All the while this serves as a great allegory on the actual state of the US during McCarthyism (the famous "I'm Spartacus!" scene) and offers plenty of religious symbolism with crucifixion and martyrdom. Though the film ends on a rather bleak (and realistic) note, it delivers its messages of the importance of values such as dignity or honor, especially by concentrating its sights on two snobby members of the privileged Roman elite, Senator Gracchus and slave trader Batiatus, making two remarkable and rather unexpected character archs. However, the film does have some noteworthy layers of moralizing that elevate it beyond your average epic. "Spartacus" isn't necessarily a Kubrick essential, seeing how it lacks many of his trademarks and signatures that are famous today, but it is still a fantastic sword-and-sandals epic made for a mainstream audience (even though its blacklisted screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo, caused many of the post-McCarthy period to discourage people from seeing the film.)Ĭlocking in at just over 3 hours, the film beautifully chronicles the rise and efforts of gladiator/slave Spartacus to bring the value of freedom and morality to a Rome full of spoiled politicians and aristocrats.
The film's romantic elements are a bit dated, and the film does get dragged down from time to time in its own melodrama, but all-in-all, it more than holds its own to any epic of today. The action scenes are still impressive to today, and its world building more than rivals films of today, with an un-paralleled scope. This is not to say there's no clichés to be found, I found the romance rather contrived (as was very common for this time period), but its overall tone and end note represent a notable departure from other films of that era. It provides us with great dialogue, and fills the story with interesting characters. The script is also intelligently written, penned by one of the famed Hollywood 10 (writers blacklisted during the McCarthy-era). He was matched well by Kirk Douglas, but also Charles Laughton, whose grounded presence and affable nature contrast against Olivier's dark intensity, making for an especially interesting dynamic. Especially impressive was Laurence Olivier, whose nuanced portrayal gave us a sort of antagonist that was ahead of his time, complex in his machinations. What makes Spartacus work the most is the exceptional cast, all of whom inject the film with an undeniable sense of life, charm, and even whit.
The performances, the script, the set design, the costumes, everything comes together to make a finely executed period piece. Centered on the slave rebellion that threatened Rome, Spartacus is a true swords-and-sandals epic. Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus is, in many ways, a remarkable achievement.
0 kommentar(er)
