Gladiator Review: Gladiator 2 is Happening, Let's Look Back at the Original

May 9, 2023 Jeremy Leal

Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, is a historical epic that depicts the story of a courageous warrior, Maximus Decimus Meridius, who was forced into slavery and emerged as a gladiator to challenge the power of an empire.

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The film stars Russell Crowe as Maximus and Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus, the corrupted emperor who Maximus defies. With a run time of 2 hours and 34 minutes, Gladiator won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and it remains a masterpiece of vivid action and extraordinary storytelling.

In this review, we will take a closer look at the performances of the lead actors, the characters they play, and how the movie has stood the test of time 23 years after its release.

Russel Crowe Versus Joaquin Phoenix

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The movie features a great hero versus a powerful, broken villain. Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus is excellent, while Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of Commodus is one of the all-time great villain performances. Both characters' motivations and characteristics remain consistent throughout the movie.

Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix respectively, deliver exceptional performances in this classic battle of hero and villain.

Maximus is a virtuous warrior who shuns corruption. The film portrays the ruthless murder of his family, including the distressing scene of soldiers storming his home and trampling his son, which was difficult to watch but added a realistic portrayal of the barbaric nature of the time period.

Gladiator showcases the complexities of morality and family dynamics during the reign of the Roman Empire, as Maximus' virtuous character is tested by the brutal murder of his family.

It reminded me of Game of Thrones or Braveheart, which also depict the brutality of past eras.

Maximus remains moral despite his family's murder.

Commodus is selfish and lacks emotional maturity, driven by power. His father criticizes him as a son. His sister Lucilla, played by Connie Neilson, is equipped with more empathy needed to be a decent human being. It’s unclear why she is not as devious or misguided as Commodus, since they were both raised by the same parents.

This raises a question and highlights one of the central themes of the movie: Is evil learned or innate? Does evil really exist, or is it the product of a series of tragic events that transform a person into a vengeful being at any cost?

Why was Lucilla not evil like her brother?

In my opinion, the female character may have developed more empathy due to the inherent challenges of being a woman, coupled with a healthy level of communication with her father. Although he may not have affirmed her as much as he could have, she seemed better equipped to absorb his lessons.

Marcus Aurilius says to her, “If only you’d been born a man, what a Caesar you would have made.” It’s both incredibly demeaning and true about the state of the world they lived in. She does not bat an eye at it.

Commodus, however, never truly faced adversity despite the absence of encouragement from his father, as we will explore later. It's uncertain whether his inability to develop stems from the lack of paternal love or if he is innately predisposed to evil.

Commodus is a character whose lack of discipline and fearfulness may be attributed to poor parenting by his father, Emperor Aurelius.

He is depicted as fearful, demonstrated through his avoidance of battle and lack of discipline in personal relationships. Aurelius’ poor parenting is suggested as a contributing factor to Commodus' issues, in contrast to someone like Ned Stark's character from Game of Thrones who is both a great warrior and general, and simultaneously a great father.

I thought it was interesting to compare Marcus Arelius parenting to that of Ned Stark from Game of Thrones. Ned too was a general, but managed to raise noble children.

Ned is the type of person who forces Jon Snow and the rest of his sons to attend a beheading of a man that fled his post, because being there and witnessing Ned holding true to his duty will be building blocks for them to grow into noble men. It also reflects the brutal reality of the time period the Game of Thrones story draws from.

As the film progresses, he starts to show his true nature as unfit to lead and begins to openly do evil things, such as stabbing Maximus and assaulting his sister.

A 23 year old movie that stands the test of time

Gladiator remains timeless even 23 years later. It's interesting to revisit this performance after just recently watching Beau is Afraid, Joaquin Phoenix's most recently released work (2023).

In Gladiator, Commodus is depicted as a fearful and weak leader who compensates for his lack of courage and knowledge by projecting his power outwardly. Maximus, in contrast, embodies courage and leadership, acknowledging that courage is not the absence of fear but rather powering through it.

“Are you not entertained?”

Joaquin Phoenix's characters in Gladiator and Beau Is Afraid deal with fear in different ways, with Commodus letting it manifest into evil and Beau into ambivalence. Phoenix's interest in playing broken characters is evident, and it's intriguing to see this common theme in his work.

Cesar admits that Commodus is "not a moral man" and unsuitable to be his successor, recognizing his own failure as a father due to his priorities of expanding Rome over parenting.

Commodus is the more interesting and complex character in Gladiator, especially in the scene where Caesar denies his rightful succession to the throne. Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal highlights the tragedy of Commodus and the shortcomings of Marcus Arelius as a father.

In that scene, Commodus showcases his humanity by listing his virtues that he feels have been overlooked by his father, and Joaquin Phoenix portrays this with impressive changes in tone, ranging from confident and conniving to vulnerable and heartbroken. This moment humanizes the character and makes his motivations and struggles more relatable, even though we do not yet know that he is about to commit patricide.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers a tragic and complex portrayal of Commodus in Gladiator.

“You wrote to me once, listing the 4 chief virtues. Wisdom, justice, fortitude, and temperance. As I read the list, I knew I had none of them. But I have other virtues, father. Ambition. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel. Resourcefulness. Courage. Perhaps, not on the battlefield but, there are many forms of courage. Devotion. To my family. To you. But none of my virtues were on your list. Even then it was as if you didn’t want me for your son.”

This is an all time scene.

“Oh, Commodus, you go too far”, says the emporer in response to his son.

“I searched the faces of the gods for ways to please you. To make you proud. One kind word. One full hug, while you pressed me to your chest and held me tight. Would have been like the sun on my heart for a thousand years. What is it in me you hate so much?” As he cries and speaks distraught and broken.

In this scene, Marcus Aurelius once again reveals his failures as a father. He admits that "your faults as a son is my failure as a father" then awkwardly extends his arms as if to offer a hug, demonstrating his lack of ability or experience in showing love and affection. Although he was a skilled communicator during times of war, having spent 16 of his 20-year reign in military campaigns, he clearly struggled with the emotional complexities of fatherhood.

You can imagine how Commodus, with his deep-seated insecurities and desperate need for validation, would have been enraged by his father's somewhat insulting response. This interaction could have been the tipping point for Commodus, pushing him to lash out in anger and ultimately commit the heinous act of killing his own father.

Who's to say that he wasn't already aware of his own capacity for violence, despite never having fought in battle or taken a life? Could it have been premeditated? Either way it's clear that he was deeply troubled and unstable, and the strained relationship with his father was a central piece.

Commodus' deep-seated insecurities and need for validation lead to his lashing out and violence.

A different response from Marcus Aurelius could have changed the situation's outcome. If he had responded with empathy and understanding to Commodus' vulnerability instead of pointing out his faults as a son, Commodus may not have been pushed to react with anger and violence. It's impossible to say for sure, but the lack of emotional connection and communication between the two ultimately led to tragedy.

The Other Side of that Coin

It's worth considering that Marcus Aurelius might have been a good father who showed love and empathy to his son, but we can't confirm this as their interactions before the pivotal scene are not shown.

We're left to speculate whether Commodus was inherently evil, or a broken person who needed a different kind of help that Marcus Aurelius could not provide. Contemplating Commodus from both perspectives - as a character born evil versus a person who is shaped by tragic circumstances who has spiraled into evil.

On the other hand, we have Maximus who is a completely different character. He is broken and yet so clearly directed in terms of his motivations. He is a strong and moral person but has no political power. Whereas Commodus is weak and immoral but has immense political power. As Maximus moves forward in his life after the murder of his family, he slowly starts to gain political power from the people.

While a simple character arc can be effective, I personally find a complexly motivated character to be more compelling. The intricacies of their thoughts and actions make for a more engaging and meaningful story.

Anyways, this movie is the definition of a classic and it more than withholds the test of time.

Excitement and wonder about Gladiator 2

Gladiator 2, set for release in November 2024, boasts an amazing cast including Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Barry Keoghan. While plot details are scarce, we do know that Paul Mescal will play Lucius, the son of Lucilla. As a fan of the original, I'm both curious and hopeful for the sequel.

With Ridley Scott at the helm, I trust the integrity of the original will be preserved. Although sequels can be risky, I respect the bold move and have high hopes for Gladiator 2.

My official rating for Gladiator is 9.3 out of 10.