Gladiator II

What’s it about?

When ruthless emperors take control of Rome and destroy his home, Lucius is thrust into the brutal arena of the Colosseum. To reclaim the glory of Rome and restore hope to its people, he must dig deep into his past and find the strength to fight back.

The facts

• Directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien)
• Stars Paul Mescal (Normal People), Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), Denzel Washington (The Equalizer), Connie Nielson (Gladiator), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things)
• English language
• Runtime: 227 minutes

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Bloody violence

Gladiator II contains a lot of battle and fight sequences, some with a lot of blood and gory bodily injury. Weapons used include swords, arrows, flaming cannonballs, knives and axes. Some of the stronger moments of violence and injuries in the film are:

• A character dies after their head is cut off with a sword during battle. This happens on screen in one brief shot. Afterwards you see the body on the ground with the head lying separately.
• During an intense conversation, a character’s fingers are sliced using a sword, and shortly after their head is cut off with the same weapon. The decapitation happens off screen, but sound effects make it quite intense. In the next scene, a character pulls the deceased’s head from a bag and moves it around with its bloodied, fleshy neck shown.
• Arrows are shot through characters’ chest and neck on several occasions. A few of the injuries are shown in close-up with bloody detail.
• Swords are used frequently, often slicing or severing limbs and occasionally piercing the torso, chest, or neck.
• In a battle sequence, people are killed with arrows, swords, and cannonballs. After it ends, dead bodies are dragged onto a beach and are then burned in a large pit (shown in the background) while other civilians cry and scream.
• Several shots are shown of an open wound on a character’s arm, exposing flesh and bone.
• A branding iron is used on a character’s back.
• A monkey attacks a character, biting deeply and tearing out their neck.
• After a 'fight to the death' scene, a character’s body is dragged out of a room, leaving a trail of blood from their injuries.
• Characters are attacked by sharks, with minimal detail shown, though the water turns red during the scenes.
• A character is killed when a sharp needle is pushed deep into their ear.
• During a one-on-one fight scene, a character’s arm is cut off with a sword. You see their flesh and bone where the arm was severed, and the part that comes off drops into the water.

Cruelty 

Elite Romans buy gladiators to fight for public entertainment. They’re branded, kept in cages while traveling, held in cells between matches, and put through harsh, painful training. Injuries and deaths in the arena often amuse the elite spectators, who are shown smiling or laughing.

Animal cruelty 

In separate battle scenes, gladiators face off against animals, many of which are hurt or killed. The use of CGI for the animals reduces the impact of these scenes.

• Animals are whipped with chains, shot with darts, have their teeth ripped out, and one is bitten during a fight with a gladiator.
• One animal slams into a wall, breaking its horn.
• In a later scene, an animal's severed head is served as food.
• Other caged animals are depicted, presumably for fighting in the Colosseum.

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Gladiator (2000) – Content Breakdown