Review of Spartacus (1960) by Christopher P — 17 Nov 2011

"The only freedom a slave can have, is death...".

"Spartacus" is an epic tragedy of men and their individual quests for glory. It's best moments show the brilliance of director Stanley Kubrick and the majesty that comprises post-classical cinema.

"Spartacus" is loosely based on the life of Spartacus; a slave, gladiator, and general in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. He is played by Kirk Douglas, who provides a strong performance.

It is refreshing to see that all the characters in "Spartacus" are highly complex. The screenplay is largely brilliant and has some important messages to convey. I enjoyed, for example, how the screenplay doesn't abhorrently villainze Romans and grants viewers ample time to understand their motivations. Politics and morality are the driving forces behind "Spartacus'" screenplay. I want to note how some films are quick to brand Romans as aristocratic villains. That's not entirely the case here. Educated minds should know that the facets of good and evil cannot be defined among a whole society. On the other hand, Spartacus and his slaves are the obvious protagonists, as they seek freedom from Roman oppression and slavery. Morality is a matter of perspective and motivation, this film hints at that.

On a negative note, a few scenes in "Spartacus" are noticeably outdated and a few performances are noticeably stiff. The romance between Spartacus and love-interest Varinia is intriguing at the start of the film, but slowly grows to slowdown the plot. Finally, the ending scenes of the restored version of "Spartacus" run a little long and could use some tweaking.

However, I believe everyone should watch "Spartacus" once in their lives. I do bring into question its replay value. See it and enjoy this classic.

Grade: B-.