Quite possibly the best of the sword and sandals epics but doesn't feel like Kubrick.

Rating: 8/10 (7 October 2007)

Stanley Kubrick's films from as early as "The Killing" to the last, the near miss that was "Eyes Wide Shut" all demands that the audience keep their focus on the screen through every scene, through every shot, through every frame of film. This film however feels pedestrian in certain scenes as if directed by an ordinary Joe not the great Kubrick. Apparently Kubrick came in after production had started, even so the majority of the film was his.
Two moments that stands out as being Kubrick's happened during the gladiator combat. One when the gladiators were fighting and our focus is on Crassus (Laurence Olivier) and Grabus (John Dall). The other is when Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) tries to see gladiators fight each other as he wait his own turn. Some of the battle scenes and scenes of slaves marching toward freedom look nothing special. But the pivotal battle sequence was outstanding. However some of the more quieter moments is nothing special, such as when Antonius (Tony Curtis) performs a magic trick or moments with Spartacus and Varinia (Jean Simmons). They could easily be from any other movie.
The main story of course is a slave revolt is started by the slave/gladiator Spartacus. The gladiators free themselves and free other slaves and attempt a mass exodus out of Italy is planned. In Rome however the politicians debate the crisis while jockeying for position of power. Key among the Romans are Crassus who represents the Patrician (who believes that the right to rule is a birthright) and Gracchus (Charles Laughton) who represents the Republicans (who believes in democracy). This is probably the first and only time in the History of Hollywood that the word 'Republican' ever represent something that might be good. Ironic that it was written by Dalton Trumbo a victim of blacklisting. Anyway forget about that, the whole Roman subtext is about how politicians exploit a crisis to gain power.
Although this is an epic and the characters are suppose to be larger than life I thought there were very good human moments. Among my favorites are the father-son like relationship between Spartacus and Antonius especially in the end. Some of the moments among the gladiators while they were in the school, when Betiatus (Peter Ustinov) offers to take Gracchus with him as he is about leave Rome. even the controversial snail and oysters scene was very well done.
The performances were good especially Olivier, and Laughton, although I think Peter Ustinov gave the best performance although it did feel like it was comic relief. On the whole I thought was very good but is not prime Kubrick.