Epic cinema at its finest

Rating: 10/10 (20 March 2002)

Stanley Kubrick essentially disowned this movie, saying it was not really his work. It's true that Anthony Mann directed the first half, and the movie on the whole lacks trademark touches of Kubrick, who was basically a director for hire. There's a reason you don't find this in his box sets.
Having said all that, this is a movie anyone should be THRILLED to have on his resume. It's rare you find something that shoots so high and makes a bullseye. Certain things, such as the extremely long time at the beginning we simply watch a blank screen while music plays, would have come across as pretentious and irritating in most anything else, yet it's okay here because this movie doesn't just act like it's a larger than life masterpiece, it delivers the goods! The sets and location shooting are breathtaking at many times; the sight of the hundreds of slaves marching into battle made my jaw drop. And there's plenty of substance beneath the style; the story line is gripping and goes far beyond that of many similar movies in terms of complexity. As far as the performances, they are uniformly great. Kirk Douglas, a stellar leading man, suits the title role perfectly, Laurence Olivier is amazingly detestable as the villain, and the supporting cast, which includes Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, and Charles Laughton, is highlighted by Peter Ustinov's justly Oscar winning performance. Despite a 3 hours+ running time, Spartacus is never once boring, and despite being a rabble rousing film about a hero, is never once predictable or cliche. The famous "I'm Spartacus" scene towards the end has been parodied many times, and it's easy to see why it made such a huge impression on filmgoers. Works like this are among the best examples of "movie magic" and it should be required viewing for any film school student!