As thousands of Roman spectators gaze on from the Colosseum stands, gladiators are on the sidelines gearing up for a fight. Trumpets emote a triumphant tune. Emperors watch from their shaded box seats, sitting upon cushioned thrones. A roaring crowd welcomes the gladiators to the arena’scentre. Some of the fighters are confident. Others understand their fate is sealed.
Are we meant to be entertained? The people of Rome certainly are.
The Ridley Scott-directed epic Gladiator II takes place 16 years after Gladiator, when Lucius (Paul Mescal) witnesses the tragic death of Maximus Decimus in the blood-spattered Rome arena. A now-adult Lucius is forced to enter the ring to fight for his freedom after the Romans seize his town. Ushered into the deadly trade by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave turned influential Roman, Lucius must channel his anger to avoid a warrior’s death.
Thrown into the chaos is General Accasius, played by a driven and steely Pedro Pascal. Accasius is forced to conquer neighbouring civilizations in honour of the tyrannical brother emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).
Rome’s political strife is the opposite of the reform that Maximus fought and died for more than a decade earlier. Impoverished citizens beg for scraps along the road, and violence is the people and the twin emperors’ means of entertainment.
Led out of the gates by Mescal, Gladiator II carves its unique identity from the 2001 Best Picture winner. With gritty, well-choreographed fight scenes and an equal amount of emotional turmoil, there is enough to satisfy both fans of the original and newcomers to the ancient drama.
Mescal’s sunken expressions and solemn gaze captures Lucius’s mental and physical anguish. In brilliant battle sequences, Mescal bare-knuckle boxes and dual-wields swords to fight for his life, encapsulating Lucius’s desperation.
Equally captivating is his character’s sensitivity with vulnerable and tormented conversations alongside Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla, Accasius’s current lover and Maximus’s former flame.
Washington delivers his best performance in recent memory, portraying a vile and power-hungry public figure hell-bent on taking the throne. Each of his scenes produces feelings of unease, as the viewer is kept unsure of his next actions and just how far he will strive for power.
Adding to the gripping cast of performances is Harry Gregson-Williams’ score that serves as a backdrop to anxiety-inducing combat and solemn deaths, enriching the film’s ghostly atmosphere.
Amid the brewing conflicts between the people of Rome and the central characters, Gladiator II shines best during harrowing group combat. The walls of the Colosseum have seen it all: limbs severed, bodies scattered upon the bone-dry sand and blood-filled, shark-infested waters that the gladiators cut through with their ship’s bows.
Additionally, one of the film’s most ambitious set pieces features an armoured rhinoceros helmed by a Roman fighter, charging at Lucius and his fellow soldiers.
Balancing both the exhilarating adrenaline of the fight and the weight of a mercenary’s life, emotion runs deepest when Mescal is pitted against a vicious, experienced foe in a one-on-one duel. Haunting Lucius’ motivations is his convoluted past, rife with tragic abandonment and self-reliance.
In poignant flashbacks to the original film, we see a connection between Maximus and Lucius’s bravery. Also linking the two is their calls for an end to the Roman people’s misfortune — but as Lucius grows to understand, this cannot be resolved in the arena.
“This is how Rome treats its people,” he cries, bloodied and battered in the Colosseum.
And when the battle is finished and the soldiers fall silent, we are left with a nagging question: are there any true winners in the time of war?
Featured image by IMDb.
