"rebellion"

1960 · Stanley Kubrick · 197 min · Drama

Spartacus is more Kirk Douglas than Stanley Kubrick, and that turns out to be both its limitation and its strength. The battle sequences and crowd scenes demonstrate a scale that few films have matched, the performances from Douglas, Olivier, and Ustinov are exceptional, and the film's themes of freedom and dignity resonate across eras. Kubrick's fingerprints are visible in the visual compositions and the battle choreography, even if the emotional warmth belongs to Douglas. At over three hours, it tests patience in places, and the pacing of the first act is slow. But when Spartacus works, it works on a scale that justifies the epic label.