I'm Spartacus! He's Spartacus! We're All Spartacus!

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2011)

During the early reign of the ancient Roman Empire, heroic slave Kirk Douglas (as Spartacus) rebels by biting a master's ankle. He will be roundly punished. Believing Mr. Douglas' strength and determination make him a good candidate for gladiator duels, Douglas is saved from a starvation sentence by wily slave-trader Peter Ustinov (as Batiatus), who is often employed by Roman dictator Laurence Olivier (as Crassus). Douglas and Mr. Olivier are attracted to beautiful house slave Jean Simmons (as Varinia). Cracking under the pressure whip, Douglas escapes to begin a slave rebellion...
In Rome, proudly promiscuous Republican Senator Charles Laughton (as Gracchus) and his handsome young cohort John Gavin (as Julius Caesar) jockey for political gain. Mr. Laughton and Mr. Ustinov are just plain fun to watch. Meanwhile, Ms. Simmons finds her way into Douglas' slave rebellion, as does Olivier's poetic juggler boyfriend Tony Curtis (as Antoninus). This further irks Olivier. It all climaxes in a battle between the forces representing Douglas and Olivier...
"Spartacus" plays like the story of Jesus Christ without the supernatural elements, which is quite original for a biblical epic. While Douglas' character seems too good to be true, he carries off the characterization with star power. Olivier is strong, as expected. The restored "oysters and snails" scene is tame, and tinged with evil. Were they subtle - immoral? Also, Douglas' reaction to Ms. Simmons' delicate condition makes you wonder if he was expecting an immaculate conception. Or, maybe he was counting months. But Douglas, director Stanley Kubrick and Dalton Trumbo have a spectacular sweep.
******** Spartacus (9/22/60) Stanley Kubrick ~ Kirk Douglas, Laurence Oliver, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton