Villain is “a product of utter neglect”

Ridley Scott doesn’t shy away from challenges. Neither before Napoleon’s 6 battles and 250 minutes, nor before the prevailing opinion of the general public. He now proves this in an interview with Deadline in which he the interpretation of a figure from Gladiator is completely reversed. Napoleon maker Ridley Scott: Gladiator villain deserves understanding

In the conversation, Scott is asked about Joaquin Phoenix, who had already played the villain Commodus in Gladiator before Napoleon. Scott chimes in:

For me he is the most understandable character. He is the product of complete neglect by his father. His father ends up completely neglecting him, saying, “You’ll never rule Rome.” And then he realizes that he wants forgiveness and kneels before his son.

Scott continues:

That was a fatal mistake because… [Commodus] never saw his father kneel. He suffocates him. From that moment on it was [er] For me the most relatable character in the film. Everything he did was actually due to his father’s actions.

Watch Commodus’ murder scene in English here:

Gladiator revolves around the Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe), whom Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) loves so much that he wants to name him his successor. His jealous son Commodus (Phoenix) kills his father and has Maximus’ family brutally murdered. The figure is correspondingly unpopular with fans. At the end of the film there is a showdown between hero and villain in which the sympathies are clearly divided.

When is Ridley Scott’s Napoleon coming to the cinema?

Fans will soon find out how he compares to Commodus Scott’s new egomaniac Napoleon. Napoleon appears on November 23, 2023 in the cinema. In addition to Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) can be seen in front of the camera.

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