Epic in every sense

Rating: 9/10 (10 June 2009)

I was 8 when Spartacus was released in 1960. I cannot understand how I managed to get to 2009 without having seen more than snippets - I even have it on my DVD shelves, for heaven's sake! But I'm glad that my first full viewing was of the restored print at my local multiplex: this is one of those movies which demands to be seen on a really big screen. The advent of CGI means that we have got used to computer generated hordes fighting epic battles, but Spartacus features thousands upon thousands of real people ranged across real landscapes in the days when films like this were a real event.
For all its epic sprawl, the heart of Spartacus derives from the love between Spartacus and Varinia, and I was surprised to see this movie from Kubrick - demonstrably such a cold fish in so many of his films - have such a moving centre. Even the key Roman figures are noticeably less clinical than is customary with Kubrick.
The main performances are, for the most part, very good (although the less said the better about John Dall's dreadful, dreadful turn as Glabrus), and I was particularly surprised at Olivier. I have found most of his movie work to be mannered, almost self-conscious acting (bordering on thesping if you follow what I mean) - here he gives a naturalistic performance which is by far the best performance I have ever seen from him on film. Jean Simmons is luminous and lovely. Ustinov gives us a comic quasi-villain with a heart of gold with a schtick which collared an Oscar for him on this occasion, despite the fact that we have seen it from him on a number of occasions.
But these are quibbles. This is a film which deserves its epic status, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.