Leigh_Springsteen

(2013-05-19 02:19:51)

Epic in every sense of the word

Although Kubrick didn't have complete control over this film it stillhas the ambiance that he later perfects in his other masterpieces. Ifeel that this is easily his most tender film, which is a rare emotionfor him, mostly due to the relationship with Spartacus and hisconsistent love interest. The factor I appreciated most was Kubrick'scontrol over in front of the camera; every frame is busy and authentic,truly embodying the scale it so desires to be effective. It is a realtreat to see Lawrence Olivier, Charles Laughton and (the right-fullyaward winning) Peter Ustinov, in delightfully developed supportingroles. The contrast between these men is the key factor and ultimatelyrewards in the climax. The score and cinematography are alsooutstanding. However, I do discredit it quite a bit for dragging toomuch in pace.

(2013-05-18 15:24:41)

Letterbox only

This review is from: Spartacus (DVD) DESPITE THE DESCRIPTION THAT IT IS LETTERBOX AND WIDESCREEN, MY DVD ONLY HAD LETTERBOX AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO SWITCH TO WIDESCREEN.

Psalm 52

(2013-05-17 16:47:53)

They don't make Epics, like they used to.

This is a very good epic produced and acted by a H'wood legend(Douglas). It starts off strong and just continues on that wave-lengthright through the conclusion when the lead is crucified. Theperformances that support this epic are all-around excellent. Onepossible quibble is that Curtis' character could have been built upsomewhat so that in the last combat scene there is a stronger currentof tension between Antoninus and the slave-king Spartacus. Strode issuperb in his smaller role, as are Ireland and Gavin. I was born adecade after this film played in theaters, but it's a film thatdeserves a definite theatrical viewing. The scene that shows Spartacusleading the salves is expertly inter-cut w/ the Olivier characterspeaking to Romans. The battle scene is a HUNDRED TIMES better than allthe CG-effects used in the over-promoted turkey 'Troy.' They just don'tmake Epics, like they used to.

rey alvarez

(2013-05-17 05:25:10)

Roman Slaves' Cry For Freedom Is Clearly Heard Through This Film

In spite of some historical inaccuracies, the epic spectacle "Spartacus"(1960) is a remarkable movie which should be rightly called late StanleyKubrick's masterpiece (even though he practically disowned it). The cast members are excellent. Kirk Douglas was perfectly cast as thishistorical slave revolt leader. In fact, he was the right age. (Spartacuswas in his late 30's when he revolted while Douglas was about 45 when hemade this film.) Sir Lawrence Olivier is superb as the cocky andfilthy-rich Roman politician Crassus. Other players including PeterUstinov, John Gavin (yes, Honorable John Gavin, former U.S. Ambassador toMexico) and Charles Laughton are equally magnificent in their respectiveroles. The drama and emotion of this film moved me totears.The last decisive battle scene between the slave army and Roman legions wasmagnificently staged. The extras playing the Roman legionnaires marched information so precisely, and the whole formation moved like a singleorganism. The blinding flash, which was created when thousands of extrassimultaneously pointed their shields toward the camera, was absolutelyawe-inspiring. Just before the two armies clashed, thousands of extrasplaying the Roman army quickly and precisely reorganized the formation tocreate skirmish lines. This was a site to behold. It must have beenabsolutely terrifying for the foes of Rome to watch the formations of theserobot-like, super-precise Roman legionnaires charging toward them. (Nowonder the extras moved with such a precision. The Roman soldiers wereplayed by 8000 infantrymen from the Spanish Army.) The whole thing was sogood it gave me goose bumps.Of course, since this is a Hollywood movie, there are some almost mandatoryhistorical inaccuracies: 1) Roman historians recorded that Spartacus wassold as a slave as a punishment for deserting from the Roman army. There isno record of his working in a Libyan mine. According to Roman historianPlutarch, Spartacus was sold to a gladiator school run by a man namedLentulus Batiatus (played in the movie by Peter Ustinov).2) Spartacus apparently did not meet his wife at the gladiator school. Hewas already married at the time he was sold as a slave, and his wife wasalso sold as a slave.3) Spartacus' slave army suffered greatly from an internal strife whicheventually led to its defeat by Crassus' legions. (This internal strife wasnot even mentioned in the movie.) Spartacus and his followers within theslave army wanted to flee from Italy and disband the army outside the Romanterritory so all the foreign slaves can return home. Others wanted toremain in Italy and keep on looting. 4) In the movie, Spartacus forbade his men from forcing Roman prisoners tofight as gladiators. However, real Spartacus apparently made many Romancaptives to fight in gladiator fights. 5) Both Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus and his brother Gaius SemproniusGracchus, famous pro-plebian reformers, died decades before Spartacus'revolt. The film is unclear as to whether the Charles Laughton character isTiberius or his brother.6) Crassus' last decisive campaign against Spartacus was more complex andtime-consuming than what was portrayed in the movie. It involved buildingdozens of miles of fortifications near the southern tip of Italy anddecimation (i.e. execution of one in ten soldiers) of his own defeatedlegions for cowardice. However, these historical inaccuracies did not lessen the value of thismovie. The cry for freedom by Spartacus and other slaves 2000 years ago canbe clearly heard through this movie. All lovers of Roman epic should seethis movie!

