Review of Spartacus (1960) by Jeffrey M — 06 Sep 2013

Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus is, in many ways, a remarkable achievement. Centered on the slave rebellion that threatened Rome, Spartacus is a true swords-and-sandals epic. The performances, the script, the set design, the costumes, everything comes together to make a finely executed period piece.

What makes Spartacus work the most is the exceptional cast, all of whom inject the film with an undeniable sense of life, charm, and even whit. Especially impressive was Laurence Olivier, whose nuanced portrayal gave us a sort of antagonist that was ahead of his time, complex in his machinations. He was matched well by Kirk Douglas, but also Charles Laughton, whose grounded presence and affable nature contrast against Olivier's dark intensity, making for an especially interesting dynamic.

The script is also intelligently written, penned by one of the famed Hollywood 10 (writers blacklisted during the McCarthy-era). It provides us with great dialogue, and fills the story with interesting characters. This is not to say there's no clichés to be found, I found the romance rather contrived (as was very common for this time period), but its overall tone and end note represent a notable departure from other films of that era.

Spartacus has largely aged well. The action scenes are still impressive to today, and its world building more than rivals films of today, with an un-paralleled scope. The film's romantic elements are a bit dated, and the film does get dragged down from time to time in its own melodrama, but all-in-all, it more than holds its own to any epic of today.

4/5 Stars.