Truly an epic...

Rating: 9/10 (27 October 2012)

Epic is a word that's always brought up when people talk about Stanley Kubrick's 'Spartacus'; and those people aren't wrong. Not even counting the fact that it's over three hours long (making it the longest movie I've ever seen), everything about this movie is grand. The locations, the imagery, the cast, the battle scenes – it is, without doubt, an opus.
Spartacus is about, well, Spartacus, a slave during the Roman Empire. Always the rebel, Spartacus manages to escape from slavery and, together with the other slaves, starts a revolt. A rebellion turns into an army, and Spartacus is soon battling the entire Roman army.
What can I say about this movie that hasn't been said already? It's a stunning film, definitely one of the best period pieces in cinema history. Don't let the length of the movie fool you: yes, it's a bit of a chore getting through it, but your reward for persisting is a well-written, beautifully-shot, brilliantly-acted film. Deservedly so, everyone points to Kirk Douglas' performance as the titular hero; he is fantastic in it. I'd say, though, that other actors outshine him in the movie. In a small but emotionally charged role, Tony Curtis is brilliant. So too is Peter Ustinov as the greedy Batiatus. And we haven't even mentioned Jean Simmons and Laurence Olivier. This is a film made up of legends.
What really resonates for me, though, is the aesthetics of the whole film. It's a visually pleasing film. Whether it's the gladiator training scenes, or the climactic battles at the end, Kubrick shoots them with such majesty and beauty. It's interesting that Kubrick directed this. This is the same man that gave us films like 'The Shining' and 'A Clockwork Orange', where everything is a little bit left of centre. Here, it's all played pretty straight up; it doesn't feel Kubrickian at all.
But regardless, it is his movie, and he's made a brilliant one. I don't think it's the best Kubrick movie, but that's like saying 'Come Together' isn't the Beatles' best track. It could be, if there weren't so many other ridiculously good songs. I've seen a few 'epics' in my time during which I've fallen asleep halfway through. Take it for it's worth, but I didn't fall asleep during this.