(2013-05-16 20:35:17)

" The improved 'Spartacus' is SUPURB!

This review is from: Spartacus (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) This Blu-Ray Version of "Spartacus" issimply magnificent!The colors, overall pictoral quality, sound, clarity, I cannot believe how much sharper the images and focus everything has become from the original picture.What a difference modern technology makes!!!THANK YOU!!!

(2013-05-16 17:30:17)

Forget historical accuracy

This is a dramatized Hollywood film, not a documentary. It was chosen as the manliest movie of all time in "The Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness," but has much more to recommend it, of course. Much has already been written praising the screenplay, direction, and acting talents involved, particulary those of Olivier, Ustinov, and Laughton. I have no quibble with any of that. It does have a few flaws, however. Without going so far as to call it a 'noble failure,' one can point to elements that could have been handled better. In some scenes the background, ostensibly outdoors, is obviously and inexplicably a stage set, contrasting jarringly with the real outdoor shots seen throughout most of the film. The casting of Tony Curtis as Antoninus and John Gavin as Julius Caesar was a mistake. Curiously, these two characters are not in the Howard Fast novel, but were added for the film. Both actors were certainly chosen for their looks; speaking their lines doesn't seem to have been their strong point. With Gavin I'm constantly expecting him to trip over his tongue, forcing him to start over. And the score by Alex North, although some reviewers say good things about it, just doesn't work for me. Most of the time it has a contemporary Hollywood feel and does nothing to evoke the ancient world. (The 'Love Theme,' incidentally, has been recorded numerous times by jazz musicians like Bill Evans and Yusef Lateef.) Only the segments stripped down to trumpets and snare drums -- the martial music -- really succeed. At any rate, the film's virtues outweigh its faults, and is a remarkable achievement, coming out when it did, unlike almost anything which had gone before. It's worth many viewings. (BL, Tucker, GA)

G K

(2013-05-16 05:37:19)

While it suffers from some of the flaws of epics of this era, Spartacus also boasts some stirring action and intelligent dialogue.

A gladiator (Kirk Douglas) in ancient Rome sparks a slaves' revolt. Thedocumentary Trumbo suggests that the "I am Spartacus!" scene was meantto dramatize the solidarity of those accused of being Communistsympathizers during the McCarthy Era who refused to implicate others,and thus were blacklisted.Spartacus is a long, well-made, downbeat epic, rather talky in itsfirst half, but with deeper than usual characterization and severalbravura sequences. This is about as good as the sword-and-sandals genregot in this era. The original score for the film was composed andconducted by six-time Academy Award nominee Alex North. It isconsidered one of his best works.

mrgray83

(2013-05-15 15:09:29)

The most unKubrickian Kubrick project......but it still delivers.

