One of the best Hollywood epics

Rating: 9/10 (14 January 2012)

"Spartacus" arrived in theatres in 1960, a time when epic movie-making was at or near its apex. The film tells the story of a slave who leads a fierce revolt against the might of the Roman Empire.
Helmed by the great Stanley Kubrick, the film is naturally chock full of eye candy. However, besides the undeniable visual appeal the film also tells a story that's above average in terms of depth and originality. Yet, surprisingly, neither Kubrick nor screenwriter Dalton Trumbo were honoured with Oscar nominations.
Peter Ustinov was more fortunate, snagging an Oscar nomination and then seeing it turn into a win on Oscar night. He gave what is perhaps the best performance in a film that has no shortage of stars. Kirk Douglas ably carries the film in the title role while esteemed British thespians Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton & Jean Simmons all deliver characteristically fine performances. Tony Curtis stood out in a relatively small but memorable role and recognizable faces like John Ireland, Woody Strode, John Dall & Herbert Lom also popped up from time to time.
As mentioned before, Kubrick's direction is impressive, as is the Oscar-winning cinematography, art direction & costuming. It should be clear that, visually, the film is a treat while Alex North's stirring, Oscar-nominated score shows that the musical aspect was also skillfully handled.
Yet, despite all of the film's strengths (not to mention its 6 Oscar nominations) it wasn't even nominated for Best Picture. Luckily, time has been kind to this film and it is justifiably lauded as a classic these days. By all means, see it in order to experience Hollywood spectacle at its best.