MESCAL THRIVES ON HORSEBACK IN GLADIATOR II

“If you stuff it up and fall
off the bloody horse you
owe me two Bentleys.”

TRIVIA: During filming of the last shot of The Duellists (Scott’s debut feature in 1977) actor Keith Carradine broke his femur when his horse hit a tree. The incident made the director hesitant to have actors do dangerous riding stunts.  

Scott, now 86, had directed the first Gladiator 25 years ago starring Russell Crowe. It won a raft of awards.

Gladiator II takes place after Maximus Decimus Meridius (Rusty) dies. Years after witnessing the death of his revered hero at the hands of the villainous Emperor Commodus, Lucius, played originally by a young Spencer Treat Clark, is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who control Rome with an iron fist. The role of Lucius is now played by Paul Mescal.

In this $310 million picture, he needed to be convincing as a fearless gladiator ripped and raring to go to save the downtrodden folk of Rome. “I had a fitness trainer who’d tell me what to do, when to do it, what to eat and when to eat.”

TRIVIA: Mescal, who used to be a Gaelic footballer, said: “I set the tone early with my fitness trainer – I smoke and drink and that’s not going to change.”

And he was dedicated to perfecting his fight scenes working closely with British stunt double, Zach Roberts, who acted more as a mentor than a substitute. Behind-the-scenes footage shows Mescal perfecting his action with swords and on horseback. In the film it is clear that practise and dedication pay off.

His equestrian skill can be credited to Camilla Naprous from The Devil’s Horsemen in the UK. These horse providers and trainers have collaborated with Scott on many of his films; stuntwoman Naprous complimented the actor on his enthusiastic commitment and performance.

“Over the years I’ve taught most of Hollywood to ride and the actor I’m most proud of is Paul,” Naprous said. “I admire his empathy, his understanding and his connection; he is so intelligent towards all the horses. A lot of other actors might be cheesed off hearing that but if they had worked as hard as him, they could have the same results.”

To feel comfortable around and on horses Mescal trained for scores of gruelling hours at the Horsemen’s Milton Keynes headquarters in Buckinghamshire. ‘Duke’, ‘Doctor’ and ‘Caravel’ were three he worked with.

“They can start acting
with you – I am fully in
love with them…”

When training to spring on at the canter, Caravel was used in the outdoor arena. This 16.3hh grey was the one Denzel Washington rode throughout the film. An entertainment writer reported in awe on the training session in Milton Keynes: “Mescal watches the horse and after gauging the cantering speed he runs alongside matching its pace, mirroring its gait and, ultimately, makes the fluid leap into the saddle. Then he rides in a circle around me with a huge grin on his face declaring, ‘this is such a bloody buzz’.”

The horse selected for that scene in the actual picture was Doctor, a 15.2hh dark bay Lusitano. He had begun film work in 2014 on Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings (mixed reviews from critics). Most recently he had starred in the UK’s Lloyds Bank commercials and, after Gladiator II, was being retired.

And on Duke, Mescal did a lot of flatwork in the indoor school and out in the country. He became a more than competent rider, claiming horses have feel “and they can start acting with you – I am fully in love with them”.

TRIVIA: “There is so much CGI in this movie. Rabid, slavering CGI dog-baboons for our heroes to fight. A gladiator champion riding the back of a CGI rhino, looking more like an Elden Ring (video game) boss fight than something you’d expect in a historical epic. CGI sharks zip around the flooded arena and I kept hoping one would pop up and say: ‘Gladiators are friends, not food!’ – Eric Kain, Forbes Magazine

Some of the AHS reports: “In the flashback where we see the boy running into a house where there’s a dog in the background, then gets on a horse outside and gallops off, the trainer placed treats on the carpet to keep the dog on his mark. The boy never mounted or rode the horse, that was a stunt double.”

“There are many scenes with actors arriving at various buildings on horsedrawn wagons or chariots. The wranglers were always on set and horses were provided water and shade between takes.”

“In the scene where an actress is looking at koi fish in a pond and we see a dog sitting in a corner, prior to shooting, the dog had arrived at the location with its owner. The fish were moved from the holding tank next to the pond by the handler and his team. After the scene was finished, the fish were removed to a tank in an adjoining room where it was cool, quiet and dark.”

“In the gateway to Rome we see men in cages being transported by horsedrawn wagons. Prior to filming the horses were mounted by costumed riders and ridden to the set and placed on marks to the side of tracking vehicle. The horses were safely distanced from the vehicle. As they enter the city we see people on goats, donkeys, and an elephant which was created by CGI.”