Spartacus
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Movie Reviews of Spartacus
Movie Review: Too sentimental, but beautiful... Wonderfully erotic and surprisingly moving...
Summary: 5 Stars
Widely acclaimed for his serious ambitions and his uncompromising perfectionism, Stanley Kubrick has won for himself a unique degree of artistic freedom...
Based on a true story of a slave revolt in 73 B.C., Dalton Trumbo's script mixes the melodrama with some quite moving moments... The film depicts the Roman era, the brutality of the slave system, gladiator combat and the decadence of Roman senators... What emerges from the screen was a passionate statement on behalf of freedom and men who were willing to die to overthrow oppressive governments...
The credit for the film's style belongs to Stanley Kubrick, who handled scenes of intimacy and scenes of gigantic sweep with equal attention, illustrating the violence, brutality and corruption of both, the masters and the slaves, raising the question of freedom which justify the human cost...
Kirk Douglas plays Spartacus the idealistic noble slave who believes he must struggle forever against tyranny and just by opposing tyranny he inspires his followers with his example...
Spartacus' character, from a violent primitive rebel who hamstrung a foreman with his teeth, into a gladiator who fought desperately for life in the arena, into an enraged rebel who drowned his gladiator trainer in a huge caldron of soup, into a revolutionary who was able to unite an amorphous mass of slaves, and deserters into a force which succeeded to defeat Rome's best trained armies, into a charismatic leader (with a vision) who forces a long-awaited revolt against the Roman empire...
Two political rivals (Crassus and Gracchus) use the slave uprising threat to manipulate the Roman senate for their own ends:
Crassus (played powerfully by Laurence Olivier) extorts 'a fee,' the dictatorial post of First Consul, Commander of all the legions of Italy as his price for releasing Rome from Spartacus... Crassus sees the defeat of Spartacus' army as a chance for him to seize power of the empire for himself...
Crassus tries to make the slaves betray Spartacus... He tries to win the love of Varinia, not merely to possess her, but as a form of victory over Spartacus... In his last confrontation with Spartacus, he is seen losing all his delusions of grandeur as he stands deeply wounded by the total disregard in which Spartacus holds him...
The screen legend Charles Laughton plays, with expertise, Gracchus, a generous Roman politician, soft and rich, able to get his Julius Caesar (John Gavin) elected leader of the Praetorian Guard to annoy Crassus' ambitions...
The first hour of "Spartacus" contains many of the film's best moments : The operation of the gladiatorial school and its training program is impressive and also expressive... The gladiators school is tough but fair... The men are oiled, bathed, shaved, massaged and trained to fight... They are never allowed to kill... For their good performances, they are even rewarded with the companionship of a young lady...
In this degrading manner Spartacus meets Varinia (Jean Simmons-lovely as ever) and it is his love for her and his hatred for his captors that inadvertently sparks off an uprising and the gladiators break out...
Particularly effective is the scene in which Crassus and his "capricious over-painted nymphs" (Nina Foch & Joanna Barnes) ask to be entertained by the sight of two pairs fighting to the death...
The scene summarizes the injustice of the situation, the cruelty of bondage and the insurrection becomes a triumph easy to understand...
Nominated for six Academy Awards, and winning for Cinematography, Costume Design, Art Direction and Supporting Actor--Peter Ustinov, the motion picture contains no chariot races and no orgies but it still imparts the grandeur and the decay of ancient Rome...
With a stirring musical score by Oscar nominee Alex North, "Spartacus," masterfully directed by Kubrick, is too sentimental, but beautiful, wonderfully erotic and surprisingly moving...
Movie Review: Gladiators vs. Legionnaires
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the greatest biographical films of a historical figure in the history of Hollywood. It is the story of a Thracian slave who became a gladiator, a gladiator who became a general, and a general who became the biggest scourge in the side of Rome since Hannibal.Kirk Douglas' performance as Spartacus is top-knotch. Although many of his actions are highly influenced by 20th century attitudes towards slavery, it is nonetheless a memorable rendition of the life of the real Spartacus. Best of all, Douglas injects a healthy amount of humanity in a man whose personal life we know precious little about.
The film gives us a glimpse of what would shortly become known as the First Triumvirate: Gaius Julius Caesar, Crassus and Pompey the Great. It is Crassus, otherwise the least well-known of the 3, who takes center stage as the general who eventually defeats Spartacus (but ONLY due to superior numbers, not superior tactics / strategy).
