Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Spartacus is the quintessential poster child for The Criterion Collection's brand of film restoration. Locked in memory as a beloved epic, it is actually more deserving of preservation for its politics - both on screen and behind-the-scenes - than its cinematic qualities. It seems Criterion's DVD producers may have recognized this as well, loading this 2-disc set with a wealth of historical documentation of the sociopolitical barriers surrounding the film's conception and production. And while some may find little interest in these external events, it might be that Spartacus would not stand the test of time without this archival infrastructure.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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No one can truly gauge the effect of a movie like Spartacus on the American consciousness in 1960. America was a very different society then: there was segregation; the Cold War blew hotly in Southeast Asia, and the horror of nuclear annihilation hung over the world. However, change was in the wind; the studio system was deteriorating and John F. Kennedy was elected President. Activists worked to end segregation and achieve civil rights for all Americans. Folk singers like Pete Seeger were imbuing a generation with new ideals, efforts for which they were attacked and even blacklisted.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Most epics of the era used the Roman Empire as background for a biblical story, either as the main plot line or a subplot. But Spartacus tells the story of ordinary men and women of various ethnicities and nationalities, forced into slavery, rallying together in a fight for freedom prior to the emergence of Christianity. This vast group of conquered peoples took on the wealth and might of the Empire, preferring to fight, against all odds, and to die, rather than bend to their oppressors. What could the effect of this story be on a nation that participated in the suppression of new ideas and oppressed whole segments of its own society? In its unique way, Spartacus is as politically potent as Gentleman's Agreement and The Defiant Ones. Interestingly, the attacks on the film for its politics and "racy" scenes only piqued the interest of those who were looking to explore ideas beyond the accepted boundaries of 1960's America.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Spartacus was adapted for the screen by blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo from the novel by Howard Fast. In openly hiring Trumbo, Douglas heralded the end of the McCarthy era and many aspects of then-contemporary politics are deeply embedded in the final product.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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For historical perspective, the events of this story occur at a time in history just decades before that of Cleopatra. Rome is in full bloom, built on the backs of its conquered peoples. Toiling in the burning wasteland of a mine is Spartacus (Douglas), a man born into slavery. Kirk Douglas is a memorable figure, but this performance runs right up against issues of actor vs. movie star. Douglas is a great movie star, but not often a great actor. Some have stated that his performance in Spartacus lacked subtlety and realism, and we found ourselves agreeing. In his commentary track, screenwriter Trumbo goes so far as to label Douglas' portrayal as that of a Hollywood stunt man, rather than the intelligent, reasoning man he wrote him to be. It is as if all of Douglas' passion was spent on the film as producer, sparing little emotion for his role.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Slave-dealer Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) buys this feisty slave and takes him to his gladiatorial school to be trained to fight in the arena. Ustinov re-wrote much of his own material, especially his scenes with Laughton. This helped him to snare an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but opinions differ on whether his contribution hurt or helped the movie overall. Still, he is inventive and witty in his portrayal of the wily con man. We part in our opinions here: Jesse sees him as over-acting and scene-stealing, whereas debi believes he adds the only natural, fully-formed humanity to the story.

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At the school, Spartacus falls in love with a slave girl (Simmons) and eventually leads a revolt that overthrows the school and then swells into an army of slaves that takes on Rome itself. As the love interest, Varinia, Jean Simmons comes off the worst in the ensemble. Her prim portrayal of an abused slave who finds love and freedom severely damages the story and the film. The role of Varinia could have carried the weight of the fundamental story, the plight of someone stolen from her home, forced into slavery, sexually objectified and eventually fighting back. Instead, we have an impossibly lovely character and, in what should be one of the film's most powerful moments (when Varinia and Spartacus first meet), Simmons seems more pre-occupied with being beautiful than playing the scene.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Meanwhile in Rome, a young Julius Caesar (Gavin) is first making his bones; the Senate is dominated by 2 factions, lead by Gracchus (Laughton) and Crassus (Olivier): this army of slaves is seen as nothing more than a pawn in their struggle for political control. Laurence Olivier is awe-inspiring as Crassus. He portrays this giant of Roman history with great gusto and wide dimensions of characterization. In a way, this is almost to the detriment of the movie as a whole, because his performance tends to emphasize the narrower dimensions of the film's protagonist, Spartacus. In the same way, Olivier and his cohorts on the Roman side of the story threaten to overwhelm the slave side as a whole. Crassus uses the crisis of the slave rebellion to aid his goal of destroying the Republic of Rome and putting himself at the head, presaging the events that would occur 30 years later following the death of Julius Caesar. Although very dramatic, the conception of Crassus suffers the most in portraying actual history. Crassus was indeed an important figure in Roman events and did use the suppression of the slave revolt to further his own political aims. However, it was only with his later formation of the first Triumvirate with Caesar and Pompey that Crassus was able to achieve any type of political domination (and even then only as a partner, not as a singular dictator as this film suggests).

