Spartacus (1960)

 

This is a brilliant film. Yes, I said it right off the bat. I also love it without question, as it was probably the first epic I saw as a child and it made a lasting impression.

Also: Kirk Douglas is the man. But what a star-studded cast! Such skills! Such wow!

'Spartacus' tells the - romanticised - tale of a Thracian slave who led other slaves in a revolt against the might of the Roman Empire. It is after all quite the inspirational tale of resistance against an oppressor, a lowly slave managing to make the legions question themselves. 

Well, reality was probably pretty different, but reality is hardly ever entertaining enough, now is it?

Spartacus has always been a slave, for as long as he can remember. One day, Lentulus Batiatus buys him and a couple of other slaves to be trained as gladiators in his school in Capua. Here, Spartacus soon commands the respect of the other gladiators and he even falls in love with a slave girl called Varinia. When she is sold and the trainer mocks Spartacus, he loses it and this is the spark that gets them all going and rise against the soldiers present. Now the gladiators are free, roaming across the countryside, freeing more slaves as they go along. The plan is to head south, to procure ships with the Cilician pirates and then sail to whatever home they all came from.

But the pirates break the deal when the new Roman consul, Marcus Licinius Crassus, plans to annihilate the slave army. Spartacus and his troops have no choice but to march in the direction of Rome and they face overwhelming odds in a massive battle. 

It doesn't end well for Spartacus' army. They are decimated and the survivors crucified along the Via Appia. But Spartacus' wife Varinia and their newborn son do survive and manage to escape Rome, with a little help from senator Gracchus and Batiatus. 

This film was one Stanley Kubrick did because he was just hired to do so, so it's a little less of his personal visual style we've come to expect and admire, but it is still beautifully shot, edited and expertly directed. But the story works on a great many levels. Not only is the pacing pretty spot on (especially for a 3 hour film), there's enough variety to keep you enthralled until the end. It's the solid acting that will keep your attention. Douglas is his charismatic self as Spartacus, but you can't really falter with Tony Curtis as the soft spoken Antoninus, or Charles Laughton as the plotting, yet affable senator Gracchus. 

Two people steal the show, though. The first one is Peter Ustinov as Batiatus, who brings some much needed levity to a pretty heavy story. The other is the perfect antagonist Crassus, in the shape of legend Laurence Olivier. This is a classic film villain, near perfect in every way. He schemes, he plots, yet he is also highly intelligent and capable. A most excellent counterpoint to Douglas' Spartacus. It is glorious.

Fun fact: Olivier and Laughton didn't get along at all, and this is obvious in their scenes together, but it also gives their rivalry on screen that extra layer of realism and it works wonders. 

Possibly my favourite stand-out scene is when Spartacus and a Numidian called Draba have to fight to the death for the amusement of Crassus and entourage. Draba early on told Spartacus he didn't want to be friends in case he had to kill him in the arena. Which is a solid idea, but when Draba can't bring himself to slay Spartacus and pretty much sacrifices himself, it will be etched in your mind. It is also the catalyst for Spartacus to revolt. You can't praise actor Woody Strode enough for this minor, yet massively important part. 

'Spartacus' is still an opulent visual feast, filled with excellent acting, great setpieces, lavish design and a soundtrack that fits like a glove. In every way a classic, this is one of those must-see stories.