When historians and directors clash: ‘Ridley Scott was Napoleonic – there was no doubt who was in charge’

Film and TV have a slippery relationship with the truth when it comes to historical epics. So spare a thought for the historical experts whose advice often goes unheeded

If we set aside the more glaring historical inaccuracies in the trailers for the long-awaited Gladiator sequel – the guy riding a rhinoceros for example – there were early signs that its director Ridley Scott remained committed to one of the first film’s more subtle flaws.

They are there in the posters, if you know where to look, and they feature throughout the film itself, which hits cinemas this week with Paul Mescal in the leading role. We’re talking about the leather wrist guards.

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