Spartacus follows the time of the rebel Spartacus' life starting withhis life as a slave, then gladiator, then rebel, and finally leading upto his crucifixion. This film was directed by Stanley Kubrick, but ifyou're a hardcore Kubrick film like myself, you'll have a hard timebelieving it. Is it beautiful? Yes, the photography of the film ispretty top notch. Is the camera work Kubrick? To a certain degree. It'snot full force Kubrick. I interpreted this as a laid back Kubrick styleof filming. And the fact that he didn't write the screenplay had a lotto do with it I'm sure. Can I praise Kirk Douglas enough for hisportrayal of Spartacus? I don't think so. Kirk gives one of the bestperformances of his career that I've seen. I still can't place hisacting here above his acting in Paths of Glory though. Another greatactor here is Jean Simmons, who is a hottie for real. She is absolutelybeautiful. Another thing about the movie is that even though, it's over3 hours long, I found the pacing very well done. I never found myselfbored because the film has powerful dialog, which is another big plus.10/10 Highly recommended.

bkoganbing

(2013-05-14 21:08:17)

The Eternal Cry For Freedom

From what little I've read of this film it was lucky to have been madeat all. Some very big talents had some very big egos and those egosclashed repeatedly. Original director Anthony Mann was replaced byStanley Kubrick by Producer/Star Kirk Douglas among other clashes.But the result was all worth it. The stars all give top notchperformances, but the mark of a really great film is the memorabilityof each individual in the ensemble. To give a few examples, CharlesMcGraw as the sadistic trainer at the gladiatorial school, John Dall asSir Laurence Olivier's protГѓВ©gГѓВ©, and John Ireland as Kirk Douglas'sfellow gladiator trainee are all memorable in the brief roles theyhave.Kirk Douglas wisely opts for a straightforward interpretation of a heroin the title role of Spartacus. He's a BC everyman, born into a worldwhich hadn't heard anything about human rights, he knows and feels he'snot just cattle. Catch the alternating scenes of Douglas and SirLaurence Olivier addressing the slave army and the Roman Army. Olivierwith his years of Shakespearean training coming across as the tyrant tobe, and Douglas in simple prose talking about the slaves fighting fortheir hopes and dreams. Very effective.The plot concerns a revolt at a gladiatorial school which mushroomsinto a crisis for the Roman Empire. Political factions led by Olivieras Crassus and Charles Laughton as Gracchus seek to use the slaverevolt to further their own ends. Laughton as always is a wonder. It's a bit of unusual casting for himbecause his parts are usually those of very tortured souls. HisGracchus is a sly rogue, but a decent man. One of my favorite movielines of all time is delivered by him addressing the Roman Senate wherehe says he'll "take a little republican corruption for a littlerepublican freedom." Another sly rogue in the film is Peter Ustinov who won the first of histwo Oscars as Batiatus the owner of the gladiatorial school. Like somany others I'm sure in those days, he's just trying to come out on thewinning side when doing so could be a life or death situation.Jean Simmons as Varinia, beloved of Spartacus, has the only woman'spart of any substance. But when was Ms. Simmons bad in anything. One ofthe most underrated and under-appreciated actresses in the history offilm.The lessons about man's desire for freedom and to control his owndestiny are eternal and valid. And this film will be also.

Caledonia Twin #1

(2013-05-14 08:58:58)

Epic magic

There have been so many fine commentaries on this film that I feel itwouldbe impossible to improve upon them, so I'll just recommend anyone passingbyhere to read through them all. After reading through the excellentcommentsby other viewers, I did feel I should add my vote recognizing theexceptional quality of this film. All I can say is, if you haven't seenSpartacus, invest the time, and you won't regret it. This 3 hour film isworth every minute. And if you read through the comments here, you'llknowwhy.Rating: 9/10

(2013-05-14 02:29:47)

