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Spartacus (1960)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
7 October 1960 (USA)
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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:
Slave
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Spartacus
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Murder
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Escaped Slave
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Slave Revolt
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Awards:
Won 4 Oscars.
Another 4 wins
&
9 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(49 articles)
Starz Nails Down "Spartacus" For Second Season
(From SneakPeek. 22 December 2009, 12:48 PM, PST)
Starz set to spill Spartacus: Blood and Sand in January
(From AOL - TVSquad. 5 December 2009, 8:01 AM, PST)
(From SneakPeek. 22 December 2009, 12:48 PM, PST)
Starz set to spill Spartacus: Blood and Sand in January
(From AOL - TVSquad. 5 December 2009, 8:01 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Spartacus or How I learnt to live away from Hollywood
more (205 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Kirk Douglas | ... | Spartacus | |
| Laurence Olivier | ... | Marcus Licinius Crassus | |
| Jean Simmons | ... | Varinia | |
| Charles Laughton | ... | Sempronius Gracchus | |
| Peter Ustinov | ... | Lentulus Batiatus | |
| John Gavin | ... | Julius Caesar | |
| Nina Foch | ... | Helena Glabrus | |
| John Ireland | ... | Crixus | |
| Herbert Lom | ... | Tigranes Levantus | |
| John Dall | ... | Marcus Publius Glabrus | |
| Charles McGraw | ... | Marcellus | |
| Joanna Barnes | ... | Claudia Marius | |
| Harold J. Stone | ... | David | |
| Woody Strode | ... | Draba | |
| Peter Brocco | ... | Ramon |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Spartacus: Rebel Against Rome (USA) (poster title)
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Parents Guide:
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)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Stanley Kubrick was not given control of the script, which he felt was full of stupid moralizing. Since then, Kubrick has kept full control over all aspects of his films.
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Goofs:
Anachronisms: In the opening credits, there's a shot of a plaque with the letters "ECXXI" written on it. At first glance, they appear to be Roman numerals, but the letter "E" was never used to represent a number during Roman times. In fact, the only time the letter "E" was ever used as a Roman numeral was hundreds of years later during the Middle Ages, where it was used to represent the number 250, but it is no longer used in modern times.
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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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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...
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in ... A Father... A Son... Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2005) (TV)
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FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?A Note Regarding Spoilers
Besides Spartacus, Julius Caesar, and Marcus Licinius Crassus, what other characters in the film were not fictitious?
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This is Kubrick's farewell to Hollywood. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall. I don't believe for a minute that it was a cordial parting of the ways. I mean, Kubrick never returned, never! With "Paths of Glory" Kubrick gave Kirk Douglas, not just his best part as an actor, but his best movie. By the time Douglas called Kubrick to "take over" "Spartacus" Douglas was already a huge star with too much saying in the matter. Look at it, it's clear. "Spartacus" is more Douglas than Kubrick. Great fun to watch, yes, absolutely. A terrific script by black listed Dalton Trumbo. Some fight sequences unequalled in the history of film. Look at the fight between Douglas and Woody Strode and compare it to the ones in "Troy" or "Gladiator" for that matter. It is sad an embarrassing to realise how low we've fallen. Computer generated images or not. The cast is unbelievable but it's clearly not Kubrick's. The casting of his movies was part of his master plan. He would cast a Ryan O'Neil as Barry Lyndon for instance so he can blend perfectly with the magnificent tapestry, without adding any colours of his own. The same can be said of Keir Dullea, in 2001, a robotic non entity in a showdown with a voice. When he needed actors to be at the very pinnacle of his universe he went to Peter Sellers, Malcolm McDowell or James Mason. Even the casting of Tom Cruise made a lot of sense. He used the star and his wife to talk about the dreamlike powers of betrayal. In "Spartacus" Tony Curtis, plays Antoninus, a teacher of the classics. A campy idea never seen in a Kubrick film, before or since. To be fair, there are some spot on, brilliant pieces of casting. Charles Laughton is, as usual, superb. Peter Ustinov, terrific. Laurence Olivier manages to give a multifaceted portrait of weakness, fear and greed. Jean Simmons makes the reason to survive totally believable. But the cutesy love scene between her and a shiny muscular, coiffed Spartacus is truly terrible. As a final blow, the scene is enveloped in a sticky, corny music theme. Having said all that. Don't you dare missing this epic. I'ts Kubrick's goodbye to Hollywood and like everything else that the master said or do, he really meant it.