"Spartacus" embodies the spirit of the movies. It's an epic drama of noble heroes and evil villains with glamorous costumes and lavish sets, all strung together by outstanding acting. Not to mention the fact it was directed by Stanley Kubrick, one of the greatest directors ever, who manages to convey an important theme of humanism even through the film's commercialism.

The story takes place in 200 B.C. Rome, an era where some of the most important events in history took place. We meet a slave named Spartacus (Douglas) who cannot endure his position and starts single-handedly fighting the Romans until Batiatus (Ustinov), a recruiter of gladiators, discovers him and sends him to a gladiator training center.

The first act revolves entirely around Spartacus' training. The initial outlook is quite dark, both in design and in atmosphere. Douglas has few lines during his training sequence, so it is Trumbo's screenplay and Kubrick's direction that makes the film so interesting and moving.

Many things happen to define the oppressive mood, such as the terrible conditions the slaves are forced to live with while the Romans live like kings. Spartacus meets Varinia (Simmons), a beautiful slave woman with whom he is arranged, but cannot bring himself to treat her as the Romans treat him. "I am not an animal!" he yells, to which she whispers, "Neither am I."

Although little happens in terms of plot, a subtle romance develops between Spartacus and Varinia. Meanwhile, the tension becomes so thick and tight it's obvious something's got to give. When two couples of high authority visit the camp and pay to see a battle to the death, Spartacus is chosen, and is about to die when his opponent turns on the nobles instead. Spartacus then leads a rebellion and all the slaves escape, and he is finally able to be with Varinia.

But this not a love story, it is one man's passion for freedom. The only problem is the film's a bit too Hollywood for its own good. The actors put their heart into their roles, but the scripting seems a little flashy, as if these realistic characters were stuck in soap opera. The sets and the costumes are beautiful, some of the most impressive I have ever seen, but at times it seems a little too glamorous. Kubrick tries to counter this by emphasizing the theme of freedom by detailing the contrasting attitudes of Spartacus against that of the elite Roman officials.

Laurence Olivier and Charles Laughton co-star as Crassus and Gracchus, two senators who have a subtle rivalry going on. Olivier's character is a perfect villain, he is hateable through his attitude alone. Gracchus is likable through his kind acts but there seems to be even room for more character development.

The film does not seem too concerned with telling a story so much as it is a theme. Douglas and Simmons' characters do seem to be in love, but only in a Hollywood manner. The battle of good (Spartacus' slave army) versus evil (Crassus' arrogance and oppressiveness) does add a good deal of suspense and adventure to the film, but not nearly enough. The ending is surprisingly bleak, but gives a sense of poetic justice and the ultimate love through self sacrifice.

"Spartacus" has all the makings of a classic film, but seems to be a bit bogged down by its own weight. As good as the film is, there's an even better, more artistic and thematic film underneath it that constantly cries out.



Recommended: Yes