It is with reservation that grant my blessing to the casting of Sir Laurence Olivier as Crassus. Do not misunderstand me, Olivier fans. It is not because he is not suited to the part. Rather, it is because the part is perhaps not suited to him.
Let me explain. Whenever I think of Crassus, the first thing that inevitably comes to mind is his leading 7 Legions (35,000 men) against the Parthians some 20 years after his engagement with Spartacus. As his he went up against the greatest horse archers the world has ever seen with an army almost entirely composed of heavy infantry, the battle has been labeled as one of the top military blunders of all time. Practically all 35,000 Romans perished because of Crassus' ineptness as a commander.
Now, I understand that these events happened outside the scope of this movie. However, it is because of his fatally flawed strategy against the Parthians that I have difficulty reconciling the "honor" bestowed upon Crassus of having none other than Sir Laurence Olivier play his part. Usually, I fault actors when they are mis-cast into roles for which their Thespian talents fall short of pulling off. In this case, the reverse is true.
SPARTACUS gives us a great many factual circumstances which did really happen, such as his being betrayed by the pirates who had promised to get his men to Sicily. Had Spartacus been able to land on Sicily and lead slave uprisings there, the ramifications would have been catastrophic for Rome.
Along with these facts is a lot of fiction to fill in the gaps. Spartacus' body was never found after the last battle, and the famous "I am Spartacus" sequence most assuredly never happened. However, that scene ranks with the greatest in all of Hollywood history; even the most critical classical historian cannot but feel a shiver of admiration go up his spine after seeing it.
As a martyr of the oppressed throughout history, Spartacus' spirit is still with us today. The motto of the Army Green Berets is TO FREE THE OPPRESSED. Here are some of the most professional and greatest soldiers the world has ever seen, and yet they adhere to the dictum of Spartacus. The rest of us would be wise to followers of this sage as well.
Movie Review: GREAT FILM BUT HISTORICAL RUBBISH
Summary: 5 Stars
I would recommend "Spartacus" as excellent entertainment from the time when Hollywood could still produce epic films, and this one of course was directed by none other than Stanley Kubrick. However, the script is filled with historical innacuracies and is heavily influenced by the political leanings of author Howard Fast and screen writer Dalton Trumbo, who project 20th century ideologies onto people utterly different from ourselves.Spartacus was a Roman, or at least an Italian, soldier who was probably enslaved for disciplinary problems and sold to a gladiatorial school. The term "Thracian" comes not from his geograpic origins, but from his fighting style in the arena; gladiators who fought with a short sword and small round shield were called "Thracians." No one but a Roman or Italian could have organized a force capable of defeating a legion, and one had to grow up in the right environment to imbibe the necessary ideas. Barely 50 years earlier, 20,000 Roman soldiers led by Gaius Marius had destroyed a Germanic army of over 200,000. If you weren't born in Italy, you wouldn't have had the chance to learn the necessary military science.
The film's opening narration refers to "The pagan tyranny that was Rome." Of course, everyone at that time (except the Hebrews) was "pagan," so no one would have resented the Romans for that fact. Also, compared to other governments of the day, Rome was a model of enlighenment. At least the Romans gave something in return for taxes (roads, aqueducts, etc.), whereas other rulers merely plundered their subjects to finance extravagant lifestyles and foreign adventures. If the Roams could be cruel, that was a trait shared by all their contemporaries.
One review refered to "decadence" and the "Empire." Rome was still a republic at this time, and far from being decadent, was about to create the world's first supranational state, which would last for almost four centuries (12 if one includes the Byzantine Empire). Had they been truly decadent, the Romans would have been incapable of such a feat.
On a lighter note, during a break in filming Kirk Douglas had arranged a trip to Palm Springs. He was persuaded to take a limousine as befitting his "star" status. He left the studio still in costume, and while driving through the desert fell asleep under a blanket until the driver stopped for gas. Kirk got out of the limo to stretch his legs, and the driver, thinking his passenger was still asleep, took off and left him behind. Kirk finished the trip by hitchiking wearing his tunic and sandals!
Watch this film for its' entertainment value and maybe a morality sermon on the values of courage and perseverance, but beware the political overtones. Oppression and sexual freedom are concepts unique to our time; the peoples of the ancient Meditarranean saw their world in terms defined quite differently from ours.
