Rating: 
Summary: Epic in scope, but not completely
Review: Kubrick's Spartacus is one of many epic movies of its time. With the grandiose settings Kubrick recreates the vastness of Rome. However, that is only one significance of this movie, because it is really about Kirk Douglas's character, Spartacus. Spartacus is a slave among many slaves. Enslaved around the young age of 13, this life in chains is about all he knows. That is until, at a gladiatorial training camp, Spartacus becomes the unlikely hero and starts a slave revolt at the camp. It is Spartacus's cool head and clear thinking that makes him the leader of the slaves, yet he is a humble sort just, like Mel Gibson in Braveheart, just trying to be free.
Epic movies were made around this type of character, such as Braveheart, Dr. Zhivago, and Lawrence of Arabia. Therefore, it is only natural that this story be told, because it is different than Ben Hur. The movie goes along like almost any epic, a spattering of action with peaceful interludes of thinking and conversation. This movie is not more spectacular than all the other movies of its type. In fact it is rather plain, as it allows you to fall into the character's minds and hearts but does not force you. This movie is only so gripping, like that song you play for dinner party atmosphere but nothing else. One thing is for sure though. Kubrick did a good job at making the movie at all, especially at such a young age. However, I feel that the best rating out of five whole stars, which I can deem it, is a three star rating.
Rating: 
Summary: Chronicle of a great Revolt.
Review: "Spartacus" (1960) is a great film recreating the last of the "Servile Revolts" that occurred in Ancient Rome. The very name of the main character has been engraved in the collective imaginary, as a synonym for "Freedom Fighter".
The story takes place in 73-71 BC, the last period of the Roman Republic, when a new Imperial style was in the making. The confronting parties inside Rome are represented by two Senators: historical, but inexactly subscribed to the Aristocratic Party, Marcus Licinius Crasus (an excellent Laurence Olivier in one of his major movie performances) and the fictional Sempronius Gracchus (fleshed by an inspired Charles Laughton). This last one is inspired in the historical character of the People's Tribune Gracchus, assassinated around fifty years earlier. Disregarding these "historical licenses", the factions are accurate.
Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) is a slave sent from the mines to the gladiators' school of Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov's great performance, which allowed him to win the Oscar to Best Supporting Actor). Here he is trained ruthlessly and reaches his "turning point" when a fellow gladiator (Woody Strode) spares his life at the cost of being slain.
From here on, an unquenched libertarian fire sprouts from him, infecting his gladiator pals in an epic uprising that almost destroyed the mighty Roman Republic.
The gladiators' school and its daily life are very well reconstructed (by the way if you are interested in the subject read "The Gladiator. The Secret History of Rome's Warrior Slaves" by Alan Baker).
The battle scenes are very good and remain unsurpassed until very recently, when new techniques are available to the cinema industry. The evolutions of the Roman Legions on the terrain are historically accurate.
A great film from "Hollywood Golden Age" winner of several Oscars. Very commendable for Epic Film lovers.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Rating: 
Summary: "No talking in the kitchen, slave"
Review: "No talking in the kitchen slave" *smack*!- then the slavemaster dude whips him in the mouth! Did you see the look on Spartacus' face after he did that!? That was worth the price of admission right there! Be careful or you could have a nasty slave rebellion!
Spartacus is a slave and he knows it! The Roman are pretty brutal with the slaves in this movie. This movie was probably the inspiration for Braveheart. Did you see some of the aftermath in some of those battlefield scenes? Bodies piled deep as far as the eye can see!but here are some more quotes
"I like to eat both snail and oysters", ( twisted master speaking to his slave as he bathes him)
"I desire the sale of all surviving slaves"
"too many women!" (Spartacus declares as he views his slave army)
"We must learn to share our pleasures, slave"
"No, take her to the other slave's quarters.."
"on your toes."
"I hold you responsible!"
