As a cinephile with a penchant for grandeur and a soft spot for historical epics, I can hardly contain my excitement for “Gladiator II.” Having grown up watching Ridley Scott’s masterpieces, I’ve come to appreciate the intricate details that his go-to production designer, Arthur Max, brings to life.
Ridley Scott instructed Arthur Max, the production designer for “Gladiator II”, with a clear message: “Let’s aim for the spectacular. I want to convey the immense grandeur of the Roman Empire.” (This sentence maintains the original meaning but uses more conversational language and a modern idiom.)
Max, who’s been Scott’s primary production designer for more than twenty years, presented an idea he dubbed “a supercharged Gladiator.
In the follow-up to the 2000 hit movie, filmed in various locations including Malta and Morocco, Max decided to retain several architectural features from the original set. This time around, Max was asked to construct a replica of Rome’s Colosseum, blending digital and practical elements. The set spans an area equivalent to one football field and stands two stories tall. To cater to a scene in “Gladiator II” where the Colosseum is flooded for a simulated naval battle, Max had the structures extended to be taller than before.
As a cinephile, I found it fascinating how the grand entrance arch in the initial film stood at around 20 feet tall. Yet, in the sequel, they’ve noticeably upped the ante – standing over 30 feet high to accommodate the majestic ship sailing through with its towering mast unfurled.
To make the sets more practical for Scott’s requirements, special effects director Neil Corbould proposed constructing the ships on wheels. “We had a pair of these in Morocco, which were later transported to Malta, and another couple in Malta for the Colosseum. All of them were equipped with remote-controlled hydraulic wheel systems that allowed them to tilt and rotate,” Max explains.
A part of the Colosseum scene was constructed within a water tank at a studio in Malta, specifically designed for capturing close-up shots of the fight sequences and personal combats occurring on the ships.
Max additionally notes that the jet of water gushing onto the Colosseum’s wall close to the VIP section during the naval fight represents Neptune. “We constructed the facade and the water truly spouted, but it was directed into a large container.
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2024-11-08 20:16