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Summary: ORIGINAL GLADIATOR GUY
Review: SPARTACUS (Criterion, ...) The late Stanley Kubrick is on a career roll with not only new DVD releases of his films but Spielberg's upcoming interpretation of Kubrick's long-in-development "A.I." One film Kubrick seemed to almost disavow since he saw it as strictly a directing assignment for producer and star Kirk Douglas, was "Spartacus." This intelligent, sweeping (is there any other kind?) epic of a slave revolt is now available in an ultimate two disc set that not only includes a stunning 16x9 fully restored Super Technirama transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, but also an eye-brow raising commentary with Douglas, Peter Ustinov, novelist Howard Fast (he's not thrilled with the detals of the screen adaptation), restoration expert Robert Harris, designer Saul Bass and a scene-by-scene analysis by former blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. Disc II includes rare, deleted scenes, vintage newsreel footage, 1960 promotional interviews with Jean Simmons and Ustinov, original storyboards by Bass, the 1960 documentary "The Hollywood Ten," plus archival documents about the blacklist, sktches by Kubrick, hundreds of production stills and more! This once controversial film has been called the prime model for "Gladiator," has never looked better. It still reverberates with our contemporary sensibilities as it blends politics, violence and sexual suggestion. "Spartacus" was the first Hollywood film to openly defy the blacklist and is a fitting universal metaphor for freedom and sacrifice. And a lasting tribute to Kubrick's genius. Highly Recommended. 196 minutes, PG-13.
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Summary: Powerful Saga
Review: Spartacus may well be the best film Stanley Kubrick directed (A Clockwork Orange would vie for the title). Being that this was not his own brainchild, the film does not get into the strange places that his own creations like 2001 & Eyes Wide Shut get into. The film is a marvel to look at as Mr. Kubrick creates early Roman countrysides, arenas and buildings with exacting detail. Kirk Douglas is perfectly cast in the title role as he perfectly blends the action demands of the role with the dramatic side. There is a star-studded cast including Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, Charles Laughton & Peter Ustinov who won his first Oscar for the role. The fighting scenes are well staged and the ending where all the slaves claim to be Spartacus is still moving. The restored version contains some deleted scenes including the infamous bath scene between Mr. Olivier & Mr. Curtis which was removed from the original cut due to its homosexual overtones. If your a fan of historical epics, then Spartacus is for you.
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Summary: Kubrick directs a truly unmatched cast
Review: Spartacus was made in the same era of grand epics as "The Ten Commandments" and "Cleopatra", and it does so with a script that holds water against any of them and a cast that would make other studio executives jealous.
Blacklisted Dalton Trumbo was hired by Kirk Douglas - effectively ending the blacklist era by crediting Trumbo under his own name rather than a pseudonym. Trumbo filled the screenplay with dastardly villains, slave-traders who were good for a laugh, and heroes with a moral conviction that is conspicuous in contrast with the moral ambiguity rampant in our current society.
Spartacus was born a slave, we are told in the prologue, but dreamed of the end of slavery. The Rome of the day is brought to brilliant life by several superlative supporting performances. Charles Laughton is truly impressive as Gracchus - a Senator who is both idealistic and realistic. Peter Ustinov received a supporting actor Oscar for Batiatus - a slave trader with the best sense of humor in the movie who recognizes that he is lower class, but enjoys rubbing shoulders with the Roman Senators who buy his slaves and gladiators. Lawrence Olivier is astonishing and dominates all of his scenes as Senator/General Crassus, who is more ambitious than any of them, but is also keenly aware that he can't LOOK ambitious in his drive to rule Rome.
Crassus, interestingly enough, "swings both ways", which is brought out in a scene where he is being bathed by his new slave Antoninus, played by Tony Curtis. He leads Antoninus along a verbal discussion about variety of taste - which he points out is different than appetite. Some people prefer oysters.... some prefer snails - he gets Antoninus to agree. Then he tells his young slave "I like snails *AND* oysters".
