Gladiator 2 not being historically accurate is for the best

Gladiator 2 is the sequel to the beloved 2000 original, directed once again by Ridley Scott. Excitement for the film is already palpable, with several trailers already showcasing Gladiator 2A stacked cast, seemingly at their best, and an intriguing plot centered on the legacy of the original film’s hero. So far, the stage is set for Gladiator 2 to become a huge box office success, but despite the film’s strength prior to release, it has already generated some controversy with regards to the project’s historical accuracy.

THE Gladiator The franchise is clearly based on the real-life Roman Empire, including many people who existed and many events that happened during the Empire’s existence. While Gladiator 2 has as its backdrop a real historical period, the way the characters are positioned and some of the scenes shown do not correspond to the way events happened in real life. This caused some uproar from historians and the like, criticizing Gladiator 2 before its release. However, the film’s lack of historical accuracy may end up helping the film in the end.

Gladiator 2’s story wouldn’t be possible if it followed the real story

The film’s premise itself is a generous interpretation

The plot of the original Gladiator was almost entirely fictional, using some real-life names and places but not trying too hard to stick to the facts, and Gladiator 2 appears to be maintaining this tradition. One of the biggest inaccuracies in real life is seen in the film’s protagonist, similar to the first Gladiator‘s Maximus, who is an entirely fictional character. Gladiator 2The protagonist of Lucius Verus II is trying to spark a revolution against the co-emperors Geta and Caracalla, who differs greatly from the real Lucius Verus II, who died of illness as a childeven before Commodus became emperor.

Geta and Caracalla themselves were in fact co-emperors of the Roman Empire for a time, but Joseph Quinn’s observations on Gladiator 2 indicate that Geta will take on the role of an older brother when compared to Fred Hechinger’s Caracalla, who will suffer from some type of cognitive dysfunction. In real life, Caracalla was in control and ended up killing Geta and erasing him from public records. While There’s no telling what direction the film will take these characters init looks like there will be big differences in how they work.

A big return Gladiator character, Lucilla, mother of Lucius Verus II, did not survive the rule of her brother Commodus in real life, and was banished and executed for attempting to assassinate himwhile the film has her survive until the sequel. Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius is entirely fictional, not based on any specific historical figure. Although Macrinus, played in the film by Denzel Washington, was a real person who plotted against Emperor Caracalla, the real figure was never a slave, although he was a lower-class citizen than most of the Roman elite.

Gladiator 2 Is Changing History to Make a Blockbuster Movie

Gladiator 2 is a blockbuster first and foremost

While some may balk at the fact that the film is taking so many creative liberties, Gladiator 2 It’s not getting around history just for the sake of it. One of the biggest talking points when it comes to the film’s accuracy is the sharks in the Colosseum shown in the film’s trailers. Historians quickly complainedfor, although the Colosseum was actually filled with water for naval battles, sharks were never put in the water either. Director Ridley Scott came out to defend Gladiator 2 soon after, saying “Of course they can.”

Whether there really were sharks in the Colosseum is something that can be debated, but Scott’s biggest point is that it simply doesn’t matter. To Gladiator 2putting sharks in the arena creates a more intense and engaging action scene, and therefore there are sharks in the arena. The changes being made to the film are done entirely to make it a blockbuster experience. There will definitely be more historical inaccuracies present throughout the film, but they will certainly all serve the purpose of increasing the blockbuster quality of the film.

Gladiator 2 doesn’t need to be historically accurate, that’s not its purpose

The film is not a biopic or a documentary

Gladiator 2 It’s also not trying to be an ancient Roman history lesson. The film, similar to what Maximus himself said about the fighting in the first GladiatorIt’s meant to entertain. There are many documentaries as well as similar historical epics that will delve into history of the time with a specific eye for accuracy, telling the story of the past exactly as it happened. Gladiator 2along with the original, these films are not. They are, first and foremost, blockbuster entertainment, and their accuracy of real-life events and people will always come second to their entertainment value.

Criticism of historical accuracy may be valid, as in the case of another Ridley Scott film, Napoleon. This film was perceived much more as a retelling of the life of this historical figure, and therefore its lack of precision meant that Napoleon I feel much more disappointing. However, the original Gladiatorand now its sequel, were never announced as these historical retellingswhich is evident from the fact that the protagonists of these films simply do not exist or are very different from the way the film portrays them.

Why Gladiator 2 Better Be Historically Accurate

Creative freedom is more important than precision

The crux of the matter, however, is simply a question of creative freedom. If Ridley Scott and the writers were fully committed to telling the story exactly as it happened, they would likely encounter problems in conceiving how the project would fit together as an actual film. A movie, especially one like Gladiator 2It needs lots of action, suspense, drama, likable characters and a compelling story all tied up in a neat little bow, but real life is rarely as well organized as the movies.

Using real-life figures as well as completely fictional elements allows Scott to make the best story possible. Lucius Verus II’s father wasn’t someone named Maximus, but by taking these real-life inspirations and combining them with the fictional elements, the real-life elements give people interested in history something to hold onto, and the fictional moments allow viewers in general to enjoy the experience even more. Gladiator 2 may use the history of the Roman Empire as a starting point, but it will not be hampered by a commitment to absolute realism.