Russell Crowe says 'Gladiator' sequel lacked 'moral core'
What's the story
Russell Crowe, who starred in the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator, has criticized its sequel for lacking a "moral core." Speaking at the Taormina Film Festival, he said that the original film was successful because it had a strong moral center. He also revealed that he resisted studio pressure to include sex scenes in Gladiator because he believed they would detract from his character's journey of avenging his wife's and child's deaths.
Studio conflict
Crowe's defense of his decision
Crowe recalled, "I just kept pushing back. I said, 'This is a story about a man who's avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn't make any sense... that destroys the journey.'" "They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns."
Film analysis
More on Crowe's thoughts about 'Gladiator'
Crowe argued that Gladiator was a film for women, not men. "On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge. But...it's a movie for women because it's about vengeance." "The second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took, but that's 20 years later...they failed because they didn't understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core."
New project
Meanwhile, Crowe will soon star in 'Bear Country'
Crowe will soon be seen in Bear Country, an action thriller directed by Derrick Borte. The film stars Crowe as an aging club owner whose plans to sell and retire are thwarted by a masked robber. The movie recently premiered at the Taormina Film Festival. It will be released on August 26 by 01 Distribution through Minerva Pictures with Rai Cinema.