History vs. Modern Politics

Rating: Null/10 (20 August 2004)

The release year of 1960 is significant. America was still living in the long and shameful shadow of the actions of the House on Un-American Activities Committee. This was followed quickly both by the Korean War (a struggle for freedom) and the Civil Rights Movement (yet another fight for freedom, but this time in a supposedly already free America). It was noted at the time that all these events had parallels to the wars in the period of the late Roman Republic. Howard Fast set his novel SPARTACUS during that time for obvious reasons. It wasn't just a novel of an ancient uprising, but a political statement on his own times. A few years later, novelist Taylor Caldwell would dedicate her 1964 novel of Cicero ("A PILLAR OF IRON") to the memory of President John Kennedy. She also stated that any similarities between ancient Rome and modern America were intentional.
Producer Kirk Douglas' deliberate choice of Dalton Trumbo (a blacklisted American screenwriter) to write the script for SPARTACUS was a bold political move. Douglas' choice of a book source was just as deliberate. Howard Fast was also the author of "April Morning" a very patriotic and heroic tale of the American Revolution.
For an interesting, and different, take on the story of Spartacus, read Colleen McCullough's third novel of ancient Rome, "Fortune's Favorites" which she insists was based on reliable ancient sources. Here, Spartacus is not an ignorant slave but a Roman officer who, found guilty of a crime, must choose between execution or life as a gladiator. Being a former officer, he is thus able to understand the tactics of the legions sent against his slave armies. The conclusion also shows Spartacus and his wife sailing off on a pirate ship into a luxurious exile in a foreign country hostile to Rome.
We should be clear, in our praise and admiration of Kirk Douglas' heroic version of Spartacus, that we are not giving in to an idolized legend rather than the true story of the real man. The script's message is simple and straight-forward (or, perhaps too simple?): tyranny must always be fought and defeated by brave warriors fighting for human freedom. Thus the story of SPARTACUS could be set in any age, especially America at the beginning of the decade of the 60s. Such messages raise up heroic figures, composed of unequal parts of truth and legend. It will never be possible to present a true and accurate picture of the ancient past in movies. Movies create images, shadows - legends. They are not historical truth. They are "movie truths." We must be certain that we know the difference.