Gladiator II **
De Ridley Scott
American and British film, 2h30
The muscles glow, the blood spurts… No doubt, the gladiators are back on the big screen. 23 years ago, Gladiator was already establishing itself in the arena of 21st century blockbusters, resurrecting the epic with a lot of hand-to-hand combat, murders and other betrayals. Russell Crowe, still semi-unknown to the general public, revealed himself as Maximus Decimus Meridius, rolling his biceps in front of Joaquin Phoenix, the slightly psychopathic Emperor Commodus.
A triumph in theaters, Ridley Scott’s feature film won five Oscars. A second part was therefore eagerly awaited by fans. But, despite some $310 million budget, Gladiator In 2024, a subdued sequel is offered which will certainly divide its audience.
We are sixteen years after the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Rome, “ gangrenous from the inside “, is on the verge of collapse. Caligula and his brother Geta, at the head of the empire, tyrannized their people. On the coast of Africa, a young man, Hanno, is taken prisoner by the Roman army during the conquest of his city. Noted for his warrior skills, he was bought and taken to Rome by the rich and influential Macrinus, where he became a gladiator. But Hanno could well turn out to be a completely different person than the “barbarian” he claims to be…
The epic breath of “Gladiator” preserved
“Bread and circuses”games and bread. The program of Gladiator remains the same from one part to another: a marathon of violent fights, which succeeds in the pirouette of attempting self-criticism. The spectators at the Colosseum feast on death with great hemoglobin, comfortably seated, a living reflection of the public in the dark rooms.
In the staging, everything is excessive, sometimes to the point of excess. In a particularly ambitious naumachia scene, sharks splash around in the flooded Colosseum – a freedom from historical facts which in no way serves the purpose. Nevertheless, the spectacle remains there: Ridley Scott retains the epic breath of Gladiatorwith sumptuous imagery of landscapes, sets and costumes. Despite the length of the whole film – almost 2 hours 30 minutes – there is no need for blockbuster fans to beg for mercy: the twists and turns keep coming, energizing the story.
On the distribution side, after Russell Crowe, it is the turn of the Irishman Paul Mescal (They have) to make his Hollywood debut. Emerging from author’s fiction (After sun, Normal People), the 28-year-old actor does not deviate from the tradition of the genre, performing – with a certain talent – mano a mano scenes.
At his side, Connie Nielsen (Lucilla), already present in the first part, is still as graceful, despite a game somewhat lacking in depth. But above all, it is for Denzel Washington that a laurel wreath should be woven. In the skin of the ambiguous and manipulative Macrinus, the American actor raises the level of this second part.
A second aspect of political advantage
This new opus, however, cannot compete with the emotional charge of the first, undoubtedly causing disappointment among some of its fans. More complex in its plot, it is more political. “ The dream of Rome » dear to Hanno, who allows everyone to climb the social ladder in a free city? Nothing less than the famous american dream contemporary.
This fractured ancient Rome evokes a very contemporary empire, that of the current United States. But the message conveyed here by Ridley Scott, although interesting, loses subtlety, because it is too bludgeoned by his characters. For better or for worse, Gladiator II nevertheless remains in the continuity of its predecessor, offering the peplum genre a final burst.