Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is getting closer to its release date, and while it is being eyed as one of the more highly regarded movies of the year, the movie is getting a very peculiar remark over and over again. The historians are seemingly very unhappy, as the movie has many “inaccuracies” and mistakes.
There is a scene in the movie where a noble is sipping tea in a café reading a newspaper. If you already didn’t know, the movie is set in 211 AD. It would take another 1200 years for the first printing press to come to be. And while the Romans did have their daily news fed to them, it surely was not by a newspaper. There are other inaccuracies in the movie, where in a sequence sharks are present to whom Romans were oblivious.
The use of the rhinoceros is perhaps the most picked-up topic. The movie showcases rhinoceros being ridden by the gladiators, which are of a different species that the Romans were aware of.
It’s not the first time Scott has been in the crosshairs of historians. There were multiple problems in his rendition of Napoleon’s life, which stirred up a lot of French historians. However, Scott has become accustomed to these comments. While historical accuracy is definitely something that should be regarded highly, the movie requires a lot of spectacle to be actually interesting. And ertain choices must be made.
The movie is set to release on November 15, 2024.