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Spartacus (1960)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
3/06, 12/12, 7/17
3/06:
Although a spectacular film by Stanley Kubrick, Spartacus is too long and lacks substance.
However, the story is a classic with a great cast. There are many famous movie moments such as the waiting game between the
eponymous hero and the Ethiopian before the arena match, the battle formations, the rolling flaming logs, and the ending.
Laurence Olivier is brilliant as Marcus Licinius Crassus who's a true villain in every sense. Kirk Douglas is sublime as
the eponymous hero. Charles Laughton chews up the scenery, and so does Peter Ustinov.
All in all, Spartacus rivals Ben-Hur in all aspects but isn't enough to be
a masterpiece.
12/12:
Trying Spartacus once again, I still can't view it as a '10' picture.
I don't know what the problem is, but there's something lacking. The overall story is still a classic. However,
it isn't as great as Ben-Hur and
The Ten Commandments, leaving me wanting more.
Once again, Laurence Olivier steals the show. He's a bona fide movie star. Kirk Douglas does his best imitation of
Alan Ladd from Shane. Peter Ustinov and Charles Laughton turn in eye-candy performances.
On the other hand, Jean Simmons is ordinary.
All in all, Spartacus, although a fantastic-looking film with great acting, is too long.
7/17:
I wish I can rate Spartacus higher than '8', but I can't do it.
But the truth is: it has never fully satisfied me in spite of seeing it at least five times. There's always something
missing. Maybe it needs a battle, two or three more meaningful scenes other than the lovemaking stuff between the
eponymous hero and Varinia, or something else. Hence, it's an easy film to compare with
Ben-Hur.
Kirk Douglas' Spartacus is among the most iconic characters in the history of cinema. He has an
impressive-looking face which seems to be made of granite. However, taking a closer look, his performance is somewhat
superficial. Instead, it's Laurence Olivier who steals the show. He constantly drips with quiet menace. What a
surprise Laurence Olivier wasn't nominated for an Oscar.
Peter Ustinov won the Oscar, the only one to have done so for a Kubrick film. To be honest with you, I have to go with
Charles Laughton who's magnificent. Jean Simmons is merely okay while Tony Curtis is flat. But I like Herbert Lom's
performance as Tigranes Levantus. Granting him more screen time will help.
I love the cinematography along with the 10,500 extras that got pumped up to 40,000 dummies, netting an Oscar win for
Russell Metty when in fact it was the director who did most of the work. The former left due to the latter's constant
meddling. According to IMDb: "When Kirk Douglas asked Stanley Kubrick [for] his opinion of the 'I Am Spartacus' scene,
Kubrick (in front of cast and crew) called it 'a stupid idea.' Douglas promptly chewed the director out." Well, that's
incredible because it's among the most famous scenes ever.
Even worse is Stanley Kubrick disowning the film due to the lack of complete creative control. Kirk Douglas never got along
with him during their time, attacking him with a folding chair at one point. It's too bad because they also did an
excellent film entitled Paths of Glory. By the way, Spartacus marked the
end of Dalton Trumbo's stay on the Hollywood blacklist.
All in all, Spartacus is the poor man's Ben-Hur.