'Spartacus'...Too Sentimental for Roman times.!

Rating: 7/10 (31 December 2019)

I have watched this movie maybe a dozen times since I was a kid, why, I do not know? well, I suppose it's a good afternoon entertaining movie when nothing watchable and interesting is on TV. I do find it a long drawn out & dreary movie at times though, focusing too much empathy for Douglas' character in the most cheesy way. I find Kurt Douglas' portrayal of a slave turned Gladiator quite lymp, sympathetic and too emotional! Far more emotional than one would envisage of a violent and condemned slave! That soft romantic music score is really quite annoying and literally present in almost each and every scene 'Jean Simmons' and Douglas characters appear together in! It takes away the whole ambience of what the movie is really about. A love scene is one thing, but theirs goes beyond belief. Woody Strodes' character is believeable, as is that of 'Oliviers'. Peter Ustinov steals the show (as usual) unlike his performance as Nero in 'Quovadis'...
A likeable movie for an afternoons entertainment, and great fight scenes in the Gladatorial Arena...None of the Awful, Over Elaborate & Dramatic Graphics of movies made today (which are the rumination of our cinemas) All too cliche....