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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In one of his final film appearances, legendary actor Charles Laughton portrays Crassus' political nemesis, Gracchus, with much pomp and appeal. Perfectly cast, he becomes the corrupt and corpulent Senator in the way only Laughton could. Stories of his disagreements with Olivier and his collaboration with Ustinov in rewriting their dialogue fill the commentaries.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Other notable performances include Herbert Lom as the merchant, Tigranes Levantes, who makes the deal with Spartacus for ships to leave Italy. Peter Brocco plays the assistant to Batiatus, Ramon. His performance is notable because he was another name on the blacklist that Douglas hired and likewise credited under his own name. John Gavin, who later became the US Ambassador to Mexico during Ronald Reagan's presidency, portrays a dashing but briefly-seen Julius Caesar. At the gladiator school, Woody Strode appears in a small but crucial role as Draba, the African slave forced to fight Spartacus in a match pair, for the amusement of the visiting Crassus and friends.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Tony Curtis appears as Antoninus, a Sicilian slave who is involved in the most notorious scene censored from the original movie. Fully restored (with the assistance of Anthony Hopkins, whose voice replaces Olivier's on this portion of the audio track - a much older Tony Curtis re-dubbed his own), we now have the famed "oysters and snails" scene in which Crassus attempts to seduce the young slave. Antoninus runs away, joins the slave army and eventually becomes a close adviser to Spartacus.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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As the slaves attempt to fight their way to the sea and meet their ships, the Romans use fear and confusion to further their own political aims. Eventually, Crassus uses the very real fear that a total slave rebellion could overthrow the government of Rome to gain appointment as Commander of Rome's legions and election as First Consul of Rome. By bribing the pirates who had agreed to provide the slaves with transportation, he maneuvers Spartacus toward his fait d'accompli: a march on Rome itself.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Spartacus won three other Academy Awards¨ in 1961, including Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction-Set Direction and Best Cinematography. Also nominated were Alex North's score and the film's editing. These technical achievements, plus the incredible choreography of the gladiator fight sequences and the battle scenes take Spartacus to a legendary level of spectacle. One of the issues upon its release was the graphic nature of these battle sequences; some were cut and others changed to reduce the amount of violence. Also, a long tracking shot depicting vast amounts of dead bodies was cut. Some of these scenes have been reinstated in this restored version.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Producer Douglas first selected director Anthony Mann to helm the vast project. Stories vary as to how and why Mann left the job, but Douglas gambled and picked 31-year-old Stanley Kubrick to take over the production with very little preparation. Opinions vary as to the depth and quality of his contribution. Although Kubrick had worked with Douglas earlier on the well-received Paths of Glory, the studio was dubious about the choice. But, with Douglas as his champion, Kubrick was able to put his stamp on a film in which he had no participation in many crucial decisions such as casting, script and concept. After the completion of Spartacus, Kubrick downplayed his participation, saying in one quote, "I don't know what to say to people who tell me they like Spartacus." There is no doubt that, by completing this film, he became a bankable director and went on to make films his own way. Kubrick did participate in the restoration efforts in the early 1990s and there are some indications that he had somewhat revised his feelings about the film. His lack of control spread to become an apparent lack of interest: the success of a film, even under duress, is the responsibility of its director. It might be that Kubrick's lack of enthusiasm for a project not his own cost the production, too, in the end.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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Spartacus stands as a tribute to film restoration. In the commentary, Robert Harris describes the incredible effort that went into restoring it to a state resembling its makers' original intentions. Working frame by frame, the restorers cleaned and color corrected the separations and negatives. Scenes that were censored were added back in. Harris discusses the great number of films that have already been lost and the very real possibility that many more will be lost if nothing is done to restore them. If Spartacus is not the poster child for this painstaking process, it should be.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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What a phenomenal DVD! An exciting, important movie surrounded by a truly outstanding collection of supplemental materials that explore the politics, the history and the art of cinema. Recommended, as much for its historical nature as for its entertainment value.

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Spartacus (1960) [The Criterion Collection #105]

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