Spartacus-Great movie

This review is from: Spartacus [HD DVD] (HD DVD) I knew a bit about Spartacus and his slave revolt but this movie took it to a whole new level. The production itself was fantastic and I thank the people who worked to hard to restore it. The story and the great actors bring the movie up to today's level of life. The old saying that "history repeats itself" is certainly expressed in this moving story. Corruption in gov., people who have nothing, people not caring for others. The movie does not give credit to only Spartacus for the slave revolt, with the tremendous acting you could blame it all on Kirk Douglas. I cannot say one bad thing about this movie.It can truly be said that there are three stories within this movie; the suffering of the slaves, the Roman's taking their lives for granted and the corruption with in the gov. I have watched this movie over and over and each time I see another facet of one of the actors part. I urge everyone to see Spartacus, study it, and enjoy the fantastic acting and story.

(2013-05-13 20:59:27)

Not bad

My kids & I watched it for a history project. It was factual but not overly gruesome. The love story was done tastefully & you still didn't have to wonder what happened. I'm not one for older movies & my kids were definitely not interested, but after the movie (3+ hours) ended, they both said "not bad".

(2013-05-12 23:07:28)

Universal Blu-Ray offers the sharpest image...

This review is from: Spartacus (50th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) ...but at the expense of noticeable edge enhancement on their print. There's obviously been an attempt by Universal to make a 1960, 70mm film look extra crisp for the cellphone generation's flat panels; it's the chief annoyance on this disc. This is still the best looking SPARTACUS for fans, although the lower-resolution, Criterion, standard dvd offers more extras and a grander historical perspective on the film's history - so keep it, if you have it. I saw the Harris restoration in a New Orleans theater when it was re-released back in the early 90's (wonderful inspite of noticeable flaws), and if this blu-ray isn't as satisfying on most televisions, it's by a geek's margin. Chatter about the color accuracy of this print isn't going to affect most people's enjoyment of this new blu-ray at home.The film is an entertaining roadshow spectacle, thanks mostly to some inspired work by the British contingent, and Kubrick's limited touch. Douglas' involvement as overbearing producer, sadly, takes it down a notch. Alex North's evocative score remains a crowning touch, now in six-track DTS sound for this blu-ray edition.

(2013-05-12 06:33:56)

This is one of my favorite movie, but...

This review is from: Spartacus [HD DVD] (HD DVD) This is one of my favorite movies (I am a history buff) but when I bought it I'm sure that I clicked on the regular DVD version and when it arrived I had got the HD DVD version that didn't play on any of the sustems that I had. That was a major downfall, had to buy a whole new Spartacus DVD, but other then that it is a great movie!

(2013-05-12 05:34:15)

Quite simply, the greatest movie I have ever seen!

Spartacus is a great action film and one of the best epics of all time, but it is even more with this version. Spartacus is a film about the title character, a rebellious slave who became a gladiator who defied Rome. Sound familiar? Gladiator borrowed quite a bit from this movie. Some people might dismiss Spartacus but look at the controversy it caused and you might think otherwise. The movie's message of mistreated, enslaved masses revolting at the oppressive establishment is a metaphor for revolutions, specifically the Russian Revolution. The book it was based on was widely banned because of subversive Communist messages. The writer, Dalton Trumbo, was one of the "Hollywood Ten" that was sent to prison for refusing to testify to the House Un-American Activities Committee. This movie shattered the Hollywood Blacklist and really takes a look at how often we eliminate subversive people or ideas because they threaten the establishment, how we mistreat good people. The acting is brilliant: Kirk Douglas is the most underrated actor of all time, and although this is not his best performance, it certainly smacks of greatness. Lawrence Olivier is sometimes called the best actor of all time, and he lives up to it here. As the dictatorial Crassus, he is brilliant beyond words. He is not playing Crassus, he is Crassus. Charles Laughton is Gracchus, a republican senator (not the political party we all know and love, I guess, but one in favor of a republic government), a senator who was born in poverty and identifies with Spartacus: this coupled with the fact that he hates Crassus' guts endears him to Spartacus and to help him in his cause. Charles Laughton is also in that category of Greatest Actors of All Time, his performance here is great. Peter Ustinov won an Oscar with his portrayal of Batiatus, a slave trader who develops a conscience. The last three actors are British: this was done so that some overly-zealous Americans wouldn't walk out when they found out that Trumbo was writing. Jean Simmons also stars as Spartacus' wife. This movie should be watched with Paths of Glory, they are both excellent and they go together. Paths is about corruption in the Army, while Spartacus is about corruption in government. But this is all just the beginning.This movie is packed with extras. There are two commentaries, an entire second disc with tons of information on the actors, producers, director, nearly everyone involved. There is an interesting documentary on the Hollywood Ten, info about the blacklist, letters, sketches. One of the best films of its era and any other, Spartacus is a thrilling and monumental achievement in cinema.

