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Spartacus
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Spartacus (1960) More at IMDbPro »

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Spartacus (1960) -- Screen legends Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier highlight an all-star cast in this Academy Award-winning epic about a gladiator whose love for a beautiful slave inspires him to lead a violent rebellion against the decadent Roman Empire. Dire
Spartacus (1960) -- The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman empire.
Spartacus (1960) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Howard Fast (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Spartacus on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 October 1960 (USA) more
Tagline:
They trained him to kill for their pleasure. . .but they trained him a little too well. . . more
Plot:
The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman empire. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(46 articles)
User Comments:
A Triumph of Spirit Over Oppression? more (205 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Spartacus: Rebel Against Rome (USA) (poster title)
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Runtime:
184 min (premiere version) | Sweden:187 min (1968 re-release) | UK:197 min (1991 re-release) | USA:161 min (1967 re-release) | USA:198 min (1991 restored version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints, restored version) | Mono (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm prints, original release)
Certification:
Canada:G (Quebec) (restored version) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (1967 version) | Spain:13 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-14 (1992) | Finland:K-16 (1962) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:12 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:AA (Ontario) (restored version) | Canada:G (Manitoba) (1967 version) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (restored version) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original release) | Denmark:15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:12 (video rating) | Norway:16 (1963) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (restored version) | West Germany:16 | UK:A (original rating) (cut)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Cinematographer Russell Metty walked off the set, complaining that Stanley Kubrick was not letting him do his job. When he returned to the set, Kubrick told him to shut up and butt out and, subsequently, Kubrick did the majority of the cinematography work. Metty complained about this up until the release of the film and even, at one point, asked to have his name removed from the credits. However, because his name was in the credits, when the film won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, it was given to Metty, although he actually didn't shoot most of it. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Although Caesar and Crassus were allied in the First Triumvirate, at the time of the Third Servile Revolt, Caesar was a young ambitious politician. The alliance among Crassus, Caesar and Pompey wasn't formed until much later. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: In the last century before the birth of the new faith called Christianity, which was destined to overthrow the pagan tyranny of Rome and bring about a new society, the Roman Republic stood at the very center of the civilized world. "Of all things fairest," sang the poet...
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Trumbo (2007) more

FAQ

Besides Spartacus, Julius Caesar, and Marcus Licinius Crassus, what other characters in the film were not fictitious?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "Spartacus" based on a novel?
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39 out of 49 people found the following comment useful.
A Triumph of Spirit Over Oppression?, 24 May 1999
10/10
Author: Richard Kerslake from Adelaide, Australia

As a historical epic, 'Spartacus' stands out from the crowd.

The film has the basic theme of 'force' versus 'an idea'. One man - Spartacus- has the idea of freedom, which is pitted through his slave army against the entire force of the Roman Empire.

In Spartacus's eventual defeat, force seems to be victorious, but we know with hindsight that it is Spartacus' idea that finally prevails, albeit long after his death, with the abolition of slavery. As the opening narration makes clear, as a young man Spartacus would dream of the death of slavery - "two thousand years before it finally would die." Kirk Douglas gives an inspiring performance as the brutalised and uneducated slave rising above his degradation to find love, leadership and high ideals.

The film closely interweaves the fate of Spartacus with that of Roman politics. His slave rebellion contributes to the fall of Gracchus, the main Republican advocate, and the corresponding rise of authoritarian Crassus. In a way, Spartacus is portrayed as a catalyst for a new era of Roman dictatorship under the Caesars; by suppressing his slave rebellion, Rome sets itself irrevocably on a path away from Republic and freedom, and perhaps confirms its eventual downfall. Some historical licence, no doubt; but a thought-provoking concept.

Unlike many other Roman epics such as 'Ben-Hur' and 'The Robe', the film does not have a Christian motif. However, 'Spartacus' epitomises the triumph of the human spirit in a way that few movies do. Even after his death, not only Spartacus' son but his spirit lives on,if only in man's perennial cry for freedom. The slave leader's resolve, and his will to freedom, remain true to the end.

Considering that it was made in 1960, the film's confronting of hard themes is notable. For example, we have the hint of forbidden homosexual/ bisexual desires from Crassus to Antoninus; the seeming death and failure (but perhaps ultimate victory)for the hero, who traditionally should triumph; and unpleasant scenes involving battlefields and rows of crucified bodies.

The movie is helped by an excellent cast, an evocative score and Stanley Kubrick's direction. The sets and costumes also show great attention to detail, so that ancient Roman society comes alive.

Overall a most entertaining and inspiring movie.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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