There are some wonderful scenes. Early in the film Spartacus is one of four young gladiators who are unexpectedly brought to the arena to fight to the death when Crassus shows up with two women who have a taste to watch some killing. The first two gladiators are brought from their holding cage into the arena, but the camera stays with Kirk Douglas as Spartacus and Woody Strobe as the Ethiopian gladiator. Not a word is spoken between the two of them as the tension builds and they listen to the sound of their two comrades fighting to the death.
Spartacus later leads a slave rebellion which results in a slave army that at one point overwhelms six co-horts of the garrison of Rome. Many intrigues are played out as Spartacus tries to make a plan of escape for his slave army since they obviously can't stay in Italy. Pirates are commissioned to meet the slave army at a port town and the efforts of Spartacus to escape and Crassus to thwart him make up much of the meat of the movie.
Jean Simmons is on hand as another slave who is first "given" to Spartacus for a night for his progress as a gladiator, then later becomes Mrs. Spartacus. The scene where she is brought to his cell is poignant as Spartacus tells her that he has never had a woman, but he yells at the watching guards that he will not just have sex with this woman so that they can watch at their pleasure. Like the Elephant Man, he bellows "I am not an animal!"
Spartacus concisely depicts courage and conviction and honor - and it also equally depicts the opposite of those desirable qualities. Well-balanced and entertaining, the three-plus hour run time flew by.
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Summary: Very un-Kubrick style of a sweeping saga.
Review: Stanley Kubrick disowned this film. Maybe it was this film that made him so reclusive. It is unlike all the other Kubrick films I have seen, but that doesn't make this film bad. Matter-of-fact, I consider it a classic. "Spartacus" has lost a wee bit of its original impact over the years, but it is still a wonderful and rewarding film. And seeing the restored version was a real treat. Except for "Braveheart", Hollywood doesn't make many of these epics anymore, and that is a shame when one considers the popularity of "The Ten Commandments" and "Ben Hur", and "Spartacus" is every bit as good as those two classics. Set against the backdrop of Empirical Rome in the century before Christ, this three hour plus story (based very loosely on fact, I suspect) concerns a slave who becomes a gladiator solely for the purpose of Roman entertainment, then subsequently leads a revolt against the empire. Headed by an all-star cast that includes Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, and Laurence Olivier, this wonderfully-acted spectacle follows Spartacus' rise to power and his ultimate demise. Between 1 and 10, "Spartacus" gets a 9. If, perchance, you have never seen this film, get it. You'll be kicking yourself if you don't.
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Summary: "A good body with a dull brain is as cheap as life itself."
Review: Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus" is a grim reminder that freedom has always come at a cost. One common thread running throughout history is that the oppressed have always strived to be free of their shackles and have been willing to place their lives on the line in order to achieve their goal. Things were no different in the Roman Empire. A slave named Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) has his life spared by Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) who sees great potential for him as a gladiator. While training, Spartacus becomes enamored with the beautiful Varinia (Jean Simmons) who he later weds after he escapes from the gladiator academy. Now a free man, Spartacus inspires other slaves and gladiators to join his rebellion against the Roman Empire. The rebellion goes well until a betrayal forces a dangerous revision in plans. Soon Spartacus is leading his army on Rome itself intent on engaging the enemy in a final, deciding battle. "Spartacus" is a problematic film from start to finish. It is no surprise than Stanley Kubrick did his best to distance himself from it. On one hand, "Spartacus" is a sweeping epic in the best cinematic fashion - the story is inspiring and timeless, legendary actors appear in the film, and there is a lushness and grandeur to the images that fill the screen. On the other hand, "Spartacus" is wooden and dull - the story meanders, the pacing lags, and Tony Curtis is seriously miscast. Even more fatal to the film is that Douglas is oftentimes stiff in the lead role. Despite his best efforts, he never really brings his character to life. In the end, Spartacus is more memorable in the film for the idea he symbolized rather than who he was as a man. It's too bad more time wasn't spent fleshing out his character since there is genuine chemistry between him and Simmons who is absolutely radiant in her role. As it stands now, "Spartacus" is merely an interesting product of the Sixties that has too many flaws for its own good.