(2013-05-11 18:11:54)

SPARTACUS

One of the best movies of all times. I bought HD DVD Player and not Bluray because of Spartacus. I was not satisfied with the picture quality. I expected a movie theater like experience. It was not. The sound quality was also poor.

(2013-05-11 07:44:52)

A Classic

The storyline, musical score, acting, and sets in this epic Roman saga are fantastic. The depiction of Roman society and values, the political intrigue of Rome itself, and the way they viewed slavery all combine to make this movie extremely insightfull. That being said, however... their were aspects of the film that seemed less than perfect: mainly the action sequences. Speaking as your average undiscerning movie viewer, the battles seemed bland and uninspired, at least from a modern standpoint. (Although i do realize that for the time they were considered state of the art.) So if what you are looking for is an action packed blockbuster with breathtaking special effects and digitally created wonders, watch Gladiator. If you are willing to accept the dearth of good battles normally associated with epics of this kind in exchange for its other more subtle aspects then I would highly recommend this movie.Although as a teenage male, i certainly would have enjoyed a few rousing fight scenes, i think that the plot and acting more than make up for the lack. Thus i still gave it five stars. How you would like it, though, depends on how heavily you weigh action versus plot and characters.

(2013-05-10 11:00:43)

Favorite Classic Movie

This review is from: Spartacus (Amazon Instant Video) Bought this for my husband as a surprise gift & he just loves it.Quick delivery; perfect condition. A real Hollywood Spectacular Production.

(2013-05-09 23:55:43)

Kirk rules

This is a Hollywood classic, and deservedly so. Kirk Douglas was the force behind the Stanley Kubrick directed movie.Douglas does a believable job, and the story takes center place. Sure, there's action and lots of swordplay and a large cast of extras to fill in the crowd scenes, but the love story takes center place, and Jean Simmons is haunting in her quiet portrayal of the heart of the movie.The ending is of course contrived and not even close to being historically accurate. That's not really important in this treatment though.It makes a symbolic statement, and Douglas keeps the movie on track and dramatically sound. I didn't like the intermission and prelude blank screens while the orchestral music plays. I fast forwarded through this, and thought it could have been cut down to nothing or maybe put on an "extras" selection for those who are interested in this kind of music, which fits the movie, but has no place besides that. On a DVD, viewers can pause whenever they want to take a break, and don't need an intermission as theater goers did when the original film played and reels also had to be changed.Good movie, engrossing and well acted.It's not a history movie, so those who complain about the inaccuracy are missing the point. Just like those who decry the true history of Christmas. This holiday has become something it never was, though it still has some value to modern people.

JamisonC

(2013-05-09 11:41:20)

A Little Long But Worth It.

I only know part of the complex story behind this production. Thewriter, Trumbo, received his first credit after being jailed by theHouse Un-American Committee. Some of the most crucialscenes were removed because of the MPAA. Thankfully, therestored extended version is amazing. Kubrick came to the projectlate and didn't like the script or the lead actress. Unfortunately, hereplaced her with Simmons; she's a decent actress, but the plotdepends on her being a gorgeous woman, which she's not. Thisis Douglas' finest performance (that I've seen). A great epic moviewith a famous poster by Saul Bass. This is the story of a rebelmade by rebels, and they changed Hollywood in the process. Bravo!