Perched on a sun-parched stretch of rocky coastline in Kalkara, just to the east of the Maltese capital Valletta, lies Fort Ricasoli, an ancient military citadel of gigantic sandstone buildings huddled around a vast open-air arena. History is etched deep into the weather-beaten walls here, from the surviving blocks built by the Order of Saint John in the late 17th century to the 20th century barracks left behind by the British during this small island nation’s long spell as a crucial colonial naval outpost.
“During World War II this was the most bombed place in Europe,” claims Alan Cassar, our genial host on this rare peek inside the fort complex, which is usually fenced off from public view. But Cassar is not a military historian, nor even a tourist guide. He is the the Senior Exective for Studios and Locations at Malta Film Studios, who run this semi-derelict fortress as a shooting location, most famously serving as the Colosseum and ancient Roman backdrop in Ridley Scott’s historic fight-club epic Gladiator (2000) and its upcoming sequel. Which helps explain why the oldest-looking structures at Fort Risacola are actually the most recent additions: mighty imperial arches, antique statues, and colonnaded walls that stretch away to the horizon like a De Chirico panting.
“Gladiator put us on the map.” Cassar nods. “Before that the original Clash of the Titans, which in my opinion is the best Ray Harryhausen work, was shot between here and the water studios. But then no big names up to 1999 or 2000. The baptism of fire of the fort was Gladiator. After that was the big 2000s trend for sword and sandals, Wolfgang Peterson’s Troy, Helen of Troy, Agora… spectacle films. They were all coming here to replicate what Gladiator did, basically.”
In fact, Ridley Scott’s long relationship with Malta began years before, on the maritime disaster thriller White Squall (1996), whose Caribbean shipwreck scene was shot in Malta’s famous horizon tank using a full-sized mock-up brigantine sailboat. The tanks are located just a few hundred metres from Fort Ricasoli, which proved fateful when Scott brought his first production there.
“White Squall is my go-to storm sequence when it comes to practical effects,” Cassar says, “because it was shot before CGI took over. That was the first time that Ridley came to town. After that, on his break, he just roamed around and he discovered the big fort, which led to Gladiator and his relationship with Malta. More recently, Napoleon and the sequel to Gladiator. And fingers crossed, we might have another one.”
The vast infinity pool tank at MFS is the largest such facility in Europe, able to hold 22 million gallons of filtered sea water pumped in from the nearby Mediterranean. Blending into the horizon to give it a panoramic mid-ocean look, this massive facility was conceived in 1963 by British special effects pioneer Benjamin “Jim” Hole for use on seafaring dramas like The Bedford Incident (1964) and Orca: Killer Whale (1977). Fifteen years later, a plunging conical deep-water tank with twice the capacity was built alongside it for underwater shooting on producer Lew Grade’s notorious box office flop, Raise The Titanic (1980). There are now three tanks on the site.
Malta Film Studios have had a rocky 60-year history, changing names several times as they bounced back and forth between public and private ownership. But the facilities are enjoying a boom in recent years with productions like the first season of Game of Thrones (2011), Sinbad (2012) and Assassin’s Creed (2016). Plus, of course, Scott’s Napoleon (2023) and imminent Gladiator sequel.
On the day The Film Verdict visits, all three water tanks have been drained, and have an eerie sci-fi majesty about them. But at full capacity, they can accommodate multiple film shoots, both above and below water, with wave machines and storm cannons turning even the calmest stretch of water into a raging maelstrom. “With us, you don’t need good actors,” Cassar grins. “You save that money. Because you throw anyone in the water and he will do the performance of his life…”
With major stars and director now a regular sight at Malta Film Studios, Cassar’s job increasingly entails keeping paparazzi away from the open-air water tank, which is easily visible from the nearby ocean. When resourceful snappers began taking telephoto shots from boats, the studio established a new rule that obliges maritime traffic to keep moving.
“We have to give notice to mariners,” Cassar sighs. “When there is a movie shooting, boats can pass, but they cannot stop. I try to make it as comfortable as I can to the film-makers, but to not annoy the public as well. For now, we are on a quiet piece of land on the island. Let’s hope they leave us as quiet as we are.”