Rating:
Summary: THIS FILM ENDED THE BLACKLIST
Review: 1960 was the "official" end of the Blacklist. A young director named Stanley Kubrick had made a brilliant movie about military justice, "Paths to Glory", starring Kirk Douglas in 1958. In 1960, he directed the classic, "Spartacus". "Spartacus" starred Douglas as a slave of the Roman Empire, depicting his deadly rivalry with the Roman General Crassus (played to perfection by Laurence Olivier). The film was rife with social message. The slaves who rise up against their Roman oppressors are metaphors for the working class, especially minorities, rising up against white oppression. One black slave, played by ex-football star Woody Strode, gives his life so Spartacus can live. The fact that he was black was well calculated. Dalton Trumbo, a former Communist, wrote "Spartacus". He penned it under an assumed name because he was still Blacklisted. When it came time to edit the film for release, Douglas, a huge star and its producer, made the decision to list Trumbo as the writer. His power and the film's success combined with this act ended the Blacklist. In a notorious scene that was cut from the original but has since been restored, a slave named Antoninus (Tony Curtis) bathes Crassus/Olivier. Strange wordplay about a preference between snails and oysters at first seems irrelevant until one realizes it is Trumbo's effort to introduce a homosexual theme to the story, using snails and oysters as metaphors for straight and gay love. Isn't that special? STEVEN TRAVERS
Author of "Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman
STWRITESaol.com
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece Of Cinema: Kirk Douglas' Greatest Role
Review: 1960: Stanley Kubrick directed a great film that still awes us on DVD. Kirk Douglas performed the role of his lifetime as Spartacus, the slave who rebelled against the mighty Roman Empire to win his freedom. The music, the scenery, the music and the overall lush cinematography make this akin to the great epics popular in the day - The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur. Spartacus is based on the true, historic account of the slave who desired the freedom of other slaves. He attempted to fight against the Roman legions, but was thwarted and was crucifiec with the rest of the slaves. Jean Simmons plays Lavignia, his love interest, and the woman who bears his child, who is born free. Peter Ustinov plays a promiscuous, decadent Roman senator. The corrupt Roman Empire has always been a favorite of literature and films, and in this film, the moral decay is well expressed. In contrast, the slaves are a good hearted group, young, old, men and wome, with good hearts and with a yearning for freedom. Slavery would continue until 1850's America, but even then, through efforts of Spartacus, slavery was attempted to be abolished. Everyone knows the Roman armies were very strong and powerful. Spartacus did not stand a chance. But the greatest moment in the film comes when Spartacus is not found among the captives and every slave declares "I am Spartacus!" risking their life to save his. Such loyalty and courage is foreign to even the Romans. Spartacus is crucified, his wife is set free and his son is born free. Epic films like these are captured perfectly on DVD. The music is beautiful, the costumes are rich, and the dialogue, although poetic, is realistic. Although this film is very long, it is a good way to glimpse the Roman Empire. It is also very much like the recent film Gladiator in a sense.
Rating:
Summary: Puts "Gladiator" to shame
Review: A classic gladiator film that still holds up decades later. This has so many things going for it. It's presented in its original Super Technirama 70 widescreen format - watching this any other way is unthinkable, similar to Lawrence of Arabia. This edition has a plethora of extras, and it's anamorphic, unlike the Universal dvd. Perhaps most endearing is the performance by Jean Simmons. She is so beautiful and luminous here - I can see why Spartacus was in love with her! A great, great film with many superb performances. This is the one to get.
Rating:
Summary: Sing us a song, Antoninus
Review: An incisive meditation on the nature of power and the courage of living life in the face of certain doom -- but above all, the movie that asks the eternal question: oysters or snails?
Rating:
Summary: This My Friends is an EPIC
Review: And films like 'Gladiator' will copy it again and again...
But Sparticus is probably the best of the genre (a genre I don't particularly care for - though it lets thousands of extras have there moment of glory)
But see this one for Olivier, Ustinov, and Laughton who are amusing to say the least.
