“Gladiator II” snubbed at the Oscars

Would using historical facts help grab nods?

North African Marcus Opellius Macrinus, the character Denzel Washington’s role was loosely based on, was the first emperor who was born into a non-senatorial family. Zeinab Agbaria | The Washtenaw Voice

Yana Mcguire

Staff Writer

Looking upon the settled dust in the Colosseum, I find myself questioning if “Gladiator II” would have made more of an impact on the masses if it had been more historically accurate.

As of Jan. 31., “Gladiator II” wrapped up its theatrical run. Although the long-awaited sequel brought in a whopping $460,525,536 in box office sales worldwide, the film was disregarded by the Academy Awards, according to Forbes. The only nomination the film managed to get was for Best Costume Design.

This is a huge disappointment considering that the original “Gladiator” received 12 nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Joaquin Phoenix.

Perhaps if the plot were based on the true story of Marcus Opellius Macrinus, the character Denzel Washington brilliantly portrayed, it would have resonated with more people.

Who is Macrinus?

Macrinus was born into a wealthy equestrian class family who lived in North Africa, according to National Geographic. His family held a status similar to knights. While the equestrian class had money, they had no noble path to the emperor’s throne.

Quick wit and legal training helped Macrinus gain popularity. He served as a lawyer before entering lower-ranking positions in the Praetorian Guard.

Despite his Africaness, Macrinus was able to quickly rise up the ranking to become commander of the Praetorian Guard during Emperor Caracalla’s rule in A.D. 212. However, his rise didn’t come without some adversity.

“It (Rome) was more of a class-based society,” said Ian Rush, WCC history instructor. “He (Macrinus) wasn’t so much looked down on because he was from North Africa. It was because he was not from the highest level of aristocracy.”

During a campaign against Central Asia around 217, Emperor Caracalla supposedly heard a prophecy that Macrinus would succeed him. This led to a plot to take Macrinus’ life. Upon hearing about the plot, Macrinus allegedly ordered one of his guards to stab the emperor to death. The guard was immediately killed, so Macrinus’ involvement was never proven.

Macrinus seized the throne and ruled Rome for a little over a year. He managed to establish peace with the kingdoms his predecessor warred with. However, his attempt to stabilize the economy was cut short after he was violently murdered by supporters of Caracalla’s family.

How could Macrinus’ true story improve the film?

“Honestly, I’m not a big fan of sequels,” Darrick Lee, WCC film instructor said.

The recent Hollywood trend of “recycling ideas” bothers Lee. “I just crave new stuff,” he added.

Lee is not alone as sequels often leave most moviegoers craving something new, according to The Spectator.

Maybe if the film’s director, Ridley Scott, had taken a different approach and used the true story of Macrinus, it would have received more nominations.

If fiction must be used, then adding a plot twist, such as allowing the guard used to kill Emperor Caracalla to survive, become a gladiator, and fight his way to expose Macrinus’ evil deeds could have provided a nostalgic feeling the writers were looking for.

Unfortunately, writers of epic historical films tend to completely rewrite history to give fans what they think fans want.

“In their (film directors) minds, they’re trying to make it more marketable,” Rush said. “I think it’s all about money for them.”

If you would like to read a full review on “Gladiator II”, visit our previous article here.