Gladiator 2

 

Director Ridley Scott is a master of both spectacle AND character study films. He has blended those thematic emphases in Gladiator 2.

Some folks are arguing about the narrative merits of this sequel to Scott's 2000 original, debating whether it can stand on its own without the connective tissue to the first picture, whether it does enough that's new.

I think it does and remarkably so, even though it doesn't really need to. If it had simply built on the richness of the first picture, more sword and sandal battles, gristle and brio (Are you not entertained?), that would have provided plenty for most audiences to enjoy, I think.  But Scott has more things on his mind, this time.

The Russell Crowe starring original felt romantic, love and loss and envy and vengeance.  This sequel -- with the young Irish actor Paul Mescal in the lead -- has a bit of that but feels more political. Roman corruption, decadence and impoverishment abound, and the twin emperors' (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger) insatiable appetite for conquest and sport serve as the backdrop for the blood sport in the Colosseum that gives the picture its title and the means to bring the city down.

2 summarizes the central plot from 1 during the opening credits and makes references to other important points as its complex story unfolds. 

Mescal is Lucius, the son of Crowe's Maximus, an arena champion who died at the end of 1 and was last seen by audiences walking through Elysian fields. Lucius, who has been known as Hanno, has been living in North Africa since he was a boy and sent away from Rome by his mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, to save his life from plotters and schemers.

During a siege of his adopted homeland by Roman soldiers under the command of General Acacias (Pedro Pascal), Lucius, who was reared and trained for battle by the nation's chief, is captured, taken to Rome and sold to a menacingly oily merchant named Macrinus (Denzel Washington in American Gangster form). 

Lucius distinguishes himself in the ring and draws the attention of the emperors and the admiration of the crowd. This is exploited by Macrinus, who hopes to build his personal wealth and position himself within proximity of the throne, which he covets and is actively plotting to take in due time. Lucius's consuming hatred of Rome, and particularly Acacias, who has married Lucilla, serves Macrinus well. 

Thus, Scott and screenwriter David Scarpa have placed the major pieces on the board, with other notable characters set strategically about, one of the more pivotal being a former gladiator Ravi (Alexander Karim), who bought his freedom but patches up wounded fighters. He becomes Lucius' counselor and guide.

Screws are tightened. Identities are revealed. Trusts are betrayed. Plots are uncovered. Revenge is executed. And around all of this are   wonderfully staged arena battles. (The fight with the voracious apes is ferocious.)

I think Scott has given Washington more than just the pivotal role of merciless schemer but the film's overarching message to those angered by corruption -- rage is both a gift and a weakness. It's a gift that keeps us invested in finding a better way. It's a weakness when our rage blinds us and others can turn it against us.