A hand caresses ears of corn in a wheat field… This shot, emblematic from Ridley Scott’s cult film, Gladiatoris also present in its sequel, currently playing in cinemas. Of course, this is not the only thing the two films have in common. Whereas Gladiator 2 is currently in cinemas, TMC is broadcasting the first part this Monday evening. Should you see it (or watch it again) before rushing off to the cinema? 20 Minutes provides an update.
First of all, it may be too late to ask the question… Gladiator 2 has already topped the million spectator mark in five days, making it one of the best openings of the year. With only a week to go before its release in the U.S., the film has already grossed 90 million euros. Let’s just say you’re not one of those first-time moviegoers…
A very simple plot
While 24 years have elapsed between the two installments, the plot is a mere 15 years apart. The characters played by Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe are dead. Lucius, on the other hand, has grown up and is now played by Paul Mescal. We also find Lucilla, his mother, still played by Connie Nielsen. In the first Gladiator, we could assume that Lucius was Maximus’ son. This is confirmed in this sequel.
General Marcus Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal, is a new character, as is Denzel Washington’s Macrinus. A Maximus ally and a rogue Roman senator are already present in the first installment, but you don’t need to have seen the 2000 film to understand the 2024 one. In fact, it’s safe to say that Gladiator 2 is a fairly easy film to understand…
Subtle” references
That said, Ridley Scott has had a lot of fun hiding nods to his first film. Gladiator including entire scenes “copied” from the first installment. The director’s intention was to make an even more visually impressive film. So he takes it upon himself to show the differences between the shots in his two films.
This visual overkill, which is also a flaw in the film pointed out by several criticsThe plot, too, is rather crude. Several in the first Gladiator have also expressed their annoyance: according to them, the destiny of the new character – whose deeper motivations are not always very clear – is not worth the dazzling gesture of Maximus, the betrayed general who wants to avenge his family and his honor.
The bottom line?
So, review Gladiator 2000’s Gladiator is undoubtedly a good way of immersing oneself in Ridley Scott’s universe before discovering his new creation. But judging by some disappointed viewers, the comparison is not to the latter’s advantage.
Another solution is to watch only the film broadcast on TMC and not go to the cinema to see the sequel. But then you’d miss out sharks, rhinos and muscular monkeys in the Colosseum. And a shot of wheat ears…