The Use Of Colour In Gladiator II: Brown

The Use of Colour in Gladiator II: Brown

So once again before I get into it, here's my copy and paste from previous iterations of this: I referred quite a bit to some of my favourite books, The World According to Colour: A Cultural History by James Fox, The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St. Clair, and Emperor of Rome and SPQR by Mary Beard while working on this. I highly recommend all of them! These are definitely not mind blowing ideas here, just stuff that came to me because this movie has given me a severe case of brain rot. If you disagree, that’s cool. If you’ve mentioned any of this before, I love that we’re on the same wavelength. If you think this is ridiculous and I’ve gone off the deep end, you are correct.

Here are past colour posts: White Yellow Purple

This one seems extremely obvious to me and I almost didn't want to do it, but I'm going through all the colours I can and mama didn't raise a quitter. So without further ado: brown can be used to represent humility.

The character we see most often in shades of brown is Lucius. This makes sense, considering his story line. He's been raised outside of the luxury of the palace and the imperial rights he was entitled to, and is risking his neck every time he has to step into the colosseum.

As Kassia St. Clair states, "In an echo of what happened in art, bright, colourfast dyes for cloth, such as scarlet, were difficult and expensive to come by, and therefore remained the preserve of the wealthy and powerful. This left brown for the poor." (The Secret Lives of Colour, Kassia St. Clair, pg. 239).

And so it makes sense for Lucius to don brown hues throughout the film. But it also provides a full circle moment. Lucius is the representation of the hope for Rome. Marcus Aurelius dreamed of a Rome free for her people, and what better way to reflect the people than through the drab clothing of the humble gladiator?

But there are different types of brown. For example:

The Use Of Colour In Gladiator II: Brown

Before the party scene, Lucius is wearing a sort of olive-ish/khaki brown. "For thousands of years prior to this, warriors had decked themselves out in eye-catching styles to intimidate opponents. Bright colours, such as the red cloaks of Roman legions [...] could make individuals and forces look larger than they really were, and served as easy identification of friend or foe on smoke-filled battlefields." (The Secret Lives of Colour, Kassia St. Clair, pg. pg 241).

Take a look at the colour his opponent is wearing for the fight:

Thraex has dressed his fighter in yellow. And while this is only a fight between two men and not legions, the idea remains the same. Lucius, wearing his khaki colour, comes out on top.

His brown coloured clothing also proves advantageous in the arena.

Now, obviously the way he throws the sand is a call back to Maximus. But, it wouldn't have worked nearly as well as it did if he was wearing a bright colour.

I could continue on for just about every scene with Lucius, as he's wearing some sort of shade of brown, but you get the point. He's the humble, poor, chained gladiator. He's the hope for the Roman people (even if they don't know it), and he's the salt of the earth kind of person that should be in charge of Rome.

There's one more person that uses the colour brown to represent humility.

Ravi is the "good" character in the entire film. He's a former gladiator that freed himself, and offers his medical talent to help others. He offers Lucius a shoulder to lean on, advice, and is the one that sends for troops to be mobilized for Lucius. He's loyal, generous, and kind. It's no surprise he's dressed in brown too.

More Posts from Holyalmondsportsturtle and Others

holyalmondsportsturtle

1 month ago

#paul mescal #jessie buckley

#I have read the book by Maggie O'Farrell. It's heartbreaking but so well written.

#Take your box of tissues to the cinema for the film adaptation.

#Having to wait at least 7 months for this is too long.

Ranked 9th among the most anticipated films of the upcoming Awards Season is the historical drama by Chloé Zhao (Oscar winner for Nomadland), produced by, among others, Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes. The film is based on the acclaimed novel Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020.

Set in 16th-century England, Hamnet tells the story of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley), a healer deeply connected to nature, as they face the overwhelming grief of losing their 11-year-old son Hamnet to the plague. The film explores themes of mourning, love, and resilience, offering an intimate glimpse into Shakespeare’s private life and the profound sorrow that would later inspire his iconic tragedy, Hamlet.

The screenplay, co-written by Zhao and O'Farrell, promises a faithful and emotionally engaging adaptation of the novel. Cinematography by Łukasz Żal (Cold War, Ida) ensures a visually refined experience. With its poignant story, high-profile production, and powerful performances, Hamnet stands out as one of the most eagerly awaited contenders for awards recognition.

Ranked 9th Among The Most Anticipated Films Of The Upcoming Awards Season Is The Historical Drama By

Awards Season Blog

The Awards' Compass: Hamnet di Chloé Zhao

Awards Season 2025/2026: Hamnet di Chloé Zhaos con Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Emily Watson nel ruolo di Mary, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe

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holyalmondsportsturtle

3 weeks ago

#paul mescal

#The cinematography in this film is breathtaking.

#Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal were not too bad to look at either. :-p

#Carmen (2022) is a masterpiece, and yet so few people know about this film. :-(

#I have to remind myself that this was filmed in my country of Australia.

#Finally, Paul with a military haircut and his pretty muscles make me need to fan myself vigorously.

At night, a white man with short, brown hair shines a torch.

At sunset, the man wearing a grey t-shirt and dark jeans looks out to the horizon of the hilly desert, holding a guitar in one hand.

In a dim motel room, the man leans back on a chair wearing a black singlet. He has a tattoo on his bicep of three black arrows pointing up.

At night, a truck drives into the night with its headlights on.

Carmen (2022)

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holyalmondsportsturtle

1 month ago

#paul mescal

These pictures need to be displayed in an art gallery. 😍

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holyalmondsportsturtle

3 weeks ago

Watching All Of Us Strangers last night reminded me that I love two Irishmen. Their chemistry in the film was amazing, and I adore their friendship. 💚🤍🧡

Press Conference for The History of Sound - Cannes 2025

The press conference for The History of Sound at the Cannes Film Festival 2025: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xcq9qLXBd6s&feature=shared

During the press conference, the film's screenwriter Ben Shattuck and production designer Deborah Jensen mentioned the American folk ballad called "Silver Dagger". I really look forward to hearing Paul and Josh perform this together in The History of Sound, just as I look forward to watching the entire film.

Tags

josh o'connor paul mescal the history of sound oliver hermanus

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holyalmondsportsturtle

1 month ago

I am sure that Paul would be delighted with the comparison to Hugh Jackman, and I agree. I love Paul's accent and his singing voice. I really look forward to hearing him sing in The History of Sound.

why do paul mescals vocals in that snl skit where he does a parody of his character in gladiator 2 lowk give off hugh jackman in the greatest showman....

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holyalmondsportsturtle

1 month ago

#paul mescal

How Paul Mescal won no awards for Gladiator II is beyond me. He understood the assignment, and he ate, and left no crumbs.

"No, if anything, he's just trying to tear the establishment down, but actually not for kind of political reasons. It's personal reasons. It's the fact that Rome to Lucius represents everything that has taken his wife away from him. It's the the reason that he doesn't feel connected to his mother anymore. So it's an exciting thing to get to excercise that anger against an establishment in film."

"I think he attempted [to separate his personal agenda for the greater good of democracy]. I think he attempted up to the point that there's a certain responsibility thrust into his character's journey. Of course, it depends on the context, but I think where there's conscience, there comes a responsibility, right? I think that's what the film is saying with lucius."

"They're both questions. It's the moment that it stops being about him. He's asking the thousands of people around him a question. He's like, the line is, 'Is this how Rome treats its heroes?', and essentially it's Iike, 'If that's how they're going to treat him, how do you think you're going to be treated just as a simple citizen? This is a celebrated Roman general.'"

"I think he probably flips. He think he acts without constitution for the most part, for the first two acts of the film, I would say, and then when he finds out about his bloodline, he sees the state of Rome and what Fred and Joe's characters have done to Rome, and suddenly he's got the birthright to kind of succeed them, his constitution is somewhat forced upon him, but I don't think it's to fair to say that he takes that in his stride, like the film ends on a question where he's seeking guidance. I would describe him in the latter half of the film as somewhat of a reluctant leader, but does have a constitution. We don't really know how far he gets with it, but I think he probably would make a good leader. "

"He recited the poem in an attempt to subvert the power because Denzel's character at that moment is trying to protect Lucius by saying, 'Oh, he doesn't understand English. He's from the Provinces, etc.' But by Lucius reciting something in English, he's letting the emperors know, 'It's not that I don't understand the question. I'm choosing not to answer it. So, instead, I'm going to recite a poem to you.' But it's a political decision. It's a charged decision. It's an exciting moment for an actor to get to play because anything can happen in a story context from that point."

Paul Mescal on Lucius: IAMMIKEMUSE

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