Review of Spartacus (1960) by Buddy A — 11 Feb 2009

Although this movie weighs in at over three hours, it's amazing how well the story flows. Dalton Trumbo's script is very well written and thus is a standout here. The cast is quite superb, although some of the acting style might be seen by today's audience to be somewhat over the top.

Ustinov is (for me) one of the great features of this film; his performance is both understated and sublime. Kubrick's direction, although not at all typical of his usual fare (as he was called in to take over for Anthony Mann, who bowed out due to creative differences), works for this "epic" style of film.

However, do not expect this to look like or resemble any of his other works; Kubrick had nowhere near the level of control over "Spartacus" that he did with either previous or subsequent films.

But, despite the film's length and somewhat over-the-top epic demeanor, "Spartacus" is worth a look, as it is rightly considered a classic, even though it is a little light on historical accuracy.

Recommended.