For Christopher Nolan, “Gladiator 2” is clearly the film of the year. The “Oppenheimer” director also has an explanation for this.
The expectations for “Gladiator 2” were gigantic. There are quite a few who came to the conclusion after seeing Ridley Scott’s sequel for the first time: This is no longer my “Gladiator”. Too much trash, misrepresentation of history and boastful pathos.
Christopher Nolan, however, has a completely different view. When asked by “Variety” about his films of the year, the Oscar winner answered bluntly that “Gladiator 2” is right at the top.
Nolan praised Scott for “showing us who we are again” by allowing us to take part in such a “crazy trip.” The Brit explained that part of the greatness of the first part was giving viewers the opportunity to “look at our own dark desires from a distance” – without “drawing parallels to our times.”
Christopher Nolan praises Ridley Scott’s directing skills
Does this also include things that we actually find rather ridiculous? Yes! Nolan: Why are there sharks in the Colosseum? Because we demand it and Scott masterfully gives it to us”.
For the “Oppenheimer” director, “Gladiator 2” is an artistic success because it once again holds up a mirror to society: “While the film reveals how the games are used to manipulate public opinion, we can’t help it , than seeing the shadows of our own public arena projected onto the sand.”
Nolan expressly praised the action scenes because, despite the completely different staging, they also fit the “individual pathos” of the original. There is one breathtaking scene after another. “Not only is it entertaining, but it also makes us aware of the film’s themes,” he said.
Finally, Nolan had something to say: “For all his successes, Scott’s contribution to the development of cinematic storytelling has never been fully appreciated… What he can do has never been more evident than in the masterful opening sequence of Gladiator 2, in which Paul Mescal’s hand is gentle weighs the grain harvested from the swaying wheat of the original film.”
If you’re now wondering why Nolan’s flowery language sounds like he’s almost drunk on the film’s grace, then you understand what heartfelt adoration is. By the way, the director didn’t think “Dune 2” was bad either.