On the new 4K UHD of Gladiator II, Denzel Washington made a surprising declaration in the bonus features. He called it the biggest movie with which he’s ever been involved. That’s only surprising because he’s been in movies for 45 years including some big ones like three Equalizers, Crimson Tide, and the Civil War epic Glory. But the ancient Roman sequel takes the cake.
“I think this is the biggest film I’ve been on,” Washington says. “Definitely the biggest budget. It’s big. It’s huge. It’s Cecile B DeMille on steroids. It’s huge.”
Washington worked with director Ridley Scott before on American Gangster. That was an epic period piece, but Gladiator II had more trappings.
“He’s not gonna have 100 guys, he’s gonna have 1000 of them,” Washington continued. “He’s not gonna have 20 horses, he’s going to have 20 scores. It makes the job easy. Everywhere you turn, you feel like you’re in that world. It’s easy to slip in like a nice fitting shoe.”
Filming on location in Malta also proved to be one of the more extravagant locations of Washington’s career.
“It helps so much,” he said.” The clothes help too but the environment, where we are. Everywhere you look it feels like history. It all just helped. I couldn’t imagine just doing this on sets. There’s a size and a scope that the landscape itself brings.”
What he’s talking about is vivid in 4K. It doesn’t have the washed out look of the first film so it’s even more transportive to ancient Rome.
Washington didn’t even know this part but sound also envelops with arrows whizzing by, water splashing and wood cracking in naval combat and the vicious crowd jeering.