Warning: This article contains spoilers forGladiator 2.
Gladiator 2gives its fictionalized Lucilla character a much more meaningful and impactful ending than her real-life counterpart got in the history books. Lucilla is one of the only major characters from the firstGladiatormovie to reappear intheGladiator 2cast. The original actor, Connie Nielsen, came back to play the character at a much different stage in her life. In the first film, Lucilla struggled to balance raising her young son Lucius with managing the responsibilities of her political power and warding off unwanted sexual advances from her brother, Commodus.
InGladiator 2, Lucilla is remarried to Acacius, a celebrated Roman war hero. Lucius is all grown up, but since Lucilla had to send him away at a young age to protect him, they haven’t spoken in years. She’s once again trying to realize her father Marcus Aurelius’ dream of a peaceful utopia under the iron-fisted rule of tyranny. Lucilla is one of theGladiator 2characters based on real historical figures, and the movie gives its Lucilla character a much more powerful and dignified ending than the actual Lucilla got in real life.
The Meaning Behind Lucilla’s Death In Gladiator 2
The Arrows Symbolize The Cycle Of Violence
When the emperors discover that Acacius and Lucilla are plotting against them, they sentence them both to death, but in different ways. Acacius is forced to go out into the arena and fight with the gladiators. When Lucius refuses to kill him, the emperors order their archers to fill him with arrows. After Acacius is killed, Lucilla is also brought out into the arena and pitted against the Praetorian Guard. While Lucius is trying to defend her, Macrinus shoots her dead, similarly with an arrow.The arrows have a deeper thematic meaninginGladiator 2.
Who Lucius' Father Is In Gladiator, And Who Gladiator 2 Changes It To
Paul Mescal’s Gladiator II character Lucius was featured in the original film — but his father was given a different identity in the first movie.
All throughoutGladiator 2, Ridley Scott uses arrows to symbolize the relentless cycle of violence.Lucius’ wife is killed by an arrow at the beginning of the movie, which motivates Lucius to pursue vengeance against Acacius, who ordered her death. Later, after Lucius decides to forgive Acacius and show him mercy, Acacius is riddled with arrows in front of him. WhenLucilla is also killed with an arrow by Macrinus, Lucius switches his vengeful target toDenzel Washington’s Macrinus. Lucilla’s death by arrow ties back to Acacius and Lucius’ wife’s own arrow-related deaths, andhighlights the endless cycle of killing.
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 figure Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla.Much like in the movies, she was the daughter of Marcus Aurelius, the wife of Lucius Verus, and the older sister of Commodus. When Lucilla was around 33 years old, Commodus caught her plotting an assassination and coup attempt against him.Commodus initially just banished Lucilla and her daughter to the Italian island of Capri, but later that year, hesent a centurion to the island to execute them.
Shortly before her on-screen death, she nobly says that she would gladly die for Rome, but she would not allow her son to die.
Lucilla’s fate inGladiator 2is similar, but much more meaningful. She’s caught in the midst of an attempted coup and sentenced to death, but in the movie, she gets to go out with her son at her side. Shortly before her on-screen death, she nobly says that she would gladly die for Rome, but she would not allow her son to die.Lucilla dies in front of the Roman people, giving her death a symbolic purposeto galvanize them.
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 story — and a longer life — than she got in real life, but it was still far from perfect. Lucilla’s role inGladiator 2is justto serve Lucius and Acacius’ character development. In the first half of the movie, as Acacius has become disillusioned with his life as a warmonger, he relies on Lucilla to comfort him. They conspire to bring down the emperors together, but Acacius is the face of the conspiracy;Lucilla is mostly confined to the background. Her role with the Senators could’ve gone so much further.
Gladiator 2has a critics’ score of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the second half of the movie, Lucius finally embraces his mother’s love, but their reconciliation is short-lived. While Lucius is trying to protect Lucilla from the Praetorian Guard, Macrinus takes up a bow and kills her. This gives Lucius another motivation for vengeance and he goes after Macrinus. It’sa classic case of “fridging.”Although the term is typically applied to superhero comics, it can beused to describe any story that kills off a female character to facilitate a male character’s development. That’s exactly whatGladiator 2does with Lucilla, even if it’s more dignified than real life.
Gladiator II
Cast
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.
