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In ‘Gladiator II,’ the gods are a joke, but belief isn’t
January 1, 2025
Debuting just in time for Thanksgiving week, “Gladiator II” provides a long-awaited sequel. While the focus will doubtlessly be on the costumes, combat, and stunning sets, the film wrestles with power and the physical places that manifest it, making it a particularly important movie for Christian audiences.
Unfortunately, much of the story is a rehashing of previous plot points from the original. Again, we follow a powerful, connected man who somehow ends up a gladiator in imperial Rome through no fault of his own (Lucius Verus Aurelius, played by Paul Mescal), and again this person must strive to save Rome while navigating the fact that he is enslaved and forced to fight. Just like last time, the rulers are corrupt, the people fickle, and everything seems to be teetering on a knife’s edge.
If much of the plot is derivative, there’s also plenty to quibble with about Roman history, which did not employ a hereditary monarchy the way the movie seems to suggest. Nevertheless, Denzel Washington adds vigor to the movie through his depiction of Macrinus, and the battle scenes are choreographed perfectly.
While religion cannot be said to be a focus on the film, the gods are mentioned frequently. While invoked with ease, the gods are shown to be either irrelevant or mere cover for selfish actions. The conquered Numidians are shown praying before their city is decimated. In a pivotal scene, the main character refuses to offer a sacrifice to the gods, and even says that if they fail to save them, they are not gods. Those who the powerful intend to kill in the Colosseum hide behind the language of “the gods will decide.” When the victorious General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) returns home from his war with the Numidians, his wife Lucilla thanks the gods, but Acacius tells her to “thank the army; they protected me.”
Macrinus gives what might be the most important line of the movie when he says, referring to the Colosseum, “this is the greatest temple that Rome ever built, because this is what they believe in – power. The victory of the strong over the weak.” The movie builds up to the fact that, while the gods may be on everyone’s lips, what Romans really believe in is the power that Macrinus names as Rome’s greatest god as exemplified in the Colosseum.
As the Colosseum was a monument to ancient Roman power, shopping malls, political rallies, and sporting events are monuments to America’s present moment. All are important, even replacing religion in many instances, because they are the embodiment of victory, something that Americans are willing to pursue to dangerous ends, even if it threatens our country’s continued viability.
Similarly, God seems to be invoked frequently in American life. In a few weeks, Donald Trump will put his hand on a Bible and swear to defend the Constitution, “so help me God.” Our money reads “in God we trust,” while a sneeze might elicit a “God bless you.” God might be mentioned a lot, but it feels like “Gladiator II” got it right: there are other things that we believe in much more.
I was recently dropping a family member off at the mall for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Originally, I had intended to accompany them, but I couldn’t because there was no parking in the vast complex that covered several acres. It struck me that, while the speakers in the parking lot might be playing Christmas carols that mention God, this was surely a concrete representation of what Americans believe in: money, consumerism, disposable income.
Surely, the greatest temples in American life are not churches. Indeed, interest in religion continues to wane overall in the country. No, the shopping mall joins other unique monuments to this present moment – including political rallies and sporting events. All are important, even replacing religion in many instances, because they are the embodiment of victory, something that Americans are willing to pursue to dangerous ends, even if it threatens our country’s continued viability. Indeed, one could argue that they represent the exact same value that Macrinus decries: “victory of the strong over the weak.”
It’s worth considering what our churches represent. Are they monuments to a beautiful world created by a loving God? Do they contain in their architecture a commitment to divine concepts like mercy and forgiveness? Or do they represent far baser concerns, like the amassing of wealth and power? Surely the answer will depend upon who you ask, but the key is that we need monuments to our higher selves in times like these.
In “Gladiator II,” the gods are a joke, but belief is revealed to be of great importance. After watching the movie, my only hope is that we find a way to build more temples to mercy, kindness, and love. Maybe we have even built them already.
Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf is senior minister, Lake Street Church of Evanston, Illinois. He currently serves as the Co-Associate Regional Minister with the American Baptist Churches Metro Chicago. His book, published in 2023 by T&T Clark, is titled “Sanctuary and Subjectivity: Thinking Theologically about Whiteness and Sanctuary Movements.”
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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