It is natural that Gladiator 2 is getting very close at this stage of the Oscar race. A legendary filmmaker returning for a sequel to his Best Picture-winning epic after more than 20 years; a cast of rising and new stars, supported by a legend in a superb supporting role; a big, ambitious, crowd-pleasing spectacle that won the approval of critics (including RSby Graeme Guttmann himself) and looks set to earn a big box office price. A movie like this has “nominations leader” written all over it, right?
Maybe – with the press campaign it’s getting from Paramount, Gladiator 2 it could very well be in the mix in several places. But even if it is, I don’t believe it’s a threat to win many from them. There are forces at play this awards season that pose a challenge to its rise to glory, and it’s worth examining how other films could prevent this one from crafting a compelling enough narrative to compete for the top prizes. But few people talk about what is, for me, the biggest obstacle.
Gladiator 2 will lose its best possible narratives
This crowded awards season has better options
First, I will acknowledge that Gladiator 2 has a lot going for it. Its size and scope are expected to appeal to the craft sectors, and the broad support could fuel a push for Best Picture. Oscar royalty Denzel Washington is dominating the supporting actor conversation right now, and Paul Mescal is leading his first big box office hit after being so good in After-sun that he won a surprise nomination with minimal campaigning. They are charismatic actors who can certainly work a room. Plus, people are starting to talk about how 86-year-old Ridley Scott, a three-time nominee for Best Director, has never won.
All of these factors can come into play on the morning of the nominations. They can even, in cases like Washington, result in serious disputes in some categories. But to be a heavy hitter, Gladiator 2 needs to construct a compelling narrative; on paper, Scott’s film has two obvious paths open: the big-budget, craft-oriented Hollywood showcase; and “success”, box office success and public embrace. However, it seems to me that the film’s opponents are prepared to overcome it in both aspects.
Gladiator 2 it will likely be adopted by the public and is heading towards financial success. But Evil It’s tracking even better…
Staging a recreated nautical battle in a constructed arena is a surefire way to catch the attention of crafters. But after mastering the culture in the spring, Dune: Part 2 is ready to return to the conversation. Not only is it (at least for my money) the superior film, but I think it has more of a claim to this narrative. Gladiator 2The company’s megamarketing push may be putting this at the forefront right now, but awards campaigns are measured in centuries and it shouldn’t take long to remind voters what Villeneuve & Co. are all about.
On the popular front, Gladiator 2 it will likely be adopted by the public and is heading towards financial success. But Evil It’s tracking even betterand “Glicked” is not Barbenheimer II. As critical response has been overwhelmingly positive, the musical’s Oscar buzz has gotten louder, and this weekend’s box office victory could drown out anything else. If the Academy is looking for a Best Picture nominee that will get audiences to tune in to the broadcast, Evil it probably is.
Of course, if people really love the film, this fight over traditional forms of impulse wouldn’t matter much. Even the best-crafted narratives can fail in the face of genuine affection. That’s why I can’t see it happening Gladiator 2. What many consider the film’s ace up its sleeve – the Academy’s love for the original Gladiator – is actually your Achilles heel.
Gladiator 2 has a gladiator problem
And the film won’t let us forget
Mild spoilers for Gladiator 2 belowGladiator 2 is not just a sequence, but (to use my preferred term) a legacyquela familiar manifestation of Hollywood’s IP era. While typical sequels take a story forward, this variety looks back almost obsessivelyto the extent that they are often sold to us with the idea of reviving the original. At best, we have films directed by artists who really fight against this legacy, whether to take stock of the present (T2 Train Station) or open a new path forward (Belief). At worst, we get soulless reanimations that beat us over the head with references and wait for applause.
More often than not, we get something in between. I think Gladiator 2 has an easy parallel this year in Alien: Romuluswhich is full of effective scenarios and tiresome callbacks. These films have their own identities and make some compelling additions to their franchises, but they invoke the past frequently and with great reverence. By placing these previous entries on a pedestal (or Gladiatorin this case, a sanctuary), these new films become smaller. I like them both, but they also made me wonder at several points if I should watch it again Foreigner or Gladiator instead of.
All those references to Maximus, to the first film”dream of Rome,” invites such a comparison. Sometimes I think Gladiator 2 suffers for it. But it’s also clearly intentional on Scott’s part. Its sequel may still worship Russell Crowe’s fallen hero, but is deeply critical of almost everything else, from the original. Gladiator is enduringly popular, in part because of his unwavering defense of sincere, principled masculinity in the face of corruption and injustice. “Strength and honor“win the day.
In Gladiator 2we discover that Maximus’ sacrifice was in vain. Marcus Aurelius’s plan to return power to the Senate failed, Lucius was sent into hiding almost immediately afterwards, and Rome declined to such an extent that even Paul Mescal’s hero is unsure whether it can be saved. Not only that, but the film reveals Macrinus’ effort to burn everything down, and even uses his character to question the nobility that Aurelius represented. By significantly increasing the on-screen brutality, Scott could even be directing the famous Maximus movie.Aren’t you entertained?“line in us this time.
This instinct for farce, a common feature of Scott’s recent work, is something I admire about this film. But stark reminders that Gladiator 2 It’s not your father’s Gladiator likely won’t win over Academy voters whose love for the first film led to the Oscar’s top prize. In an unusually uncertain year, the film is already in danger of falling out of the 10th Best Film. But even if he remains, and even if he is nominated in general, I simply don’t think he has what it takes to go for everything. the way.