Starring: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington and Derek Jacobi
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Runtime: 148 mins. Reviewed in Nov 2024
Reviewer: Peter W Sheehan
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This high action film is a sequel to Gladiator (2000). It features Lucius Verus, heir to the Roman Empire, who becomes a gladiator after being forced into slavery.
This American-British film is directed and co-produced by Scott and written by David Scarpa from a story with Peter Craig. The plot follows Lucius Verus (Mescal), heir to the Roman Empire and son of Maximus (Russell Crowe’s character in the original Gladiator). In this film, Lucius’ home was invaded by the Roman army, led by General Marcus Acacius (Pascal), during the reign of the Emperors Caracalla and his brother Geta.
This film takes place more than two decades after the period of the original Gladiator. Lucius is the grandson of Rome’s former emperor, Marcus Aurelius, as well as the son of Maximus. In this film, Roman soldiers, led by General Acacius kill Lucius’s wife and force him into slavery. Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator and is tutored by Macrinus (Washington), a former slave, who schemes to overthrow his emperors and to control Rome.
Marcus fights Lucius in Rome’s Colosseum and Mescal’s performance is exceptional. He brings rage, sensitivity and humanity to a complex role, and the charisma of his performance makes him a worthy successor to Russel Crowe.
The film is centred around Lucius as the secret son of Maximus and Lucilla (Nielsen who returns as Lucius’ mother). She watches Lucius fight in the Colosseum arena, but fails to recognise him as her son. In the sequel, Lucilla is feared by those holding power in Rome, including Caracalla and Geta, and Derek Jacobi, a member of the Roman Senate, reprise his role from Gladiator.
The stage is set with all this history for fierce and repetitively violent scenarios in desperate and multiple pursuits of political supremacy. Displays of aggression (human and animal, with blood and gore, and much political scheming) are abundant in the film. The fates of defeated gladiators are ceremoniously represented as publicly enjoyed, entertaining feats of high aggression, and Scott directs in a compatible way with his aggression-filled Gladiator I. This film is a cruel, vengeful and disturbingly aggressive movie that, cinematically speaking, is well directed by Scott, and well acted by Mescal.
Gladiator III is planned to further feature the adventures of Lucius Verus, with Scott to direct.
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