Race and Rome
Is it historically accurate to cast Denzel Washington as the bad guy in "Gladiator II?"
From my new column in Taki’s Magazine:
Steve Sailer
November 20, 2024Men like thinking about the Roman Empire.
So, should Sir Ridley Scott have cast Denzel Washington as the bisexual bad guy in his new movie Gladiator II? Is it historically accurate to cast a black villain in the Roman Empire?
… Without having seen Gladiator II yet, I’d respond that casting Denzel is fine:
First, it’s the Gladiator franchise, which doesn’t pretend to have a track record of meticulous historical accuracy. As you probably recall (if not: spoiler alert), the 2000 Gladiator with Russell Crowe ends with the Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) being overthrown in A.D. 192 and…the Roman Republic being restored.
In actuality, the Roman Empire survived for another 284 years.
Second, he’s Denzel Washington, one of the great movie stars of his generation. (Check him out in 2012’s Flight for an example.)
Third, due to pro-black racial favoritism, black actors don’t get hired as often as they should to play antagonists. By most accounts, Denzel has a grand old time for himself in Gladiator II in his rare role as a miscreant. …
Fourth, there indeed were some sub-Saharans in the classical Mediterranean world; not many, but some, enough to justify casting Denzel in a popcorn movie.
For example, one of the more prestigious early converts to Christianity in The Acts of the Apostles (Acts 8:26–40) is the “Ethiopian eunuch,” treasurer to Queen Candace of Kush, whom Philip the Evangelist encounters in his chariot on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.
Read the whole thing there.
Regarding blacks and ancient Egypt, I can categorically state (because we have a myriad of evidence about the subject) that ancient Egyptians were not Sub-Saharan blacks, and this is well known to anybody in academia and not a matter of serious controversy. There are no doubts or anything dubious about this, we're talking about one of the few things about antiquity that we know beyond any shadow of a doubt.
I also agree than Denzel Washington is a great pick for that movie, great actor and also not an anachronistic pick because there were black people in ancient Rome, not many but enough so that they weren't an incredible sight.
All I can add is that "Gladiator" is in my top three of all time favorite movies; the first 20 minutes are cinematic perfection. I might glance at the new one when it gets to cable... but I am assuming disappointment.
That said, I think it is progress when non-whites are cast as "bad" guys. It's more of an equalizer than all the other nonsense. It's been happening more and more.