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From Amazon.co.uk
Stanley Kubrick was only 31 years old when Kirk Douglas (star of Kubrick's classic Paths of Glory) recruited the young director to pilot this epic saga, in which the rebellious slave Spartacus (played by Douglas) leads a freedom revolt against the decadent Roman Empire. Kubrick would later disown the film because it was not a personal project--he was merely a director-for-hire--but Spartacus remains one of the best of Hollywood's grand historical epics. With an intelligent screenplay by then-blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo (from a novel by Howard Fast), its message of moral integrity and courageous conviction is still quite powerful, and the all-star cast (including Charles Laughton in full toga) is full of entertaining surprises. Fully restored in 1991 to include scenes deleted from the original 1960 release, the full-length Spartacus is a grand-scale cinematic marvel, offering some of the most awesome battles ever filmed and a central performance by Douglas that's as sensitively emotional as it is intensely heroic. Jean Simmons plays the slave woman who becomes Spartacus's wife, and Peter Ustinov steals the show with his frequently hilarious, Oscar-winning performance as a slave trader who shamelessly curries favor with his Roman superiors. The restored version also includes a formerly deleted bathhouse scene in which Laurence Olivier plays a bisexual Roman senator (with restored dialogue dubbed by Anthony Hopkins) who gets hot and bothered over a slave servant played by Tony Curtis. These and other restored scenes expand the film to just over three hours in length. Despite some forgivable lulls, this is a rousing and substantial drama that grabs and holds your attention. Breaking tradition with sophisticated themes and a downbeat (yet eminently noble) conclusion, Spartacus is a thinking person's epic, rising above mere spectacle with a story as impressive as its widescreen action and Oscar-winning sets. --Jeff Shannon
Synopsis
Spartacus, based on Howard Fast's popular novel, is Stanley Kubrick's glorious masterpiece about a slave uprising in Rome in 70 B.C. Kirk Douglas, who also served as executive producer, stars as the title character, a man born of a slave woman and a slave master who has known nothing but chains his entire life. After being forced to put on a gladiator show--that almost leads to his death--for wealthy Romans (including a marvellously conniving Laurence Olivier as the power-hungry Crassus), Spartacus leads a slave revolt across Italy that soon has thousands marching on Rome. Meanwhile, he has fallen in love with the beautiful Varinia (an effervescent Jean Simmons), pledging his life to her. Douglas assembled a fabulous all-star cast for the film; in addition to himself, Simmons, and Olivier, terrific performances are turned in by Charles Laughton as the curmudgeonly senator Gracchus, John Gavin as the young Julius Caesar, Tony Curtis as Antoninus (a 'singer of songs', with all lines delivered in a beautifully thick New York accent), and especially Peter Ustinov, an Oscar winner for his portrayal of the businessman Batiatus, who always wants to know what's in it for him. Blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo's melodramatic script and Alex North's thrilling, soaring score add a majesty that helps make Spartacus one of the finest costume epics to ever come out of Hollywood.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
The transfer isn't great, it's acceptable but not quite what you'd expect for a film of this magnitude! There is a lot of softness to some scenes and the blacks are poor. It states that it is a restoration that was done in 1991...maybe it's time they did a new one! This is a 5 star movie, let down by an average (out of date!) transfer. On the plus side Kirks chin dimple is generally sharp and well detailed. ;)
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Like other epics such as 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Ben Hur', Spartacus is a movie that has gone through an interesting series of home releases. I say interesting because as is always the way with classic movies, they are often compromised to such a degree that you would wonder how they could ever get away being released in such an un-authentic state. Of course, it was astounding to see what can be achieved with a modern 8K restoration (Ben-Hur) and for 'Lawrence...' fans, the good news is that Sony are rereleasing the film this year with a similar 8K restoration. These are only two examples of the correct treatment such classics deserve, yet Spartacus appears to have gone unnoticed.
What we have here is a transfer from the 1991 print - what was at it's a time a seven figure sum paid to reconstruct the film in the most accurate way. The bulk of the work was done from black and white negative separations which don't fade, so the colours should be pretty much spot on to how the film looked originally. The problem with this Blu-ray, however, is that Universal have for some reason not invested a new digital restoration. This is just the 1991 print with some waxy and often careless DNR applied, meaning the resulting picture is incredibly soft and simply doesn't represent the Technirama format the movie was shot on. On top of this, little effort has gone in to using current technology for removing artefacts and colour fading throughout the film.
I focus on these technicalities because a movie as good as Spartacus deserves the same - if not better - kind of treatment that even lesser films have had on Blu-ray.... Read more ›
What we have here is a transfer from the 1991 print - what was at it's a time a seven figure sum paid to reconstruct the film in the most accurate way. The bulk of the work was done from black and white negative separations which don't fade, so the colours should be pretty much spot on to how the film looked originally. The problem with this Blu-ray, however, is that Universal have for some reason not invested a new digital restoration. This is just the 1991 print with some waxy and often careless DNR applied, meaning the resulting picture is incredibly soft and simply doesn't represent the Technirama format the movie was shot on. On top of this, little effort has gone in to using current technology for removing artefacts and colour fading throughout the film.
I focus on these technicalities because a movie as good as Spartacus deserves the same - if not better - kind of treatment that even lesser films have had on Blu-ray.... Read more ›
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Great to see another region 2 DVD of such excellent quality. The film itself is wonderful, (see other reviews for story etc) and the picture quality superb, even has a choice of DTS sound, more of that please! Loaded with extras and a short film called the Hollywood Ten. My only gripe is that the movie has been put onto two discs, which means getting off the couch at the intermission, though it is well worth the effort. This is a definite must have for any Stanley Kubrick fan.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
Apart from being a visual treat, this is an important film in Hollywood history. Worth the money for the "Hollywood Ten" documentary alone.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
Spartacus works because it doesn't take itself too seriously like some of the other over wrought stiff productions of the same period.
Its performances are understated and at times informal , giving the actual feel that you are in the Roman senate or a school for gladiators
The story of Spartacus is one of the great untold
stories in history , a slave who defied an empire
and smashed Roman armies up and down Italy ,until after two years of revolt is finally defeated by the entire might of Rome.
Douglas is convincing and restrained in his portrayal and plays out a charming Romance with Jean Simmons.
Many , many scenes in this film that stick in
the memory & endure.
My favorites ...
Ustinov's address to the new gladiators
The fight between Spartacus & Drabba (Woody Strode ) , unforgettable
The restored snails and oysters scene ,
The scene in the Senate when Glabbarus returns
defeated
The comic Ustinov and Laughton in the Roman Villa
Roman soldiers attacking en masse in the
final battle scene
The famous "I'm Spartacus" scene
Crassus confronting the fact he can never
truly defeat Spartacus
The score by Alex North also deserves credit as
it pummels you during the opening credits and
then chunters along as our Gladiators revolt gathers momentum.
Overall the film I have watched more often than
any other , so that must be a recommedation.
It has some flaws obviously but for me its better than Gladiator or indeed Braveheart (and thats not bad coming from a Scotsman)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By David Walker
Format:DVD
Although he was never happy with Spartacus, due to creative differences with Kirk Douglas, any other director would be very proud of it.
But as we all know, Kubrick's level of perfection was so high that if his own vision was to be watered down - then he would never be happy about it.
On the whole, Spartacus is an excellent film. The transfer, on the special two disc edition, is very good but what marks this edition out as the best is the plethora of extra features, which have sadly been cut down on the blu ray edition.
Why that was done is anyone's guess as Dalton Trumbo's notes (read as an audio commentary) are fascinating and at times savage in their criticism of Kubrick and others.
A great film presented in an excellent edition.
But as we all know, Kubrick's level of perfection was so high that if his own vision was to be watered down - then he would never be happy about it.
On the whole, Spartacus is an excellent film. The transfer, on the special two disc edition, is very good but what marks this edition out as the best is the plethora of extra features, which have sadly been cut down on the blu ray edition.
Why that was done is anyone's guess as Dalton Trumbo's notes (read as an audio commentary) are fascinating and at times savage in their criticism of Kubrick and others.
A great film presented in an excellent edition.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Special Edition Version
Undertaken in the late era of American Anti Communism, Douglas hired Dalton Trumbo, a man previously blacklisted and took a classic Communistic text to put together one of the... Read more
Published 3 days ago by Dr. Delvis Memphistopheles
5.0 out of 5 stars
Young Kubrick facing three great "monsters..".
After the dismissal of director Anthony Mann,
Kirk Douglas hired very young Stanley Kubrick,
to direct his star studded film, Spartacus. Read more
Kirk Douglas hired very young Stanley Kubrick,
to direct his star studded film, Spartacus. Read more
Published 4 days ago by elisheva guggenheim
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old classics that will never die!
It is a long epic,but well worth seeing! The might of the Roman empire,and the determination of those whom were enslaved by it. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Mr. M. K. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Stuff
Very good film, an absolute classic. could watch this over and over again. would recommend to most people. glad i brought it
Published 23 days ago by CL
4.0 out of 5 stars
Video - Audio - Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD - 16x9 - 1.85:1
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1: English; DTS-HD 5.1: French , Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese
Subtitles: English SDH,... Read more
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1: English; DTS-HD 5.1: French , Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese
Subtitles: English SDH,... Read more
Published 25 days ago by COLOMBO
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Very good. Very quick, Very reliable. Very pleased . Super quick . No fuss. Very competitive price wise. Informed when Blu-ray was available straight away.
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Alan W. Beckley
5.0 out of 5 stars
spartacus
this was well worth buying on ble-ray ,the sort of film you watch over and over again ,and benefits from better sound etc.
Published 1 month ago by T. G. Parris
5.0 out of 5 stars
A slave to Spartacus
My late friend Howard had, when I first met him in 1969, seen Spartacus over twenty times (he was then all of 22) and had several different editions of Howard Fast`s superb novel... Read more
Published 1 month ago by GlynLuke
4.0 out of 5 stars
Works fine on US Blu Ray Player
Even though the specs list this Blu Ray as Region B/2, I took a chance and ordered it to play on my US blu ray player. It worked fine, no problems. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ringcycle
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic film
A fab film. It may be old but it's fab seeing ditch in the chin (Kirk Douglas) at his best.
Published 2 months ago by R. C. Stocker
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