Ridley Scott Explains Why His Gladiator Emperors Are All Volatile

Ridley Scott Returns to Ancient Rome with Long-Awaited Sequel Gladiator IIthis time including double the number of volatile emperors. Joaquin Phoenix played the tortured and deranged Emperor Commodus in the 2000s Gladiator. Twenty-four years later, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger took his place and portrayed the twin emperors, Geta and Caracalla, in Gladiator II. In addition to Quinn and Hechinger, the cast of Gladiator II includes Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal.

While many villains in big blockbusters tend to be a bit erratic, Ridley Scott actually explained the scientific reason why emperors in his book Gladiator The films are all unpredictable. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Scott explained that all members of the Roman aristocracy drank water from lead pipes. Unbeknownst to them, they would actually suffer lead poisoning that would alter their physical and mental states. Read Scott’s full quote below:

People forget that the entire rich and sophisticated Roman senatorial aristocracy lived on water piped through lead pipes and tanks. People don’t think about it. Your choice is water or wine. When you drink water, it’s a lead system that could be 200 years old. No wonder they are crazy. Everyone is halfway to Alzheimer’s.

Emperors Geta and Caracalla are volatile in Gladiator 2

Geta and Caracalla are inspired by two real-life Roman emperors

Lead poisoning can cause physical problems in addition to behavioral problemssuch as depression, irritability and difficulty concentrating and remembering. Therefore, although some viewers may have assumed that Scott portrays Emperor Geta and Caracalla as erratic in Gladiator II to make them more unpredictable villains, he actually justified why they act the way they do. Scott’s knowledge of the amount of lead Roman emperors ingested goes back 24 years, since he also portrayed Emperor Commodus of Phoenix as unbalanced in the original film.

In Gladiator IIScott upped the stakes by including two unpredictable emperors. Geta and Caracalla rule Rome together in the sequel, but Geta is clearly the more intelligent of the two. In Gladiator II, Caracalla really fights against declining cognitive abilitieswhich, given Scott’s recent comments, is likely the result of lead poisoning. Despite their struggles, both Geta and Caracalla have ambitions to expand the Roman Empire in Gladiator II.

Scott really knows his story

Based on the number of historical films he has made throughout his career, Ridley Scott is clearly fascinated by history. Other directors may never have realized the effects drinking water through lead pipes had on the bodies and minds of Roman emperors, but Scott has proven he is fascinated by historical details like this. Although some historians have challenged Scott on certain aspects of Gladiator IIThere’s no doubt that the director is truly passionate about exploring Ancient Rome.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter