“Are you not entertained?!”I actually am, thank you.

by Aliki Bitsakakis

I was probably the only self-proclaimed movie-lover in the world who had not seen Gladiator. I actually knew nothing about Gladiator before watching it the other night. In true phony fashion, the only thing I knew was that a sequel is coming out soon, and the first images got me pretty pumped. So, I finally sat down to watch one of the most famous movies of all time.

As I watch movies, write reviews, and attempt to write my own scripts, I find myself constantly breaking down what I’m seeing, lifting the curtains to figure out the secrets that will inform me on how to create an emotional moment that will stick with audiences for years to come. And I don’t think I’m the only person who is constantly thinking about the nitty gritty aspects of movie-making while trying to enjoy a new show or film. You can tell that those individuals behind the film are also thinking about every detail, and every moment is created with extreme intention: 

This montage is supposed to make you feel longing. These characters are going to kiss after being held apart for so long, but it’s complicated, and they aren’t going to be together. Here’s the scene that will explain why our protagonist is the way he is. That seemingly random detail mentioned in episode one will actually solve all of their problems.

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad thing; it’s proof that you care for your craft when you put in that level of thought, when you work to connect all the dots, when everything that you show on screen matters to the plot or the character development or the world-building. However, by getting lost in the structure of it all, you unconsciously sideline other important aspects of cinema. Like, making something really freaking cool. 

I recently watched Mad Max: Fury Road for the dozenth time in preparation for Furiosa. And the thing that stuck out to me the most between these two movies is that while one was focused on explaining the backstory of its protagonist, going through every moment that shaped who she became, the other was focused on being really cool. And I liked the cool one better. Explaining why your characters are the way they are is obviously important, but Furiosa revealed that the people behind that film didn’t actually understand why Fury Road was so popular in the first place. Sure, Furiosa’s journey of helping the wives escape only to realize her childhood oasis no longer existed is very compelling and emotionally-charged. But the thing people remember from this film is the crazy driving scenes. The elaborate sets. The guy ripping the electric guitar. And we barely got any of that in Furiosa. Plus, most of what we learned in that film we actually already knew from the tight storytelling in Fury Road. So, story-wise, and coolness-wise, there wasn’t much reason to see that prequel.

As artists, we make what we want. We are our own audience first, after all. We write stories that are important and personal to us. For what other reason is there to create? Once our passion becomes a business, things get a little more complicated. Not only must you retain making what you want and what you like, but you also need it to appeal to the masses. Because if it doesn’t, you won’t be making another film on this scale. 

So, the question remains: what do the people want?

Gladiator follows general Maximus, an Oscar-winning and career-defining performance by Russell Crowe. After his mentor, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, is murdered by his son Commodus, Maximus falls to the rank of slave, and must work his way back to the top to exact his revenge. Fuelled by the brutal murder of his wife and child, Maximus becomes a gladiator, eventually finding his way to the Coliseum. He slowly proves himself, and when he garners enough attention, he reveals his true identity. Commodus recognizes him as the man his father favored over his own son. One final duel and Maximus murders Commodus. Maximus then also dies, succumbing to an infected wound. He is carried out of the Coliseum, a hero. 

Simple story. Easy pitch. At no point did I feel my brain working overtime to keep up with this film. Yet I had no desire for a more complicated plot. Maximus being driven by the death of Marcus Aurelius, the murder of his family, and by Commodus being a little prick, was more than enough for me. Commodus being motivated by ambition, the search for power, and the need to be loved by those around him was compelling, realistic, and entertaining. Lucilla, Commodus’ sister, being motivated to help Maximus over shared grief for their dead spouses and for Marcus Aurelius, and bonding over shared hatred of Commodus, was enough to engage the audience and cheer her on, especially as she worked to protect her son Lucius, who in term became a huge fan of Maximus’ Gladiator persona “The Spaniard,” and will throw his hat in the ring in the upcoming sequel. There was no wider conspiracy, not too many characters, no major plot twists or intricacies that I need to hop on YouTube to have explained to me. 

