Gladiator II
A Reflection on Strength, Honour, and the Self-Destructive Spiral of Power
I’m not sure how to fairly judge the movie’s plot. Personally, I found the first part far superior, probably because: (i) I couldn’t connect with Lucius Verus at all throughout the film (perhaps my nostalgia for the original is influencing this). (ii) The filmmakers seem to have played it safe by lazily rehashing the template of Gladiator I, missing an opportunity to take bold risks and steer the franchise in an exciting new direction. (iii) The story feels entirely predictable.
However, two things struck me:
Strength and Honour
Without strength, how can there be honour? In today’s context, can Syria or Iraq even talk about strength and honour? China might be able to. Russia, on the other hand, might even go to the extent of a nuclear attack in the name of Honour.
The Woke Movement in the U.S.
The current state in the U.S. seems to reflect that America has reached the same level of corruption and moral decay as ancient Rome. It has effectively peaked. It’s only a matter of time before America self-destructs like Rome did. They don’t need a China to do that.
Beneath its layers of comfort, the U.S. has grown weak, but its corrupt system poses a significant threat to the world. It’s akin to a drunken monkey wielding a sword.
That said, I feel that if anyone is going to destroy the world, it won’t be China or the Middle East or anyone else. The White man will be the one to destroy himself and rest of the world, not a Black, Yellow, or Brown one.
