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One of the most quintessential swords-and-sandals epics of all time, Spartacus is a stirring and passionate historical saga chronicling the military career of an indomitable gladiator who commanded a Roman slave revolt. This is a brilliant, seminal piece of filmmaking that inspired several other great epic films, including Mel Gibson's Braveheart and Ridley Scott's Gladiator (both of which earned Oscars for Best Picture). In a way, Spartacus is an extraordinary family picture as the central character fights not only for freedom but additionally for dignity, family, brotherhood and father-son relationships.
Spartacus is an epic of superior quality due mostly to its disregard of the Christian motif - a motif commonly marring similar productions. This is instead a film founded on ideals, convictions and moral dynamism, and it enthrals through sheer force of intellect. It may disregard Biblical themes, but it's indeed set during Biblical times and its story seems like something Biblical - slave is carted off to gladiator school, slave falls in love, slave escapes and becomes an esteemed hero to thousands, slave loses big war and is crucified as a result... But perhaps that's being a tad flippant.
Based on a novel by author Howard Fast, Spartacus is the story of a rebellious Thracian chum known as Spartacus (Douglas). After being born into slavery and raised as a slave, he's sold to gladiator trainer Lentulus Batiatus (Ustinov) who owns a school in Capua. (Note: this aspect is among the film's several historical inaccuracies - Spartacus was in fact a freeborn who served as an auxiliary in the Roman army in Macedonia. He deserted the army, was captured, sold into slavery, and then sold to Batiatus' gladiatorial school) Early into the picture he meets a slave girl named Varinia (Simmons) who's used to 'entertain' the gladiators. From there, Spartacus is forced to endure a gruelling and brutal training period. He refuses to allow himself to be demeaned by the Romans. His newfound love for Varinia, coupled with his loathing for the devastating treatment and callous slaughtering of his fellow slaves, ignites his passion for freedom. Spartacus instigates a slave revolt at the gladiator school, forming a slave army that has the Roman Senate in a tizzy. The rest of the film tracks the escapades of Spartacus and his army as they travel across Italy freeing slaves who gladly join his quest to conquer the decadent Roman Empire.
Meanwhile, a political storyline emerges concerning two great Roman Senators (who were also adversaries): Crassus (Olivier) the patrician (representing the interests of the aristocrats), and Gracchus (Laughton) the plebeian (representing the interests of the commonplace Roman citizens). These men employ their wealth and cunning to battle each other for control of the Senate...and Rome itself. With the Roman Army primed to attack, the slave army prepared to counter-attack, and the Roman Senators skirmishing amongst themselves, Spartacus is poised for a maximus climaxus where there will be more losers than winners.
The story behind the film's creation is almost as interesting as the film itself. Kirk Douglas eagerly sought after snatching the title role of the epic Ben-Hur. However William Wyler (director of Ben-Hur) assigned the role to Charlton Heston as an alternative. Extremely irked, the hot-headed Douglas aspired to make his own Roman epic. He secured the rights to Howard Fast's novel Spartacus and hired blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo to pen the screenplay. Due to Trumbo being part of the Hollywood blacklist he'd been writing under a pseudonym for years. Douglas (an active executive producer for the film) opted to credit Trumbo for his contributions to the script (Mr. Douglas is now recognised for breaking the blacklist).
Following a mere week of filming, original director Anthony Mann was sacked (or he quit...depends on which story you believe). Douglas selected a prompt replacement: youthful director Stanley Kubrick, who had helmed Paths of Glory (also starring Douglas) years earlier. Much ruckus has been sparked concerning Kubrick's contribution to the film. Because Kubrick never directed the same film twice, some think it fits nicely into the Kubrick oeuvre. Others believe Kubrick didn't do much at all, and was pressured into being a director-for-hire employed to ensure the production didn't violate the Director's Guild rules. While Kubrick was present on set, Kirk Douglas in fact directed a majority of the film himself. Kubrick later disowned the movie as he felt he didn't have adequate creative control. He even attempted legal action to have his name removed from the credits!
Rumoured to have a budget of over $US12 million, Spartacus was the most expensive Hollywood film ever made in 1960. A great deal of gossip regarding the problematic production is well-known: the Kubrick disputes as noted above, the heated arguments between Kirk Douglas and Kubrick which ended both their friendship and professional relationship, the battle of egos between the stars (each believed they had superior dialogue) as well as the uncredited script 'doctoring' by Peter Ustinov. Despite all this, Spartacus is a stirring, unforgettable, remarkable epic. Regardless of its mammoth scale it never forgets its characters, the detail, the excellent story, and the timeless fight for freedom it conveys.
The scale and scope of the invigorating battles is phenomenal, and they are coupled with exhilarating gladiatorial matches. The intricate detail in the costumes and locations is breathtaking. In this digital age audiences are accustomed to witnessing a computer-generated "cast" of thousands. It's powerful and awe-inspiring to behold hordes of practical extras pervading the frame for the massive battle scenes. Kubrick would've had to command these extras as firmly as Crassus ruled Rome. With thousands of meticulously-costumed extras, it puts digital Hollywood "epics" to shame. Decades on, Spartacus still holds its own - even alongside films such as Gladiator and Braveheart.
The cast is particularly top-notch as well, with a passionate Kirk Douglas leading the enormous cast. The strength and conviction of Douglas (and his powerful "inny" chin) carries the day.
In the early 1990s, a team worked to restore Spartacus and construct the definitive version of film. Footage that was initially removed for the theatrical release was inserted back into the final cut. Also, a scene had its dialogue altered for the 1960 theatrical release. For the restored version, the original dialogue was to be re-inserted but the original soundtrack couldn't be found. Laurence Olivier's voice in said scene (when he tries to seduce Antoninus in the bath) couldn't be restored. Therefore, as a replacement, actor Anthony Hopkins stepped in to lend his voice to the particular scene. The restoration is utterly marvellous.
In spite of all its strengths, Spartacus isn't without faults. At a running time of over three hours it's challenging to sustain excitement levels from start to finish. The politics are too stilted and there are a few unnecessary, historically inaccurate sub-plots begging to be removed. The definitive biopic of Spartacus has yet to be made. At three hours, a majority of the film feels like padding. The acting is occasionally a tad wooden as well, almost campy.
The authoritative acting, lush cinematography, bold costumes and visceral battles won Spartacus a total of four Oscars. This is a secular Roman epic and one of the best entries to the swords-and-sandals genre. It's a story of both inward and outward conflicts, well-written and executed by an ideal creative team. Those who adore the Golden Age of Hollywood will be extremely pleased with the big name cast, big name director in addition to the lavish sets, costumes and cinematography. Put your best sandals on, hitch up the chariot and seek out Spartacus. You will most certainly be maximus chuffedus if you do. Gladiator, Ben-Hur and Spartacus make the perfect triumvirate for lover of Hollywood epics.
7.9/10
