After the semi-failure of “Napoleon”, Ridley Scott is giving a sequel to one of his greatest films.
The British filmmaker delivers a spectacular fresco, sometimes bordering on kitsch, and always political.
He can count on a duo of brilliant actors, the rising star Paul Mescal, and the already iconic Denzel Washington.
On paper, the company could be thrilling. A quarter of a century after winning a shower of Oscars with Gladiator, why the hell did Ridley Scott want to make a sequel? Some quickly denounced the mercantile enterprise, others the lack of inspiration, or even both at the same time. In the recent past, his attempts to revive the franchise Alien were only half convinced. Except that like the Napoleon that he sketched in a questionable biopic last year, nothing and no one dictates his conduct to a filmmaker who is preparing to celebrate his 87th birthday.
Considered from the release of the first part, Gladiator II has been the subject of several scripts over the years. After having for a time considered resurrecting his hero, General Maximus played by Russell Crowe, Ridley Scott chose a more rational – and ultimately obvious – option by making Lucius, the hidden son of Lucilla and Maximus, the central character of a plot which takes place fifteen years after the previous one.
A “Game of Rome” where anything goes
After the events of the first film, Lucilla (Returning Connie Nielsen) exiled Lucius to the kingdom of Numidia in North Africa to protect her from the corruption of Rome, before losing track of him. As a young man, he had the features of Paul Mescal, the rising Irish actor. Far from his prestigious origins, this peasant soldier leads a peaceful existence with his wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen). Until the day when the troops of General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) come to conquer his lands, kill his wife and reduce him to slavery.
Returning to Rome in spite of himself, Lucius follows in the footsteps of his illustrious father. Put to the test during an improbable fight against mutant baboons (you read that correctly), he is spotted by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave who will make him his champion. And the tool of his political rise in a city under the thumb of two decadent young emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn of Stranger Things) and Caracalla (Fred Eichinger). Until the day when Lucilla, who has started a new life with Marcus Acacius, recognizes her son in the arena…
Sharks in the arena? And why not!
Between historical approximations galore and heavy digital trickery, we can already see tasteful critics giving their thumbs up in front of this peplum made in the 21st century with a colossal budget of nearly 300 million dollars. Except that putting aside these legitimate reservations, the great spectacle proposed by Ridley Scott turns out to be exciting. In the age of streaming platforms, its Gladiator II was clearly designed for the big screen, the very big in IMAX if you can, playing the card of excess. For 2h30, we're treated to an incredible scene of naval battle in the arena, the gladiators at the mercy of an armada of sharks. After mutant baboons, why not?
This epic dimension was already one of the promises of the first film, conceived as a tribute to the classics of the genre. Despite a borderline kitsch tendency which sometimes makes one fear the irruption of Lady Gaga for an impromptu concert on the roof of the Coliseum, she is once again held. But the most perilous challenge to be taken up lay elsewhere. THE Gladiator of the year 2000, it was also a great ancient tragedy according to the rules of the art, the honor of some being shattered by the ambitions of others. With two huge upcoming actors to play him, Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
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In 2024, Ridley Scott and his screenwriter David Scarpa have concocted a plot that takes root in the previous one to describe an empire in danger that is much more current than one might think when entering the room. At the center of this “Game of Rome” where anything goes, the brilliant Macrinus, played with all the brilliance we know him by Denzel Washington. Machiavellian at will, he is the perfect antagonist to a skin-deep Lucius played by Paul Mescal, the icon of independent cinema who manages to distill a touch of melancholy to the realm of blockbusters on steroids. Just for the sparks between these two, Gladiator II worth the trip.
>> Gladiator II by Ridley Scott. With Paul Mescal, Denzel Washintgon, Pedro Pascal. 2h30. In theaters Wednesday
