elvircorhodzic SPARTACUS is an adventurous drama in which an idea about freedom has resisted to strength of a glorious Roman Empire. A bloody and romantic tragedy is filled with historical inaccuracies.A proud and gifted man named Spartacus, is so uncooperative in his servitude that he is sentenced to fight as a gladiator. He was transferred to a school for gladiators, led by a sly Roman businessman. Spartacus, despite harassment at school, forms a quiet relationship with a serving woman. A Roman senator, who aims to become dictator of Rome, has visited the businessman and his school. Two women from his entourage want to enjoy the fights to the death. Spartacus is one of the selected gladiators. This fight will change awareness among slaves...The main protagonist is a kind of "trigger" , who has changed the political situation in Rome. An arrogant and uneducated slave has risen from the bottom through an immortal idea of freedom. Mr. Kubrick has very meticulously processed topics related to leadership, true love, politicking and dictatorship. He has, regardless of the historical inaccuracies, skilfully pointed out a ruin of the great empire. The ideas of eternity can be interpreted as a kind of paradox or fear. Unlike other epic films from that time, Christian motifs were replaced with determination and desire for freedom. Dealing with "tricky" issues is important in this film. Mr. Kubrick, in a very clear way, shows scenes of sexual desire, homosexuality, bisexuality, and even torture through scenes of crucifixion.Scenery is impressive, especially in the final battle. Soundtrack is great. Characterization is reflected in a sort of rivalry. Rivalry in love and politics. Kirk Douglas as Spartacus has offered a good performance. The tension in his face is a reflection of seriousness of his character. He is not overly romantic, but he has a remarkable sense of leadership and fellowship. Jean Simmons as Varinia is an attractive slave and a very strong woman, who shows her pride, love and character in almost every scene. Laurence Olivier as Crassus is the main antagonist and a very complex character. He is actually an unfortunate character, because he can not feel the love and the freedom. There is always interesting and entertaining Charles Laughton as Gracchus. Peter Ustinov, in my view, did not deserve an Oscar for the role of a wily and manipulative Batiatus. Tony Curtis as Antoninus is a bit theatrical and unconvincing as an artist among the gladiators.This is an exciting epic adventure in combination with the political drama. Some ideas are truly eternal.

Kirpianuscus a great story. splendid performances. and inspired script. trip in the heart of Roman politic who impress for the exploration , in subtle manner, of nuances and details, music and force of image. for Kirk Douglas, Spartacus is the role of his life. and it is not surprising because he does not only a role but a seductive manifesto. a film about courage. inspiration for many recreation of the most popular slave but special for few scenes who remains unique. because it has the art to be one of films who seduce not for atmosphere or for the mark of period but for a graceful simplicity. a film about freedom and about an empire looking its pillars. about rebellion. and about sacrifice. great roles. and high performances.

BA_Harrison I don't want to come across as a philistine, but Spartacus doesn't half go on a bit and is one hell of a downer. I know that the film is intended to make the viewer feel inspired by the indomitable spirit of man in the face of terrible persecution and oppression, but after three hours of such, I found myself struggling to care. The dull political machinations of the Roman senate and the aimless wandering of the slave army do little to help matters; I've never been so grateful for an intermission (the DVD retains the original mid-movie break, during which I splashed my face with cold water to wake myself up).It all starts off well enough, with slave Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) sent to gladiator training camp, where he gets a crash course in survival before escaping his confines to lead others in revolt. But then it really starts to go pear-shaped, star Douglas doing his utmost to outdo Heston in the historical epic stakes by spouting over-sentimental, moralistic dross about the importance of freedom in countless maudlin scenes that virtually deify his character—after which he lets down his thousands of followers by leading them into battle against the Romans like lambs to the slaughter.The best thing about Spartacus is its impressive cast, which not only includes heavyweight performers like Olivier, Laughton and Curtis, but also includes tens of thousands of nameless extras, allowing for some wonderful vistas of the Italian countryside swarming with slaves, and a brilliantly staged (and brutal) battle scene, proving that, as clever as CGI is these days, nothing looks better than the real thing. Peter Jackson, eat your heart out!

Giallo Fanatic I certainly think this is one of Kubrick's weaker movies. Or more correctly, it was Kirk Douglas' movie. Kirk Douglas was good in this movie and there are parts of the movie that are quite astonishing. It must have been hell of a job to direct an epic like this one. It was a very large crew after all. But kind of falls short with its "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" thing, being stretched too long although it could have been better if the movie was 120 minutes long. I mean, I love long, slow movies. Just as an example 'Lawrence of Arabia' or 'Once Upon a Time in America'. I just felt it overemphasized certain Things.It has a good story but the plot was kind of unfocused. Especially considering Kubrick directed it. It has a tendency to drag, focusing on things that are already clear. Also like Kubrick felt, it was full of stupid moralizing. All the "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do", always being righteous with decisions although it is about a man who started a revolution. Sure it's a movie and it has the right to show what should be, instead of what was but it tended to go to ridiculous lengths about it. Spartacus, the way he was portrayed was exactly that.But I admit that it was a romantic movie and the battles in the movie were quite grand, with stunt men and extras doing pretty dangerous stuff. It was also very touching with Varinia, romantic and tender since there was chemistry between Spartacus and Varinia. Also their child. I shed some tears at the end of the movie. Also the story was very lively and I was amazed at the cast and extras of the movie. But overall, I feel that this is an above average movie.