Gladiator II

Karl Marx, quoting Hegel, in his essay The Eighteenth Brumaire Of Louis Napoleon, gave us an addendum to the notion that history repeats itself. First as tragedy, then as farce. Ridley Scott is no stranger to Napoleon, nor to repeating himself. The title refers to a date in a revolutionary calendar, and with Marx involved there's plenty more cycles of history bound up. The month of Brumaire takes its name from fog, and that coldness, that lack of clarity, is perhaps apt for Gladiator II.

Or 'gladiator too, because that's true of Paul Mescal's 'Hano'. That's not his only name, inevitable perhaps when in both title and in script there is a sense of repetition. That starts from the off, the animated production logo for Scott Free followed by what feels like a tumblr gifset of moments from the first film. Animated, re-animated, rotoscoped or what have you, they feature the Colosseum, the gathering of sand in hand, Maximus of course, Commodus, the tiger, Tigris of Gaul's salute to the crowd, key moments from that duel, and the later ones. It might jog the memory of those who've seen the first film recently, but ultimately it serves as a reminder of another, better film.

Ridley Scott has form for revisiting previous works. There are more versions of Blade Runner than its Final and Director's cuts. Doubt in one becomes certainties in another and arguably weakens thematic elements. Prometheus went back to the same place to try and steal the same fire as Alien but to lesser effect. Covenant didn't even manage that spark. Gladiator II starts with that painterly reminiscence but it's literally a copying, doing it by numbers.

Emperors Geta and Caracalla are twins. Caracalla (another Marcus Aurelius) and sibling Septimus Severus are the sons of another Septimus Severus, the last man reigning at the end of the year of Five Emperors. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger's performances are each echoes of that of Joaquin Phoenix "a generation ago". That "dream of Rome" isn't half as messy as real life. In actual history, of which we have at best an echo, those twins discovered they were emperor in Eboracum. It's astonishing how many civil wars were cradled between the Ouse and Foss. It's not an uncommon experience to have a difficult family trip to York but some have it worse than others.

I compared The House Of Gucci to the history plays of Shakespeare and I think this too is of that ilk. Like Richard III and Henry V, Gladiator II takes liberties with history in service of story. Unlike those, and its namesake, they're not worthwhile.

Gladiator had Russell Crowe at the height of his powers, Joaquin Phoenix on his rocket-like ascent, Oliver Reed in an incredible swansong, and what was arguably Richard Harris' last great role. As fond as I am of Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, their performances aren't continuity enough. As capable as Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal are treading the boards with swords they are not in that top corner of the stentorian and charismatic as those four firebrands. Denzel Washington undoubtedly is, and when I think of his Macrinus I also think of his Macbeth. He's not the only big presence on screen. Familiar faces like Rory McCann and Matt Lucas have voices in proceedings but when one compares their ability to hold audience attention it's just not the same.

When talking about numbers there's room to talk about prices. A figure in denarii for a house doesn't seem off but the calculus of commerce is also off screen. I saw Gladiator in a premium format but there were at best scores in a cinema that could hold hundreds. Some chains have had preview screenings which might have affected Friday night but I'm not sure how much of a draw this is to the hypothetical ordinary filmgoer. Gladiator was of an era that I recall television showrooms using it to demonstrate how capable DVD players were, a sentence that in this era of streaming and 4K feels like reminiscing about the quality of a buggy whip. Box-office and quality are at best occasional companions and there's a reason that we distinguish between critical and commercial success. It's likely that as in the film crowds will turn and thumbs will waver. While one has to hand it to Ridley Scott for previous works, I'm not sure he makes a good fist of this.

It doesn't matter how often the ground is grabbed for surer handling. It serves as a reminder of the magic of the first film slipping away. With a number added to the title there are opportunities to talk about other numbers. The Romans did use the abacus, but it was quite distinct from the more familiar Asian versions. The Romans did have something like a crossbow, but gastraphetes or arcuballistae are even less gun-like than the way Praetorian sagittarii use their bows. The question isn't if it's historically accurate. That ship sails in the opening scene. If that's not enough, sharks and jumps over them don't so much put nails in coffins as turn the screw. The machinations of Macrinus are necessarily simplified. Despite that, the film drags, repeats itself. It reproduces and recreates scenes from its preceding outing. These are sometimes memories, sometimes dreams, and sometimes, perhaps, echoes from eternity. They can feel of that length too. The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire devotes four parts (of almost three-hundred) to the era, but Gladiator II isn't about Gibbon.

Instead it's about baboons. Some of which have mange, which makes the already uncanny apes look even odder, before any failings of CG or otherwise. There's real stuntwork at play here, but it feels less compelling than those of the original. The story too doesn't grab in the same way. While Maximus' position and perils were earned, most of Hano's are inherited, if they're explained at all. Writer David Scarpa (who also penned Napoleon) is joined by Peter Craig. He wrote for The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, and so is no stranger to revisiting works. Parts of those felt like retreads too. A double cheeseburger can often strike the wrong balance. It's more of the same with a number in its name too.

It's only a few minutes longer than its first film, but 24 years has been kinder to that than this. It's actually a surprise that Gladiator didn't get more than a re-release. Given how often Scott has gone back to tinker with works, a bit of polish and a trim might have been enough. Instead the element of fog is one of the few things not thrown at the screen. Earth, fire, wind, wave, bread, circuses, more. That there's enough of everything that one feels this should have been condensed perhaps obscures the main point, that Gladiator II is an opportunity missed.