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Summary: kubriks only true story film
Review: the story is about a slave revolt in ancient times.i wonder if the people spartacus represented get free stuff in that country still like the slaves families here do.probably not.americas the only country stupid enough to care about such nonsense.its a little violent for kids but this is 1960s violence so its not so bad.stanley kubrik directs so you know its a great one.those interested in history or just good old fighting will enjoy this one the most.it is,like i said ,true.the chicks are all dirty and poor.the main character is a slave after all.another great film by stanley kubrik!!!!!!!!!!!
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Summary: Epic story about human equality
Review: This is the story of a lowly man who had the clout to take on the juggernaut of the Roman Empire (though it was technically still a republic) at the very height of its glory. Kirk Douglas stars as a Thracian slave named Spartacus who can't help thinking there's something more, and who refuses to accept his station in life. Spartacus, who is later sold to be a gladiator, eventually instigates a revolt and launches a revolution against the tyranny and harsh slave system of mighty Rome.
Spartacus hardly could have hoped to win his revolution, but that is not the point. He deals Rome a staggering blow, and in that respect he and his army of slaves is extremely successful. This is perhaps best illustrated in the final duel between Spartacus and Antoninus. This is no fairy tale, and Spartacus's revolution, though brave, is always in danger of proving utterly futile. Rome simply has too many resources, too many men, and too well-trained of an army to ultimately allow herself to be pushed around by her slaves. Still, Spartacus tries, and in this, at least, he asserts his right to be a human being just like anybody else.
This film is rightly labeled a "thinking man's epic." It was revolutionary for its time, and still holds up forty years later as a poignant reminder that all men are created equal, and that thousands and even millions of people have suffered and died in a world that did not understand that as we do today. The battle scenes in this movie are phenomenal for their grand scale, and the action keeps you on your toes. Great acting, great directing, and a captivating story--this is Spartacus.
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Summary: Oysters , snails, politics, slavery, swordplay
Review: This movie has it all in epic proportions that engage the modern mind into choosing where they fall in the mix..... the mob, the politician, the slave , the business man trying to make an honest buck training men to kill other men. On the surface a gladiator film that defines the genre... look deeper and you find yourself...
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Summary: A masterful controversial epic
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film. This film remains one of the most groundbreaking films of its time. Controversial, censored, re-censored, and re-released. The film itself is quite impressive for the time it was released. The film was also heavily cut for it's theatrical release the "snails and oysters" scene is probably the most famous of the cut scenes. This scene was cut for its sly reference to bisexuality where Crassus attempts to seduce one of his servants by telling him that he likes eating both snails and oysters (which can be compared as being attracted to both men and women.) The audio of this scene was damaged so Anthony Hopkins read Lawrence Olivier's dialog. The story follows Spartacus, a Roman gladiator who leads a slave revolt against Rome. He later gains a major following and the senate argues as to how to stop him. Spartacus is portrayed by Kirk Douglas in the film and looks remarkably like his son Michael Douglas. The DVD is loaded with special features There are two audio commentaries one with an alternate musical soundtrack.
There is a restoration demonstration, theatrical trailer, sketches by director Stanley Kubrick, storyboards, hundreds of publicity photos, lobby cards, production photos and other ephemera. There are also numerous interviews and behind the scenes footage. The interviews are with Peter Ustinov which were made in 1960 and 1992, There is also an interview with Jean Simons made in 1960 There is also newsreel footage of the filmmakers attending various funtions. Finally there is an extended scene and surviving audio of a deleted scene. There is also a showing of the script from a deleted scene that has been lost. This is a release that should not be missed.
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