Kubrick's finest hour

Rating: 8/10 (10 April 2004)

I've got to say that I'm not a massive admirer of Kubrick, but there's no denying that this is a very fine movie. Back in the days when extras weren't computer generated this is very much the film that Gladiator was based on.
Kirk Douglas plays the lead and the length of the film gives the actor and director plenty of time to develop the character. Spartacus starts the film as a slave, but is spotted and trained up to be a gladiator. During an uprising he becomes the leader of an army who simply want freedom from the roman empire.
Where this film wins over Gladiator is in the character development and dialogue. Olivier, Simmons, Laughton, Ustinov and Curtis all put in fine performances and the "I'm Spartacus" is probably one of the most memorable scenes in movie history. 10/10