Spartacus (1960)

A Parable For Today

The name Spartacus has a long and honorable history in the annals of the modern international labor movement, most notably, as used by Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht and their comrades as the early name for their ill-fated revolutionary organization the Sparatacusbund in the 1919 German revolutionary working class uprising. Why would a 20th century revolutionary labor organization use the name of a pre-Christian era Thracian slave-general for their organization? To state the question is to provide the answer. The symbiotic relationship between the efforts to overthrow Roman chattel slavery in ancient times and capitalist wage slavery in modern ones is a "no-brainer". Whether one can draw that inference from the story line of this cinematic effort is another question. That is where the fact that this story line, as outlined by director Stanley Kubrick and producer Kirk Douglas, is based on a novel by the old-time former Stalinist and Hollywood blacklisted writer Howard Fast (and screenplay by blacklisted Dalton Trumbo)tells us that it is at least partially so.

As to the story line- of course from minute one all our sympathies are, or should be, with the Thracian slave Spartacus who longs to be free from the boot heel of the Roman slave master. As the story progresses we confront two different concepts of the world- Spartacus's longings to be free and Rome's, at this time barely republican, need to control the known world by example, if possible, by force of the legions if necessary. The film traces that inevitably conflict, especially in its military form, until the final clash between armies in the field of the slave and the master. Not for the last time the master wins- but the longings to be free are never really extinguished despite those plebeian defeats. That is the real message here. Remember it, please.

Through in a little love interest for old Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) with a slave girl (Jean Simmons) that helps to keep him going, some graphic scenes on the tough life of the gladiator, a little humor provided by the owner of the gladiator school (an Oscar-winning Peter Ustinov) and a little Roman ruling class intrigue between the good Roman republican (Charles Laughton) and the first of a line of would-be imperial dictators (Laurence Olivier) and you have a three hour film that has some grit. See this older classic cinematic effort for the acting and fine directing. But also see it to know why someday, somewhere the plebes will rise again.
October 10, 2008

Well-made Epic but very Fictionalized

Spartacus is a well made epic from the days when Hollywood specialized in Roman epics. It presents the story of a slave who becomes a gladiator before rebelling and launching the most famous of the great slave rebellions in the Roman Republic (The Third Servile War). Lawrence Olivier plays Marcus Crassus, a wealthy Roman leader determined to crush the rebellion. Overall the acting from Douglas, Olvier, Simons, Curtis, and Ustinov is quite good. The musical score is adequate. The epic battle scene is truely impressive and features thousands of extras. It seems somewhat better filmed than many of the contemporary film battle scenes. There is some truely haunting visiuals such as the thousands of dead after the battle and rows of crucified rebels lining the Via Appia.
Overall, a well made Roman epic.

Now, for the negative parts. The extra footage doesn't seem to add much except hinting that Crassus's character is bisexual. I don't know if the real Crassus was or not but it really doesn't add much to the story either way. The history in the movie is seriously flawed. The number of battles in the Third Servile War is really trimmed down and the depiction of the battles shown aren't entirely accurate. In the film Spartacus's army is overwhelmed by three Roman armies. In real life, Crassus's army alone did most of the damage. Also, the crosses along the Via Appia are too close together (see the commentary on a book I reviewed on the Servile Wars). Also, Spartacus was apparently killed in the climatic battle rather than being crucified. The movie doesn't even mention the slave army's opportunity to try and cross the Alps which they ultimately rejected. In the battle scenes, none of the Romans wear chain mail that I could notice (I believe chain mail was being worn by some at this time). Also, the Pilum throwing spear and archers seem to be missing in the final battle.

Overall, a very entertaining film with good action sequences and fine acting on the whole. The history is terrible. I should probably point out that the battles have some fairly violent scenes and thus are probably not suitable for younger children. Overall, good but not spectacular. September 29, 2008

Non-anamorphic widescreen

If you have a widescreen TV, get the criterion version. This version sports new packaging, but it's the same print from 10 years ago...which is to say it is NOT enhanced for correct display on widescreen TVs. September 6, 2008

Great Movie - Inaccurate History

Entertaining film, well worth the time. But Hollywood history. To begin with Sparticus was a Roman not a Thracian. Marcus Licineus Crassus trapped Sparticus in the Toe of Italy, not the Heel. Pompey "The Great" (The "Great" part not mentioned in the film) returned from Spain where he had helped defeat a Roman rebel named Quintus Sertorius, by the land route through France, not by sea. Also, there was no such thing as "The Garrison of Rome". But again a fun film and a classic. August 20, 2008

Words fail me

I'm one of those people who cries easily in movies. I cry at sad parts, I cry at happy parts, I have no problem with turning on the water-works. I have seen a lot of great movies in my time, many of which have indeed caused me to tear up, but NOTHING prepared me for the emotional battering I received in Spartacus. Not since Mel Gibson's The Passion, has a film moved me so profoundly.

My husband and I watched this together the other night, neither of us knowing any thing about it. Probably that was one of the things which made it such a powerful viewing for us. We were clueless about the story or how it ended. First of all, this is truly one of the great epic classics which I wish was a little more well-known. People always talk about Ben-Hur or Lawrence of Arabia (and don't get me wrong those are both great films) but I've never had anyone recommend Spartacus to me. I'm going to be telling more people about it in the future.

It follows the life of a man born into slavery in ancient Rome. He is bought by a trainer of gladiators and is brought to a school where he learns how to fight. A series of events causes him to become the leader of a massive revolt, first against the gladiator school, then against the Roman empire itself. I've never seen any of Stanley Kubrick's films before but if they're anywhere near as good as this one, I can understand why he was such a revered director. The battle scenes had my eyes riveted to the screen. I could feel the fear as the Roman legions faced off against the army of slaves. I looked over at my husband at one point during the film and saw that we were both holding onto our pillows with white knuckles. I won't give the ending away but I will tell you that I was sobbing uncontrollably by the time it was over and my husband had to hold me for a while afterwards. It is both wrenching and noble and the fact that it is based on actual events makes it that much more powerful.

The performances are breathtaking. I've never seen Kirk Douglas in anything before, but he has won himself a place at the top of actors highly respected by me. He embodied Spartacus with tremendous sensitivity and realism. He could have turned him into a tight-jawed, ham-fisted rebel with no sense of humor but he handled him with compassion and sweetness. I loved the fact that he wasn't afraid to smile and show the rebel slave's human side. The love story is one of the sweetest and most moving I've ever seen. Jean Simmons is absolutely radiant. Laurence Olivier chilled me to the marrow of my bones as a cruel, decadent, nobleman on the cusp of obtaining the tyrannical power he craves. Peter Ustinov is very funny as the owner of the gladiator school. Charles Laughton gives a sly, subtle performance as Graccus, a lecherous old Roman senator with a spot of humanity left in his heart.

A sobering thought kept passing through my mind as I watched the film: that an empire such as Rome, which produced magnificent works of art, literature, food and architecture could sink to such levels of cruelty and debauchery. I remember hearing that at one point, there were more slaves in Rome than there were Romans. I've heard America compared to Rome before, both in its advancements in civilization and its deterioration morally. I pray that we never sink to such lows as the Roman empire did. If we do, we shall indeed fall. August 13, 2008

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