Rating:
Summary: Strong story, weak depth, but epic & entertaining
Review: Based on the novel by Howard Fast, Spartacus recounts the life of a slave turned gladiator turned freedom fighter. The story of Spartacus begins with him as a free spirited Thracian slave in 70BC. Spartacus is trained in a gladiator school, where he meets and falls in love with the slave girl Varinia. He then leads the other gladiators in revolt, and assembles a huge army of thousands of slaves to challenge the might of Rome. The ending is tragic, but not without hope. Spartacus was in fact a historical figure and the movie's story of his squashed rebellion against Rome - including the crucifixion of 6000 survivors - is largely rooted in truth. The movie can best be described as epic. On a grand scale, the Roman empire is brought to life, with its corrupt aristocracy and its simple lower class. The epic battle scene which forms the climax of the movie features 1000s of extras, and although it is sometimes hard to tell who is on which side, the effect is magnificent and grandiose. Despite the action scenes, the movie is surprisingly introspective at times. Unlike modern efforts such as Gladiator, Spartacus is not an action movie as such, and fans of contemporary action movies not surprisingly find it disappointing. Spartacus' struggles are just as much emotional as they are physical. But to me this is a strength and not a weakness: the shortcoming of most modern action movies is not present here because the characterization is superb. Even though the movie is not gory (although it is bloody at times), the adult themes make it unsuitable for children. For instance, successful gladiators are given women to have their way with them. And on numerous occasions, although nudity is not shown it is strongly implied and barely concealed. The implication of bisexuality (in a scene not present in the original) and promiscuity is also strongly evident as part of the corruption in Rome. But it also touches Spartacus. In a rather daring move for the 1960s, Spartacus and his woman Varinia conceive a child out of wedlock, which is presented as natural and good. Spartacus' fight for freedom apparently includes sexual freedom. Its hardly surprising that these two fall in love in a rather sappy love-at-first-sight Hollywood romance, where they don't even know each other as yet. Ultimately it is not only Rome that chases gold, girls and glory without morals, but Spartacus himself is not really much different. But it is not only the moral ambivalence of this movie that disturbs me, but also its underlying political themes. How is Rome presented? As totally corrupt, with no redeeming qualities. "If a criminal has what you want, you do business with him." How are the slaves presented? As noble and good. "We're brothers." The army of slaves proceeds in a carnival like atmosphere, and the producers present lots of images of joyful children and exuberant elderly as part of their number, to arouse sympathy for their cause. But isn't this rather a cliché? It is, but that's the whole point. Aristocratic Rome is presented as evil, and the oppressed lower class need to be liberated from her corrupt rule. The rich are all evil, the poor are all good. Sounds familiar? It's a defence of the brotherhood of communism. Ultimately the movie endorses peasant revolt as a legitimate option, and advocates rebelling against authority. Rather than rendering to Caesar what is Caesars, it encourages open rebellion, in order to usher in a new political system of brotherhood and freedom from repression. Sound too far-fetched? Here's the clincher: Howard Fast, author of the novel on which this movie was based, was a devout and committed member of the Communist Party of the USA, and for many years his works were black-listed. The story of Spartacus may be rooted in history, but Howard Fast has reinterpreted it as a defence of his own political communist ideals. Rome represents Western Capitalism, and the slaves represent the oppressed peasant proletariat. Spartacus' defence of liberty, equality and fraternity is in fact anachronistic. So sure this is an epic movie. At the time of its production in 1960, Spartacus was the most expensive movie ever made. With a cast of star actors, especially the compelling performances of Kirk Douglas as Spartacus, Laurence Olivier as Crassus (the influential Roman senator), Peter Ustinov as Batiatius (the bumbling and greedy owner of a gladiator school), and Charles Laughton as Gracchus (the corrupt and scheming Roman senator), it's no wonder it won four academy awards. But the fact that Spartacus is an epic movie does not disguise the fact that it is not deep. Any deeper themes that the movie does have to offer are communist and hedonistic, and this ideology mars the story. This may be a movie that rivals the grandeur and scale of Ben Hur, but thematically, it doesn't come close. Even so, it's still worth a look. Even if one cannot share the cause of Sparticus and political ambitions it embodies, one has to admire the spirit in which Spartacus fights for his cause: it is a losing battle, and yet with dignity and fervour he fights for what he believes is right - a quality to be coveted. And it's ironic that if you can overlook the weaknesses of its depth, the strength of this movie lies in its superficial story. It has comedy, tragedy, triumph, romance, action, intrigue, and an epic scale. As entertainment, it's an enduring epic that still can be enjoyed today.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Great Epics of Film
Review: Better than Ben Hur, Spartacus didn't rack up as many Oscars as its 1959 predecessor did. But it's a more fluid film with a stronger story line and more interesting characters. The performances are wonderful starting with Kirk Douglas as the leader of the slave revolt. Laurence Olivier is the insatiable Crassus who would possess Rome as if it were a woman. Charles Loughton and Peter Ustinov provide wit and humanity. Ustinov's character starts out as an opportunistic slave trade who demonstrates real growth by the film's end. Tony Curtis teaches "da classics". Spartacus was started by the great Anthony Mann (Winchester '73) who Douglas fired early in the filming, replacing him with Kubrick. Even Kubrick complained of not having complete directorial control over the movie - it was Douglas' baby. Still it's a great film with terrific action sequences, great dialogue ("Do you like oysters or snails, Antoninus?) and a moving narrative. If you get a chance, see it on the big screen.
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