SPARTACUS
US, 1960, 181 minutes, Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, Tony Curtis, John Gavin, Nina Foch, Herbert Lom, Charles McGraw?, John Ireland, Woody Strode, John Dale.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Spartacus is a thinking person's spectacle, immensely interesting and moving on the level of spectacle, with some of the best sequences of Roman warfare ever filmed, but also intelligent in Dalton Trumbo's screenplay about slavery and freedom. The film gives a loathing of freedom in its sharp criticism of the patrician republic embodied in Crassus. Spartacus, the slave, is forced to the surface of revolt by oppression. Perhaps, the oppressed will never win against a harsh establishment, but the message of the film is that the oppressed must try.
Kirk Douglas gives his usual performance. Laurence Olivier is especially striking as the cruel Crassus. Peter Ustinov won an Oscar for his performance as the slave-dealer, the supporting cast, sets, effects (including the symbolic faces and crumbling mask of Saul Bass's credits) are all superb. The film, of course, takes on added historical interest because of the director, Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick is critical of the film because he did not have full artistic control over it.
Spartacus preceded Lolita, Dr Strangelove, 2001, and A Clockwork Orange. Fine film making.
1. What was the purpose of this film? Was it merely a money-making Roman spectacle?
2. "Slavery" and "freedom" were spoken of many times. How did the film explore these themes? What stands did it take?
3. How was Spartacus first presented - in the mines, biting his guard? What humanised him? What effect did the gladiator school have on him? Marcellus? Drama? Varinia?
4. How was the gladiator school a symbol of Roman decadence and oppression, of slavery - the type of training, prison life, the significance of mortal combat of friends for Roman pleasure? What did Spartacus learn from the actions of Draba?
5. What were your first impressions of Crassus? How did the film build up into the opposition of Spartacus and Crassus and all that they stood for? What did Crassus stand for in terms of an old world and patrician Roman conservatism? What values did he want to preserve?
6. Did the slaves have any option but to revolt? Why did Spartacus assume leadership? How did he learn to organise the slaves as well as his army? Why did the slaves join him e.g. Antoninus? Why did he forbid the slaves to let the patricians fight in an arena? What values was Spartacus trying to preserve?
7. What did the Senate sequences show about Rome and its values - the manoeuvres of Gracchus, the ploys of Caesar, the arrogance of Glabrius and the cunning of Crassus?
8. How did the film elicit sympathy for the slaves - note the photography of the children, the old slaves, Varinia end her pregnancy, the humanising of the slaves, the song of Antoninus? Was this too sentimental?
9. Did the slaves have justice on their side? How sorry were you when the combined Roman armies and the departure of the pirates defeated them? Why?
10. How effective were the final battle scenes?
11. How moving was the loyalty of the slaves to Spartacus? How cruel was Crassus' decision to crucify them?
12. Why did Gracchus help Varinia? What role did Batiatus play? How ironic?
13. Why did Crassus want Varinia? Was it love? Was he capable of love?
14. How cruel was the final fight between Spartacus and Antoninus? How noble had Spartacus become in giving his life for his friend?
15. What did Spartacus achieve? How effective would his living legend be? How much of a defeat was this for Crassus?
16. What relevance has this film for our own age?