Movie Review: Divine Right of Kings
Summary: 5 Stars
Sparticus represented more than a gladiator-slave uprising. Sparticus represented the Italian's people dissatisfaction with the Roman Senate and the general corruption and impotence within the Senate. Citizens once had a voice with the Senate and the Senate listened keeping the republic free. Now, the Senate caved to the demands of the dictators and military commanders and installed for the first time an Emperor giving him six legends too suppress the slave uprising.
In the end the slave and citizen uprising could not resist the Roman legions. Many of the people joining Sparticus were discontent citizens of Rome and individuals from countries that did not like Rome. Originally, the republic which was composed of strong free men. The military started the slow strangulation of the republic by replacing it with an empire. Julius Caesar was introduced as the shadow of the wings of power. Crassus was depicted as the total dictator who put oppressive demands on Rome and the Senate as the body that had lost its power. The Senate historically would have debated the issues and objected to outrageous demands. Instead, the Senate allowed the Emperor to rule Rome and the Emperor established the laws and source of the law and executed the law. The Emperor had power too repeal old laws and establish new laws, in place of the old ones. The punishments for violation of the law could be death and probably a Roman death on the cross demonstrating the Emperors absolute power. The Citizen did what they were told and they did not act without permission. Secret police reported any activity that could bring punishment on the citizen. The laws were supposedly designed to bring security. As the Emperor distrusted and feared the people this only accelerated the downfall of Rome.
The notion of divine right of kings was established. Taxes imposed on the people support the huge military appetite generated as Rome conquered many European countries. The government would become an autocracy and the Emperor the supreme commander.
Sparticus hoped to flee Rome, negotiated with pirates too build ships using gold taken during conquests that would take them from the tip of Italy away to a promise land. Instead, the pirates betrayed Sparticus and did not build the ships allowing the Roman legends to trap Sparticus from the South pushing him towards Rome and forcing a confrontation in the fields close to Rome.
Sparticus was defeated, his men cruxified along the way to Rome, when captured his men coined the phrase "I am Sparticus" when asked who was Sparticus. Sparticus wife would become a member of Crassus Heirloom yet the Senator would arrange for her escape and continue with his own suicide and Sparticus son would remain free.
Movie Review: One of the best films I've seen till today
Summary: 5 Stars
An emotionally super-charged epic whose theme is: 'Man's struggle for his freedom-and (more importantly) his love for freedom'; 'Spartacus' glorifies three cardinal virtues of Man the Hero: his independent spirit, his sense of honor and his ability to hold his head high in the worst of losses & failures & never surrender his dignity.The film depicts all the torture and agony of the human spirit under subjugation-when a man is not free to make his own choices & pursue his own happiness, and all the bliss and ecstasy of freedom - when he can.
This film dramatizes the essence of the Roman psyche: the lust for gaining control, for power-without really earning it, by using fear & brute force(basically throught the character of Crassus); and historically, the cruelty & inhumanity of slavery under the Roman rule.
As another reviewer has correctly pointed out, this film also deals with the theme of fraternity and solidarity - it clearly portrays how the deprivation of a fundamental universal value: freedom - makes men transcend regional and other man-made barriers and ties them in such a powerful bond that they're willing to die for one another.
The story revolves around a group of slaves being trained as gladiators-who, led by Spartacus, rise in revolt against the mighty Roman rule - their only aim being to go back home and live their lives as free men.
What I loved most about the character Spartacus is that he shall fight for his freedom even though he knows he shall lose, that he may be killed-it represents a supreme sense of self-esteem - a spirit which can never be bent, broken or subdued - and the conviction that a death bought by your struggle for freedom is far more honorable and glorious than a life obtained at the price of your dignity and quietly submitting to subjugation and injustice.
This film has several beautiful, unforgettable scenes-the most famous being the one in which each of Spartacus' men claim that he himself is Spartacus (so that Spartacus is saved)-representing a tremendous sense of hero-worship, unity and courage; I also loved the scene in which Spartacus and Antoninus are made to fight each other.
As for the performances, Kirk Douglas was fabulous. The other actor whose performance I really applauded was Peter Ustinov (whom I liked better as Nero in the film 'Quo Vadis?'). Needless to say, the other performances were excellent too.
This film is a must-see for all who not only enjoy historical epics but who also love the projection of man as a heroic being. 'Spartacus' is a tribute to all those known and unknown heroes of the world who have the conviction and courage to pay the price of their blood for their values.