Spartacus

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Johnathon W @Hoppynsc 10h Epic classic that remains as important for what happened behind the scenes than on film. The cast is superb across the board, with Peter Ustinov stealing the show as the wiley slave handler. Behind the camera, Stanley Kubrick crafts an epic film that is perhaps his most straightforward, even when it takes some tragic twists. It is helped by some fantastic writing, notably from Donald Trumbo, whose name appearing broke the Hollywood Black List. While not perfect, its strengths easily outnumber its weaknesses, making for a classic epic like no other. See more Romas M @Romas Dec 17 Greetings from Lithuania. From all of the movie that Stanley Kubrick has ever made, "Spartacus" (1960) for me was always his least favorite. Simply because it was studio film, and Stanley Kubrick was a director for hire. And it clearly shows because it lacks any imagination in comparison to any other film this legendary director has ever made. It is a straightforward Hollywood's historical epic, with huge sets, great costumes, terrific set design, actors doing their best with material given. This is one of those Hollywood historical epics with its values and flaws. There are flows with this film and for me it always was pacing. Like the there are sequences in a second half of the film with a lot of dialogs and they just draggs the movie heavily. They add to the overall history of Rome, but does not work in terms of movie entertainment. It is just simply boring. See more Jeffrey L Nov 17 Simply the greatest epic film of all time. Period. See more Leprechaun K @LeprechaunKing Oct 15 The large scale and production for the movie is impressive. This is pre-CGI and some battle seem to include thousands of actual extras. Clocking in at over 3 hours, runtime is a little too long. There is easily an hour dedicated to showcasing the grand backdrops and production design. Can't really recognize this as Kubrick's work other than the meticulous production design and the attention to detail in almost every frame. The practical effects were also very impressive even by today's standards, especially the battle scenes involving fire stunts. The movie was made to win Oscars and it served its purpose. See more Stephen C @bob25009 May 23 3 hours and 4 minutes based on a true account of a Roman army of slaves fighting for freedom. Ages 13 and older!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Wayne K Apr 27 A film with a famously troubled production, including arguments over scripts, character traits and a director who tried his best to disavow the film in later years, Spartacus has nevertheless gone on to be one of cinemas most highly regarded and oft-imitated historical epics, revolving around the exploits of one of histories most famous underdogs. Kirk Douglas isn’t bowling anyone over with his performance, but he infuses the character with a lot of warmth, determination and a surprising amount of humour. Far from being a cliché reluctant hero, Spartacus always takes an active role in the rebellion he started, and the scope and scale of the film demonstrates just how far he managed to go while the worlds foremost superpower wanted his head on a platter. His romance with Varinia is never overdone, and with the amount of time it’s given to grow, you never doubt that the feelings they have for each other are genuine. The film clocks in at 3 and a quarter hours, at least the 1991 restoration does, and while its not usually a problem, you do feel the length as you reach the end, and there are several scenes that you could cut out altogether to create a much more streamlined narrative. The famous ‘I’m Spartacus’ scene is very enjoyable and emotionally satisfying, but its placement feels weird, with around 30-minutes of screentime coming after it so it never feels like the definitive climax that it should. It might not have received the acclaim that other historical epics of that time received, such as Lawrence Of Arabia and Ben-Hur, but it still stands as a powerful and beautifully made indictment of tyranny, and a potent celebration of the oppressed underdog succeeding in a way no one thought they ever could. See more Read all reviews

Spartacus

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