My generation of cinephiles has the great opportunity to see some of the great directors we have followed since the beginning of their careers, who we have seen grow up, become celebrities and make good and interesting films, and occasionally masterpieces, still active, in their ninth and in some cases tenth decades of life. Now they are towards the inevitable end of their careers, but they continue to be relevant, sometimes breaking longevity records with new films and they entertain artistic dialogues with younger generations of filmmakers and especially with themselves throughout their own careers. One of these living masters of cinema is Ridley Scott, who at 87 is active and dynamic. ‘Gladiator II‘ (2024) is his fourth feature film in this decade (and he also has short films and TV productions in his cinematography these years), and he has six other films in various stages of preparation. It is a remake of his own 2000 film, winner of 5 Academy Awards. Ridley Scott knew he was risking comparisons with one of his best films, but he accepted the challenge. In part he won, in part he lost.
The story, written by David Scarpa, follows the same plot pattern of the first film, a generation later. It takes place around 200 AD. The main hero is a fictional character, but around him are numerous historically attested characters, including the pair of brother emperors (called twins, although they were not exactly twins) Geta and Caracalla. Their reign, in fact a bizarre and decadent tyranny, was marked by some of the bloodiest games in the Colosseum arena. Here, a formidable gladiator is brought, prisoner from Africa, whose accomplishments in the arena win him glory, and whose deeds will shake the corrupt order that dominates the empire. Bloody fights in the arenas alternate with political intrigues. Everyone plots around the emperors, including Lucilla, the daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius who had tried to reform Roman society, and Macrinus, the owner of the gladiators.
The cinematic vision is exceptional. Ridley Scott does not avoid computerized visual effects, but to reconstruct the Colosseum, where many of the most spectacular scenes of the film take place, he resorted to old-school cinema methods, building a 1:1 scale arena. The result is impressive, and ‘Gladiator II‘ joins the scope of historical reconstruction of the best films of the genre. Paul Mescal manages to enter the main role very well, even if he cannot make us forget Russell Crowe completely. The best acting creation, however, belongs, in my opinion, to Denzel Washington, in one of the best roles of his career. Connie Nielsen is also superb, her Lucinda being the only survivor – as a character and as a role – of the original film. ‘Gladiator II‘ will satisfy fans of historical films, especially those who accept fiction and do not demand excessive rigor of what we see on the screen. Personally, I think that the reference to an idealized Roman Republic was exaggerated, its values rather allude to the present, but historically the Roman Republic was a slave-based order and a democracy for the few, not for all. After all, however, history is learned in school, not at the cinema. Even Shakespeare was not exact in the details of his historical plays. The success of the show cannot be denied, however. Old gladiator Ridley Scott is still in the arena, and if the rumors are confirmed, he is already preparing ‘Gladiator III’.