Spartacus

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

147K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

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Adventure Epic Epic Historical Epic Sword & Sandal War Epic Adventure Biography Drama History War

The slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the upris... Read allThe slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.The slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

147K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,652

381

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 4 Oscars
- 12 wins & 11 nominations total

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Stanley Kubrick was brought in as director after Kirk Douglas had a major falling out with the original director, Anthony Mann. According to Sir Peter Ustinov, the salt mines sequence was the only footage shot by Mann.

Goofs
A map of Italy can be seen in Spartacus' camp tent (it is prominently featured in the scenes involving the pirate emissary), which is far too accurate for the times of the movie.

Quotes
Herald: I bring a message from your master, Marcus Licinius Crassus, Commander of Italy. By command of His Most Merciful Excellency, your lives are to be spared. Slaves you were and slaves you remain. But the terrible penalty of crucifixion has been set aside on the single condition that you identify the body or the living person of the slave called Spartacus.
Antoninus: [stands up] I'm Spartacus!
[everyone around Antoninus and Spartacus stands up and shouts "I'm Spartacus!"]

Crazy credits
The six main cast members are accompanied by an item that represents their character (a chain, a Roman eagle, a wine jug, a couple of hands - one wielding a snake, and a sword).

Alternate versions
After its premiere the film was heavily cut and wasn't shown in its complete form until 1991, when a restored version was re-released. Among the restored scenes is one where where Marcus Crassus (Laurence Olivier) tries to seduce Antonius (Tony Curtis) in the bath. The soundtrack was damaged, so Anthony Hopkins was called in to dub Olivier's lines. In addition, several scenes of violence preview audiences reacted to negatively were restored, including Crassus bloodily stabbing Draba, Marcellus being drowned in the stew, Spartacus stabbing a Roman soldier in the pool, and several gory shots in the final battle, notably Spartacus lopping off the arm of a Roman soldier.

Connections
Edited into Hercule: Les Contemptibles (1997)

User reviews403

Featured review

9/10

So what if it's historically inaccurate?

I know my summary may sound opinionated...but I couldn't help being entertained by this film. If I had any complaints it would be there are one or two parts that suffer from uneven pacing and in the latter half especially there are a lot of wordy speeches from Kirk Douglas. That said, it is very well made, with sweeping cinematography, beautiful costumes and well constructed sets. The score is triumphant and bombastic, Kubrick's direction is secure and the script is surprisingly intelligent and knowing. Also the action is brilliantly done, and the performances are to be much applauded, with Kirk Douglas believable and sincere in the title role, Jean Simmons alluring as Varina and Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov and Charles Laughton stealing every single scene they are in.

Overall, maybe not Kubrick's very best, but a fine historical epic. 9/10 Bethany Cox