Gladiator II
monition : This article contains spoilers forGladiator 2 .
prizefighter 2gives its fictionalized Lucilla character a much more meaningful and impactful ending than her actual - life counterpart got in the history books . Lucilla is one of the only major characters from the firstGladiatormovie to reappear intheGladiator 2cast . The original thespian , Connie Nielsen , came back to spiel the character at a much dissimilar stage in her lifetime . In the first plastic film , Lucilla fight to balance raising her young son Lucius with managing the obligation of her political power and warding off undesirable sexual advances from her brother , Commodus .
InGladiator 2 , Lucilla is remarried to Acacius , a celebrated Roman war zep . Lucius is all get up , but since Lucilla had to send him off at a youthful age to protect him , they have n’t spoken in age . She ’s once again trying to realize her Padre Marcus Aurelius ’ dream of a peaceful Sion under the Fe - fisted rule of authoritarianism . Lucilla is one of theGladiator 2characters ground on substantial historical figures , and the movie give its Lucilla grapheme a much more powerful and self-respecting conclusion than the actual Lucilla got in tangible life .
The Meaning Behind Lucilla’s Death In Gladiator 2
The Arrows Symbolize The Cycle Of Violence
When the emperor discover that Acacius and Lucilla are plotting against them , they doom them both to end , but in dissimilar ways . Acacius is ram to go out into the arena and fight with the gladiators . When Lucius refuses to kill him , the emperor butterfly order their archers to take him with arrow . After Acacius is killed , Lucilla is also brought out into the domain and mark against the Praetorian Guard . While Lucius is trying to support her , Macrinus shoots her dead , likewise with an arrow . The arrows have a deep thematic meaninginGladiator 2 .
Paul Mescal ’s Gladiator II character Lucius was featured in the original flick — but his male parent was given a different identity in the first movie .
All throughoutGladiator 2 , Ridley Scott uses arrows to symbolize the relentless cycle per second of violence . Lucius ’ wife is killed by an pointer at the start of the movie , which motivates Lucius to pursue payback against Acacius , who ordered her death . later on , after Lucius decide to forgive Acacius and show him mercifulness , Acacius is riddled with arrow in front of him . WhenLucilla is also kill with an arrow by Macrinus , Lucius flip his vengeful target toDenzel Washington ’s Macrinus . Lucilla ’s death by pointer ties back to Acacius and Lucius ’ wife ’s own arrow - relate deaths , andhighlights the eternal cycle of killing .
Image via Paramount Pictures
How Lucilla Died In Real Life
Lucilla’s Real-Life Fate Is Similar But Different
Gladiator ’s Lucilla characteris based on the real - life historical soma Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla . Much like in the flick , she was the girl of Marcus Aurelius , the wife of Lucius Verus , and the older sister of Commodus . When Lucilla was around 33 years old , Commodus catch her plat an assassination and putsch try against him . Commodus initially just relegate Lucilla and her daughter to the Italian island of Capri , but later that year , hesent a centurion to the island to execute them .
short before her on - covert demise , she nobly says that she would gladly become flat for Rome , but she would not allow her Word to die .
Lucilla ’s fate inGladiator 2is similar , but much more meaningful . She ’s caught in the midst of an assay coup and doom to death , but in the moving picture , she get to go out with her son at her side . Shortly before her on - screen death , she nobly says that she would lief become flat for Rome , but she would not allow her son to decease . Lucilla decease in front of the Roman masses , pay her death a symbolic purposeto galvanize them .
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
Gladiator 2 Gave Lucilla A Better Story, But Didn’t Do Enough
Lucilla Basically Got Fridged To Facilitate Lucius' Character Development
Gladiator 2gave Lucilla a much better report — and a long life — than she catch in real life , but it was still far from thoroughgoing . Lucilla ’s role inGladiator 2is justto serve Lucius and Acacius ’ fiber ontogeny . In the first half of the movie , as Acacius has become disillusioned with his life as a militarist , he relies on Lucilla to solace him . They conspire to bring down the emperors together , but Acacius is the face of the conspiracy;Lucilla is mostly confined to the ground . Her office with the Senators could ’ve gone so much further .
Gladiator 2has a critics ’ mark of 75 % on Rotten Tomatoes .
In the second half of the film , Lucius finally embraces his female parent ’s erotic love , but their balancing is short - lived . While Lucius is seek to protect Lucilla from the Praetorian Guard , Macrinus takes up a obeisance and pop her . This give Lucius another motivation for vengeance and he proceed after Macrinus . It’sa classical case of “ fridging . ”Although the terminus is typically applied to superhero comics , it can beused to describe any story that kill off a distaff character to facilitate a male character ’s development . That ’s exactly whatGladiator 2does with Lucilla , even if it ’s more dignified than genuine biography .
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Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow - up to Ridley Scott ’s prize - winning celluloid Gladiator from 2000 . Scott returns to direct the subsequence , with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius , alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta . prizefighter 2 had been amaze in maturation hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward .
