Spartacus

[Iuvius Maximus]

if you notice they are very historically correct.

crassus talks about Sulla crossing the rubicon

i think this movie is worth of note

[Germanicus]

if you notice they are very historically correct.

crassus talks about Sulla crossing the rubicon

i think this movie is worth of note

 

Am I missing something here ?

[Primus Pilus]

Sulla didn't cross the Rubicon. In the first march on Rome he was in southern Italy preparing to cross the Adriatic in to Greece. On the return trip following the death of Cinna he crossed the Adriatic from Greece and landed at Brundisium and Tarentum, also in southern Italy.

 

Regardless, Spartacus is a fine film, very entertaining and laced with a respectable amount of historical accuracy.

[Plautus]

I love Spartacus, even despite Kirk's 60's flattop haircut. Alex North's score was wonderful. Here's some fun facts about the film.

 

If you hunt down a copy of Peter Ustinov's out of print memoirs DEAR ME, he gives a very good inside look into the filming of the picture. Ustinov played the Lanista of Gladiators. He said a feud between Sir Lawrence Olivier and Charles Laughton may have been the reason why a lot of Gracchus scenes were cut from the final.

 

Spartacus was also the film credited with breaking the Hollywood Blacklist. When Kirk Douglas as producer brought screenwriter Dalton Trumbo out of hiding onto the set for rewrites, and didn't get in trouble, that was considered the end of the blacklist. It's also mentioned that director Stanley Kubrick, who was brought in half way to replace Anthony Mann, had such a bad time on the film he resolved to quit Hollywood forever. He made his home in England.

 

Spartacus was also the film with one of the great Hollywood gaffs. During a montage of marching legionaries, you can see plainly one man wearing a Timex metal band wristwatch. I guess they figured it was too much trouble to reshoot.

[Ursus]

I have no idea what the Original Poster was referring to. However, I'll comment on Spartacus the Movie.

 

Douglas's over idealized version of Spartacus is cheesy. However, this is more than offset by wonderful performances from Ustinov and Olivier, and most everyone else.

 

The central problem I have with the movie is that it's just another in a long line of Evil Empire depictions, and the prologue to that effect was way over-the-top.

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Which Spartacus movie here are we talking about? I'm confused.

[Germanicus]

I'm confused.

 

We know Flavius, we know.

 

The Spartacus movie staring Kirk Douglas, made in the 60s.

[Plautus]

You remember..." I"M SPARTACUS! NO, I'M SPARTACUS! Ya gotta love Tony Curtis with his Brooklyn accent saying " I yam a singa of songs.."

 

Speaking as a former Flatbush inhabitant.

[Skarr]

The best scenes which I liked in Spartacus were the beginning scenes at the gladiatorial school (till they escape to Vesuvius) and some of the scenes between Ustinov and Laughton, which were really good.

 

There were a lot of 'cheesy' moments (as one poster has already pointed out) and the failied seduction of Varinia by Crassus and the fine speeches she trades with him about a slave's honor is a little too unbelievable and I wonder what Stanley was thinking when he agreed with the script writer. The brotherly combat at the end was also a little 'cheese' and I think, had some strong political overtones about the oppressed sticking out for each other. I think Douglas did have a strong agenda and I'm surprised that Kubrick went along with many of his ideas.

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Has anyone seen the Pepsi commercial mocking that " I am Spartacus. No, I'm Spartacus" scene. It was hilarious.

[Iuvius Maximus]

I have seen that pepsi commercial. It is funny. i even downloaded it just for laughs.

for the other comment about Sulla not crossing the Rubicon...with all due respect, because your are a lot higher and probaly a lot more knowledgable in this tobic,

that reference to Sulla in that movie, Crossing the Rubicon was like a metaphor for trying to take over the Republic

[Ursus]

Pepsi should have stuck to prostituting Britney Spears.

 

 

In any event, my favorite scene in the movie is when Crassus is addressing the Senate and the troops before the final fight with Spartacus. That's my idea of a Roman magistrate.

[M. Porcius Cato]

Did anyone see the new version of Spartacus with the deleted scenes restored? It's better and more modern than the original (e.g., there's an oblique mention of competing theories of sexuality).

 

BTW, when I see the Pepsi commercial, I always think of the Life of Brian and say, "No I'm Spartacus, and so is my wife!"

[Iuvius Maximus]

you mean the special addition one that was added in 1990 because when the movie was first released the original reel had scenes that refered to communism, homosexuality..etc, etc. yes i have its better because it shows the socialy acceptance in the roman times and the change it has made when a movie about classical period is released those views aren't accepted. that scene where crassus is talking to antonitus about whether he likes crab or (something else, anyway that is not the point. the point is that he his talking about bisexuality when he says he pefers both.

[Spurius]

I always watch this movie when given a chance and I own the restored copy (With Anthony Hopkins doing his Olivier immitation for voice over during the Oyster-Clams scene). And I do love a bit of cheese...

 

However, for the last fight, it may have been a bit too much history...and against movie content at the time...but i have come to think that maybe this would have been better:

 

Instead of fighting, have both of them look st Crassus, throw down their swords and recite:

" Uri, Uninciri, Uerberari, Ferroque necari " or perhaps in english: " Burnt by fire, shackled with chains, whipped with rods and killed by steel." The oath of submission.

 

You know, a cheesy bit of them proudly waiting to be killed (by having their throats cut) as is their lot, but not surrendering in the face of death. Just a scene that came to my mind.

 

Of course you could save the final baby scene by having them bump off Antoninus that way but "sparing" Spartacus for crucifixtion.

 

One of my favorite movies though.

Edited December 7, 2005 by Spurius