What is the most realistic peplum? The historian will answer us!

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” opens in theaters on November 13 and has just passed the 2 million mark in French cinemas. Starring Paul Mezcal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, the sequel to the 2000 cult film takes place 16 years after the death of Maximus (Russell Crowe).

Lucius is forced into the Colosseum when his country is overrun by tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome with an iron fist. With rage at heart and the future of the empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find the strength and honor to restore Rome to its people.

If a few criticisms have been made regarding the historical veracity of certain scenes, the feature film is above all a great spectacle. Recently, the historian enlightened us about gladiator fights, the shark sequence in the Colosseum, as well as Macrinus, the character played by Denzel Washington in the film.

We asked the author Francois Cadiu “An imaginary army“And to a professor of Roman history and director of the history department at the University of Bordeaux Montaigne, which he thinks is the most reliable. The answer is surprising.

AlloCiné: What do you think is the most reliable peplum? and why

Francois Cadeau : Historical reliability is the weak point of most. None (or almost none) escapes this rule, which has characterized the genre since its inception. If we limit ourselves to ancient Roman peplums, I would say that it is the Roman series that offers perhaps one of the most reliable reconstructions.

Despite a certain number of mistakes (sometimes gross) and anachronisms that it shares with many other films, it has the advantage of offering the public a less cardboard and less idealized picture of Roman antiquity than the traditional peplum. Reflects the daily lives of common people at the end of the Republic, not just the world of the powerful.

AlloCiné: What is your favorite genre of film and why?

Francois Cadeau : One of the ones that left the biggest impression on me remains Ben Hur from 1959, which did not win 11 Oscars. The reconstruction of Roman antiquity, though grandiose, is as implausible as anywhere else. But I choose it because it’s a great movie. Other than this version of Ben Hur, there are few true masterpieces of cinema.

It is absolutely necessary to see it on the big screen to appreciate the brilliance of the images, the power of the direction, the charisma of the actors, in the service of a beautiful story. It’s extraordinary. But do I admit to having a soft spot for the 1951 version of Quo Vadis too? Which works for me like Proust’s Madeleine (especially in French!).

AlloCiné: What did you think of the first gladiator?

Francois Cadeau : The first gladiator is a film with very spectacular images and an attractive atmosphere, full of breath and lyricism (who can forget the music?).

On the other hand, despite its reputation for realism, it suffers from a simplistic scenario and is rather weak on the historical level, making it a rather traditional epic on that level. The story, in particular, is completely fantastic compared to the social and political reality of the end of the II century. Then the world of AD gladiators, as depicted in the film, is quite far from that time. But you have to entertain the audience and give them what they expect!

You understand that the 7th art greatly idealized the ancient Roman period to offer a great spectacle to the audience. And Gladiator II is no exception to the rule just like the original film.

Gladiator II It’s currently in theaters.