Coffee-table books about films often risk becoming either glossy promotional tie-ins or overly technical tomes aimed only at insiders but once you get through the gladiator task of lifting the thing (it’s heavy) and flicking through you realise there’s a fine balance struck here that makes it an enjoyable read indeed.
John Walsh’s Gladiator II: The Art and Making of the Ridley Scott Film manages to strike the nice balance of visual spectacle and informed commentary and whilst admittedly I do pay more attention to the visuals when it comes to coffee-table books (sorry John) the writing does illuminate the creative journey behind Ridley Scott’s sequel.
Naturally jumping back to the visual learner in me I must say the book does look the part, this hefty table-top edition is an artefact in its own right, a tablet of magnitude and stocky build makes it a rather dominant addition to that coffee-table line-up.
The imagery in the book is rather stunning, the pages are of such high quality that the images really pop as you can really see every finite detail within the filmmaking process from the set design to the intricate costumes as they just ooze quality on the page and further help you to appreciate the craftsmanship that go into these mostly temporary sets and costumes that will either be recycled or sent to my friend Stephen at the Prop Store of London to go in an auction one day.
Gladiator II: The Art and Making of the Ridley Scott Film doesn’t rely solely on images of course and the book is easily accessible to the casual reader, there’s a nice flow to the book and the words and photography combine beautifully in this symphony for the eyes.
Now in full disclosure, I wasn’t a HUGE fan of the film but the book certainly props up the film and gives me that extra appreciation for it which speaks volumes on what John has created here.
A real gift of a book to both casual admirers of the film and serious cinephiles.
Well worth a pick-up and the price tag is worth it in book weight alone!
A big Roman thumbs up from me!
Our Rating
Summary
A hefty coffee-table addition that should lay proud amongst any film fans collection as John Walsh dives into this long-awaited sequel with a deep forensic like focus whilst also keeping it light with a large array of pin sharp imagery to truly escalate the appreciation and craftsmanship that went into making this production.