And I loved it! It was purely cool. When the tigers were released in the Coliseum, I audibly gasped. The fight sequences – from small slave rings to the Coliseum itself – kept me on the edge of my seat. I was relentlessly cheering for Maximus, and felt the ultimate catharsis when he slit Commodus’ throat. After finishing the movie, my brother commented, “Maximus wasn’t a complex character, was he?” We then tried to figure out whether the appeal of Maximus’ character would have deepend if he were “complex.” And we couldn’t think of a good enough reason to make things more complicated. If his motivations were more muddled, maybe he would feel more realistic. But was there a problem with him being a live-action-figure? We still wanted him to succeed, we still felt his pain as he cried. How much more is needed from a character? If his motivations for chasing revenge had more facets, the story would have quickened in pace. But there was nothing wrong with the hefty fight scenes, because they were so well done. And he already had a reason for revenge, who’s to say more is better? What if Maximus had more range to his character, rather than just being angry the whole time? Well, his anger pushed him towards his goals. And if he were more complicated emotionally, that doesn’t necessarily make him a better character. His motivations and feelings were always clear, and everything about him served the story at hand. Did we need more? I don’t think so. May a viewer want more? Maybe, but if you present your audience with an idea, and you do it well, they will leave not thinking about what they didn’t get, but about how much they enjoyed your story.

A cool exercise is to assume that what you’re watching is perfect. Assume that you are the one who's wrong. Then you get to thinking why certain choices were actually made, because the person who made those choices obviously made them thinking they were the right choices. So, rather than thinking, Gladiator should have been more complicated. Think, what can I learn from the way this story was told? Let’s assume it was all perfect. Ridley Scott chose to tell a story of Maximus exacting his revenge on Commodus. Why? What are we getting from this film? Well, it gave us a slice of Ancient Rome. We saw the brutality that we have only read about in history books. We saw the Coliseum in its hay day, and we finally understood what those violent gladiator matches were all about. We understood how tightly-knit the monarchies in these ancient societies were, and how even family members were stabbing each other in the back. And those gladiator matches reflected what was actually going on at the time. Ridley Scott situated us in the Coliseum’s audience, watching this man fight through his rage in order to die a hero to his family. This film wasn’t meant to be some nuanced comment on modern society; it was meant to transport us back in time, and show us something really cool that we have never seen before. And I think that’s why the movie remains so popular, and why everyone is now buzzing for the sequel. Because it was fun! It was fun to see 24 years ago, and it’s fun to see now in our modern world of CGI galore. Seeing practical effects, historically-accurate costumes, and choreographed fight sequences is a thrill, and one that many people will go back to experience again and again.

And this brings me to my wishlist for Gladiator II. Please, do not repeat the mistakes of Furiosa. Do not ignore what made the first film so great. It’s about balancing what made the old film amazing, while bringing in a new flavor. You absolutely need awesome gladiator duels (it’s called Gladiator, after all). But you don’t need to defeat the villain in a similar duel-to-the-death. You don’t need tigers this time. You don’t need the slave fights. You need new moments that are unique to this film. You absolutely need the protagonist to be motivated by harsh emotions. But those emotions do not need to be rage stemming from the family’s murder. You absolutely need to show us insights to Ancient Rome, making us feel like we were actually there. But those insights should be different in the second film, showing us aspects of society that we did not see in the first. 

Whether or not it’s what the audience actually wants, Hollywood keeps giving us sequels, prequels, and remakes. Unfortunately, experiencing the thrill of something new has become a rare emotion. I don’t think studios and execs realize the pressure they are putting on themselves by making these sequels. Not only do you have to impress audiences, but you will be compared to the first film. Gladiator is one of the most famous movies of all time, and does not fall short of moments that have become iconic in our cinematic culture. I hope the people behind Gladiator II took some time to pin down why the first film was so successful. I hope they honour its simple storytelling and its awesome action sequences. I hope I don’t find myself longing for the first film and condemning Hollywood for ruining another bright young actor. Only time will tell, and if I feel strongly about the second film, positively or negatively, you will be hearing from me again very soon.