Spartacus (1960)

VHS COVER/SIDE

Length of film:  197 Minutes

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, John Gavin, Nina Foch, John Ireland, John Dall, Tony Curtis

IMDB Rank: 7.9/10

Part 1 Time: 108 Minutes

Part 2 Time: 89 Minutes 

Where does the first part end? Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) defeats six Roman garrisons he speaks to Commander Glabrus (John Dall) as the slave army watches.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “We want our freedom! We’re marching south to the sea and we’ll smash every army they send against us! Put him on a horse! Spartacus speaks to his army as he addresses Glabrus.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Their leader said, their hatred of Rome was such that their which was to escape of her rule.” Glabrus speaks to the Roman senate.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, this is a monumental victory for the slaves, but unfortunately, the Romans have more reserves and will continue to pursue the salve army no matter the costs.

Which part is better? The first part of the film is all pro Spartacus, he begins as a salve to the Roman Empire but begins to earn his freedom from the Roman Empire through uprising. Unfortunately part two explores Spartacus’ downfall. The second part is depressing to Spartacus and displays the cruel end of this films protagonist. As a result part one is more desirable due to its recount of Spartacus’ successes.

Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Peter Ustinov), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction- Set Decoration Colour, Best Costume Design Colour, Best Film Editing (Nominated), Best Music- Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Nominated).

National Film Registry: 2017