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www.filmcritic.com - : The original movie about gladiators, with Kirk Douglas taking the starring role in Stanley Kubrick's muddy epic (over three hours long) about slaves vs. Romans in the heyday of the Empire. Director Stanley Kubrick was obviously just collecting a paycheck for this one, though he stages some intricate battle scenes. Too bad he obviously couldn't have cared less about the lame love story and political machinations behind the scenes. Kubrick reported disowned this film, the only movie in his repertoire to earn such a fate. more...
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www.toxicuniverse.com - : If you have access to a DVD player and love movies, get hold of the special Criterion edition of Spartacus and turn on the main commentary track for some of the most illuminating and brutally honest background information and criticism that has ever been released. The first time I heard original novelist Howard Fast (who was fired from writing the screenplay) talk about Kirk Douglas’ frozen expression and horrible acting, I thought “whoa, this must be a mistake!” I had to replay that section to make sure that I’d heard right after hearing so many commentaries that were often self-indulgent promotional material that paint the film as one of the great art works of the western world. more...
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www.boxoffice.com - : In the century before the birth of Christ, Spartacus (Kirk Douglas), a Thracian slave, is sold to Peter Ustinov, who trains gladiators. En route to Rome, Roman noble Laurence Olivier orders two gladiators to fight to the death to entertain the women at his party. Douglas is spared by his slave opponent, who is then mercilessly killerd by the Roman. Bitterness over this death and his growing love for a slave girl (Jean Simmons) causes Spartacus to influence the other gladiators to revolt. more...
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Critic Reviews
