Spartacus

Today, we lost one of the greatest actors who lived a very long and prosperous life, Michael Douglas’ father, Kirk Douglas, at 103. Truly a spectacular actor in his own respect, I thought that I would review one of his best works that he is famous for, “Spartacus,” released in 1960.

When it was first released in 1960, the movie was called the first intellectual film since the silent era – the first Roman or Biblical saga to have the ideas as well as display. Even the ending was brave. The protagonist is crucified and denied a traditional victory, and has to be comforted with the hope that what he fought for will live on.

Roger Ebert noted in his review, “Seen three decades later in a lovingly restored version, “Spartacus” still plays like an extraordinary epic, and its intellectual strength is still there. But other elements of the film have dated. The most courageous thing about it, from today’s standards, is that it closes without an obligatory happy ending, and an audience that has watched for 187 minutes doesn’t get a tidy, mindless conclusion.”

The film is about the story of the Roman slave Spartacus, played by Kirk Douglas, who fights for the Roman Empire while dreaming, the narrator informs everyone, “of the death of slavery – which would not come until 2,000 years later.” He is sentenced to death after biting a Roman guard, but spared by Peter Ustinov, as Batiatus, a broker of gladiators. Spartacus is trained in the arts of combat at Batiatus’ gladiatorial academy, where one day two powerful men and their wives arrive from Rome. The spoiled women ask to be entertained by seeing the two fights to the death, and Spartacus is put up against a skilled black gladiator, played by Woody Strode, who spares him and gets killed.

The idea of being forced to fight just to entertain spoiled women angers Spartacus, who takes the slave revolt that eventually goes over half of Italy. Leading his troops to war against weak and terribly led Roman legions, Spartacus stands near victory before his platoon finally get caught between two armies and outnumbered.

All of this takes place against a setting of Roman corruption, and we become familiar with the setting power plays of the senate, where Crassus (Laurence Oliver) hopes to become a dictator at the cost of the more lenient and nicer old man Gracchus (Charles Laughton). There are also inappropriate schemes. Gracchus is a womanizer, and Crassus is a bisexual who is in love to a handsome young slave (Tony Curtis) but is also wanting to win the love of the slave woman Varinia (Jean Simmons), who is the wife of Spartacus.

Ebert noted, “The movie was inspired by a best seller by Howard Fast, and adapted to the screen by the blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo. Kirk Douglas, who produced the film, effectively broke the blacklist by giving Trumbo screen credit instead of making him hide behind a pseudonym.” The direction is done by 31-year-old Stanley Kubrick, who notices the ideas of Douglas, Fast and Trumbo but cannot be said to add much of his own style that he does to the film.

Ebert admitted, “I’ve seen “Spartacus” three times now - in 1960, 1967, and 1991. Two things stand up best over the years: the power of the battle spectacles, and the strength of certain performances - especially Olivier’s fire, Douglas’ strength, and Laughton’s mild amusement at the foibles of humankind. The most entertaining performance in the movie, consistently funny, is by Ustinov, who upstages everybody when he is onscreen (he won an Oscar). Some of the supporting performances now seem dated and the line readings stilted; dialogue such as “How will I ever be able to thank you?,” delivered by a senator placed in charge of a legion, gets a bad laugh.”

Every historical film has the danger that their costumes and hairstyles will horribly age. Ebert noted, ““Spartacus” stands at a divide between earlier epics, where the female characters tended to look like models for hairdressing salons, and later epics that placed more emphasis on historical accuracy. But the hairstyles of the visiting Roman women at the gladiatorial school are laughable, and even Jean Simmons looks too made up and coiffed at times.”

Balancing against the dated elements are some that were ahead of their times, including a silent but complicated understanding of loving motivation. Olivier’s character becomes more complex in its revival than it was the first time released, because they restored a key scene, taken out by censors, where he and Tony Curtis are in a bath together, and he confesses, “I like both oysters and snails,” leaving little doubt on whether it is meant to be as far as he is concerned. That brings him wanting Jean Simmons into focus: He wants her not simply to own her, but as a way of victory over Spartacus.

The film has been restored by Robert A. Harris, who also brought “Lawrence of Arabia” back to its original form, and Harris has done a good job. The complete 187 minutes of screen time has been put together from different shorter release versions. 10 minutes of opening, intermission and closing music is given. The color was renewed by going back to the original forms and restoring them. Ebert said, “the sound track is in six-track Dolby (although many theaters are equipped with only four tracks), and the 70mm wide screen picture reminds us of when movies filled our entire field of vision.”

Ebert noted, “One aspect of the soundtrack is distracting: In the early days of stereo, movies such as “Spartacus” used the left track for characters on the left side of the screen, and the right track for those on the right, and then switched for the reverse shot - a disorienting auditory experience for the audience. Today’s approach in surround sound puts the voices on the center channel and the effects on the side, a better approach.”

Maybe the most interesting part of “Spartacus” is its hidden political speculations. Ebert noted, “The movie is about revolution, and clearly reflects the decadence of the parasitical upper classes and the superior moral fiber of the slaves. But at the end, Spartacus, like Jesus, dies on the cross.” At the end, his wife stands under him and shows them their child, saying “He will live as a free man, Spartacus.” Yes, but the baby’s freedom was granted not as its right, but because of the kindness of the gentle old Gracchus. Today, that wouldn’t be good enough.

This is one of the best movies ever made and a classic that still holds up well today. If you haven’t seen it, see it, especially since a legend has passed away. Especially with classic lines like, “I’m Spartacus” and “I am not an animal.” I give this film a high recommendation and rest in peace Kirk Douglas.

Thank you for joining in on tonight’s review. Look out this Friday when I start this year’s “Black History Movie Month.”