Even not writing, Kubrick still awesome!

Rating: 9/10 (9 July 2013)

Does it possible that the rebel Kubrick could make another masterpiece, even without writing it? "Spartacus" was the only film in which Kubrick was hired to direct, but he still managed to make another classic masterpiece for his resume.
"Spartacus", after "Ben Hur" is another grand epic in the history of cinema. It doesn't reach his feet's clearly but with Kubrick, the film managed to give a great sense of history and the same time originality. The story, obviously, talks about the slave Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) who was born from a line of slaves under the Roman Empire and one day he came to be a gladiator. But he couldn't take-it anymore so much injustice around him to all the other slaves beginning a gigantic revolution within the powerful Roman Empire that caused major damage into the heart of the empire.
While the film can be a good adaptation of the true historical hero that was Spartacus, but what leads to the problem of the film is that with so many characters together, ranging from gladiators to Roman senators, their relationship of them seems to be at the background having little character's developing, even Spartacus himself, but not everything is lost.
Dalton Trumbo (script) gives the film an excellent writing and great dialogs between the characters managing to keep the film on a very realistic style (which later served as inspiration for "Braveheart" and "Gladiator"). But even with Dalton writing the film, it is obvious that Kubrick rummaged around giving an intriguing human philosophy into the film.
This is more clear at one scene with the cruel senator Crassus (Laurence Olivier) talking to his slave Antoninus (Tony Curtis) in an indirect way the definition of what is a slave and their obedience to the master and to Rome, with a dark and somber tone with the Kubrick style. But even with the somber tone and the slave and master philosophy, the film also gives a philosophy to the cause of Spartacus. That their fight for freedom its not only a physical victory, but also a moral one.
Not only Kubrick gives the film a great philosophy, but also gives a great direction with fantastic and lush scenery. It also delivers fierce and realistic fighting scenes giving the film a certain brutality (very advanced for its time).
"Spartacus" despite the failure on the characters developing it managed to be amazing. A fantastic direction and excellent writing with an intriguing human philosophy alongside with a superb cast full of lecherous performances by Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier and Charles Laughton, "Spartacus" is one of the most beautiful epics ever made in the cinema history.