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As a devoted admirer of the original Gladiator movie, I must declare that I never thought there would be a sequel. However, the sequel is an actual work of art. While the story and characters may not be historically accurate, my issue lies with Hollywood’s tendency to continuously produce exquisite films about the Roman Empire. Instead of subjecting the audience to yet another retelling of ancient Roman or Greek tales, why not explore the rich and influential civilizations of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and India? It seems that Hollywood is fixated on remaking the same stories about Egypt, Rome, and Greece, perpetuating their racist ego and reinforcing the dominance of Caucasians in the public’s mind.
Moreover, it cannot be denied that Hollywood is also known for its liberal ideals, while most of its audience leans towards conservatism. That means they must use their platform to spread unacceptable ideals. What made the first installment of Gladiator a classic may now raise controversy in today’s societal standards. The traditional tropes of a helpless damsel, a courageous and dominant male hero, a wicked villain, and everything we adore about action movies are now being challenged. The liberal political party has been in power for over a decade, and Hollywood was right there to help push their agenda. However, lately, the influence of the court of public opinion and “cancel culture” has waned.
Females in positions of power now stand a chance to fall as villains. Hollywood faces backlash when it promotes WOKE ideals. As a result, this sequel must emphasize the uncertainty of the future, where heroic sacrifices may yield a different outcome. The notion of “strength and honor” can easily crumble when faced with the corrupting influences of power, survival, and wealth. Despite being close to three influential figures, the female protagonist endures multiple romantic lifetimes worth of struggles. And the hero, who falls prey to his father’s fate, struggles to live up to his legacy. Ultimately, Denzel Washington’s exceptional performance would bring this story to life – a deliberate choice by the filmmakers.
There is an impossible amount of anguish surrounding the Gladiator II movie. Yet, if I were to reprimand anyone, it would be today’s audience…. Let me clarify for you. By today’s audience, I mean not only the younger generation but also audiences of all ages and backgrounds who are culpable. It’s as if they were all sent to the same school, taught by the same professor, and now they all react similarly. As a creative, I find today’s audience impossible to captivate. They are quick to whip out their unique calculators, history books, and fact-checking machines to discredit even the slightest scientific or historical inaccuracy in a piece of art. They disrupt the flow of the artist’s creativity to show how they know everything.
But that’s not all. No, not by a long shot. This audience is passive spectators, self-appointed, and active critics. They demand that the author stimulate them on multiple levels. Not just visually or audibly but historically or spiritually. They crave complexity and originality in characters while anchoring their expectations to political correctness. A creative must stay with one-dimensional caricatures. They will not hesitate to voice their disappointment and disapproval if they don’t understand the art. However, the most frustrating aspect for today’s audience is their need for more empathy without imagination. The creators of Gladiator II were threading a tiny needle. That’s how the production outshined the story.
The audience is so caught up in their thirst for reality and perception of the world that they cannot fully immerse themselves in the world created by the creators. Right? Wasn’t the original film fiction? They refuse to suspend their disbelief and instead nitpick and dissect every aspect of the work. Artists and creatives take on a more daunting task of entertaining this unyielding audience. But with every new creation, we face immediate skepticism, criticism, and ever-increasing expectations and demands. Someone must tell this WOKE audience that it’s time to put down the calculators and fact-checking machines. They must allow the creator to sweep them away with the magic and wonder of art.
If an artist were to retell the timeless tale of the princess and the dragon in today’s society, they would likely find themselves embroiled in a heated battle with the audience, all because of the pervasive WOKE culture. It’s a sad reality that even something as simple as an election can tear apart families and relationships, with spouses divorcing and family members being kicked out of dinner tables. As I mentioned, Denzel Washington delivered a stellar performance. He would have been a perfect fit for the role of the Roman General. The unfortunate reality of racism in Hollywood is what prevented them from casting him there due to the color of his skin. The audience’s rejection would be overwhelming.
They flagrantly disregarded accuracy in every aspect of the story, carelessly swapping emperors and periods without a second thought. But when it came to the main character being a Black Gladiator, suddenly, they were adamant about historical authenticity. It’s like how they intentionally rewrote another Gladiator movie to fit their racist narrative. So the audience could not be fully immersed. They could not feel the sun’s heat beating down on their skin, the deafening roar of the crowd, and the metallic tang of blood in the air. It is becoming challenging to intrigue the people with another Roman or Greek tale. I am sure you have also noticed that someone has enslaved every black man in these narratives.
Fundamentally, there are two main types of art. We have our art based on fiction and those based on nonfiction. The audience must be educated enough to identify the kind of art they’re consuming. As an emcee in hip hop, I have struggled with this modernized audience when creating rhymes as I am constantly editing and re-editing my lyrics to ensure that I don’t come off as dry-snitching, braggadocio, homophobic, sexist, materialistic, sensational, or whatever else they may complain about. All they have to do is enter the artist’s world to experience the art from the creator’s perspective. The goal is to create entertainment. The creators should explore other stories, and the audience should relax themselves.
You cannot tell me there was never an Arab girl who fell hopelessly in love with a black man. Every work cannot be a classic. It’s like Bob Marley writing “I Shot the Sheriff.” This audience would be asking to see the remains of the sheriff. If not, they would not appreciate the song. However, when you show them the remains, they become internet detectives, prosecutors, and judges. In the world of Drill music, we saw this audience instigate numerous rappers to commit murder, incriminate themselves, or wind up dead, all to feed the audience’s thirst for drama. A creative cannot use their skills to transport them into a world of mystery and figurative expression, where they can let their imagination run wild.
This is also true in modern poetry. People resist the butterflies, maybe because they must create online content for their YouTube channel. Today’s audience seems so focused on reality that they do not allow poems to stimulate a place of creativity. There is no room for dreaming or even experimentation. Everything they consume should be scientifically or historically accurate, or they will reject it. At the same time, it should also be politically correct while re-echoing a WOKE message. However, as artists, we cannot conform to the audience’s whim. We must continue pushing the boundaries and challenging their expectations because true art is about breaking barriers and inspiring the human imagination.
