacobi, a member of the Roman Senate, returns to reprise his role in Gladiator 1.
The stage is set with all this history for fierce and repetitively violent scenarios in desperate and multiple pursuits of political supremacy. Displays of aggression (human and animal, with blood and gore, and much political scheming) are abundantly evident in the film. The fates of defeated gladiators are ceremoniously represented as publicly enjoyed, entertaining feats of high aggression, and Ridley Scott directs in a compatible way with his aggression-filled Gladiator 1.
Gladiator 111 is planned to further feature the adventures of Lucius Verus, and Ridley Scott will direct it. This film is a cruel, vengeful and disturbingly aggressive movie that, cinematically speaking, is well directed by Ridley Scott, and well acted by Paul Mescal.
Peter W Sheehan is an Associate of Jesuit Media