A classic historical movie, restored

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2001)

I recently saw this again in the cinema (previously only on TV) in a restored 70mm format. I really enjoyed seeing it in this format.
At slightly over three hours in length it is not a long film to tell the story. By modern standards some scenes may be slow but overall the pace was appropriate for the sombre story of downtrodden slaves seeking freedom from manipulating Roman overlords.
The colours and cinematography are excellent. Alas I can only imagine how it looked when first released in 1960. The restorers have worked well but the clarity of the picture has been lost in parts of some frames. The casting is good with all turning in good performances in their roles.
Leaves the modern efforts like Gladiator looking flashy but lacking depth and scope.
Given the number of times this has been shown on TV it is obviously still popular with many of the viewing public. However if you do get the chance to see it on the big screen in 70mm it is still worth the entrance fee.