When watching the movie, it shows beautiful buildings, the arena where the fighting goes on, what the Spartans wear, and the type of armor that is worn. Spartacus is based on historical events, characters, and architecture. So, when this movie was created, more than half of the content is real. But we all know movies are made for entertainment and to look appealing, so there are going to be some points in the movie that are made up or exaggerated. When making a movie entertaining, that is what the audience likes. That is what makes the movie interesting and keeps the audience entertained. But not only is Spartacus a movie, it is also a TV and comic series, video games, board games, and so much more.  

Based on the movie, the time period that is the focus would be Ancient Roman. During this time, Ancient Rome was popular and was known for their army.  One of the most popular buildings in Rome is the Roman Colosseum. The Colosseum was also used as the arena where all the fighting happened. The arena would be packed with the audience waiting for the fighting to go on; the different levels of the colosseum meant that you were ranked/more important. The main reason why Spartacus was fighting was for freedom amongst the slaves. The Roman time period exceeded almost 500 years and contained many important events that are talked about today. The Imperial Forum in Rome was a power structure, a place for debate, and meeting places. It was shown in the movie at different times to show Spartacus fighting. Trajan’s column was also shown in the movie. The column is 125 feet high and made of marble. The carvings show Roman people working on the tower. The carvings go into detail to the point where it shows what they are wearing. 

The armor and weapons that were used in Spartacus were actually used by the Spartans. The common weapon that was used was a sword. As shown in the movie, some were single-swords, dual-swords, or they used a spear. The sword was usually held on their hip by a holster. They also had a shield that protected them from their opponent. Many shields have cool designs with carvings on them. Some Spartans could relate or have meaning towards their shield. When making the movie, the director wanted the audience to see the detail that was on their shields or swords. 

When talking about the armor, each fighter had their own specific kind. When Spartacus was going around the towns freeing the slaves, he just simply wore a shirt that looked worn and ripped with black armor that crossed his chest. It wasn’t protective as the armor he would use in the arena, but it was something to protect him while he was riding his horse. When they were in battle, they would wear leather vests that went over their while chest. Some soldiers had fur on them, while others just had a shirt underneath. Most men were in a skirt type of thing that was also made of leather. They had a crossbody on that held their belongings and other weapons. Some Spartans wore helmets when they fought; it was more of a preference. While their opponent didn’t really have much but their clothes that they had on their body. The movie goes into great detail with their armor on their body because they want their audience to see what it was like to live in that time period. Also to show what they actually wore. 

During the fights, or one-on-ones, the arm that wasn’t holding the shield has a chain sleeve. This was used to protect their arm from the weapon that their opponent used. It was something different to see because most of their chest and legs were out. The Spartan relied on their shield to protect them. When watching the movie, you the audience, could see the materials that they had to work with were very little. So, when making the armor or weapons, they had to be very careful about what was being used. Spartacus used a little shield and a small knife during the fights. He doesn’t explain why he uses what he uses. 

The movie is set in first century BC Rome. The main character, Spartacus, is a man who was sold into slavery as a boy and has spent years working in mines. Being the strong man he is he tried to fight the guards and bit one in the ankle. He was then tied up and made an example of until a wealthy Roman man came along to buy him. The man was looking for strong, fit men to fight. The movie continues into a montage type scene where they have the slaves training and preparing to fight. In my opinion, this scene was very silly, I understand the movie is from the 1960s but some of the training techniques they do don’t seem realistic to me. There is one point where they basically are playing jump rope with a blade and also have to duck another blade. Around this time they also introduce a love aspect with a slave woman that he has feelings for. So far through the movie, most of the costumes and sets are very convincing. The quarries look just how I would imagine ancient Roman quarries would look like. There were large pits with hundreds of slaves with pickaxes and chains around them. Even the slaves and wealthy people have proper attire with the slaves wearing ragged robes and the wealthy people wearing clean white robes and gold necklaces, arm, and headpieces. 

Spartacus is also made to fight another slave gladiator with four rich Roman men watching. You could tell these men were rich because they wore clean white robes with gold accents and jewelry. It looked very convincing with how this fight would actually have been set. The fighting itself wasn’t too convincing but it did fit the scene. The set here again is very convincing. About this point in the movie, he makes a rash decision and drowns the man who was training them to fight. This scene is a strong turning point and also refers back to earlier in the movie when the trainer attempted to make Spartacus fight him in an attempt to make an example and kill him. I like how the directors choose to kill him because this shows how the tables have turned. Spartacus beings freeing the other slaves and starts a large rebellion against his owner. He is eventually elected as leader of the rebellion by the other freed slaves. Next, they begin to plunder and pillage many small villages across the countryside, getting rich while they do it. While they are continuing their raids, stealing and freeing slaves, Varinia escapes her owner and is reunited with Spartacus. Spartacus then convinced his rebellious army to fight against the much stronger republic in the hopes of freeing all people who are enslaved. The movie ends with a large battle and Spartacus getting to see his son before it ends. 

In all honesty, this movie really kept my attention the entire time. In my personal opinion, the plot was very predictable and it didn’t really keep me on the edge of my seat.  Just like a lot of movies from this time period the plot is straightforward and the next move can usually be predicted. The characters and the acting were very good and the actors seemed like they had real emotion and anger. The real strong suit of this movie was the sets and costumes. The sets and costumes were so period-correct I felt like I was actually there. The buildings looked very accurate for the time and did just appear as normal set backgrounds. Considering this movie was only the Fifth one that Stanley Kubrick directed it was very good. This was one of his first big movies and it was done very well. It obvious why it won multiple awards and it is so memorable. It is definitely a movie I would recommend to a friend or to anyone who is looking to watch a classic movie filled with action. 

The next two stars of the movie are the two princes of Troy, Hector (Eric Bana) and Paris (Orlando Bloom). The two are on a diplomatic mission to sign a peace treaty with the king of Sparta Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson). Following Greek mythology, Paris falls in love with Sparta’s queen, Helen (Diane Kruger) and takes her back to Troy which initiates the war. After negotiations, Paris sneaks Helen onto the Trojan’s ship and they sail back to Troy. Not too long later Menelaus discovers this and goes to his brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox), who rules over most of Greece, to start what becomes known as the Trojan Wars.

Some may argue that it’s hard to make a battle exciting when the ending is already known (those who are aware of the historical context), but I disagree. I was completely engaged during all of the battle scenes. The war begins and one thousand ships are deployed to attack Troy and reclaim Helen, and in the front of the fleet is Achilles’s ship. The opening scene didn’t show us enough of how strong the mighty Achilles really is, now we get to see him, and his fifty men take on hundreds of Trojans. In single combat, Achilles has a distinctive fighting style. He prefers the long run-up and then leaps into the air to slay his enemy, as seen throughout several parts of the movie. 

The Greeks arrive at Troy and attack the walled city, lead by Achilles who takes the beach of Troy with just fifty men. Throughout the film and just as most Greeks did back then, we see Greeks make many tributes to the Gods. One of the tributes that the Trojans made was a temple and a large beautiful statue of the sun god Apollo. After Achilles’s victory he cuts off the head of the statue, which was his way of saying the gods don’t decide fate, we do. Later before the two major armies clash, Paris and Menelaus have a single combat duel and the winner gets to keep Helen. The camera zooms out on the battlefield to show the two massive armies standing and watching as two men face off. Orlando Bloom is just coming off the successful Lord of the Rings movies, where he plays as Legolas, a powerful elven warrior. In this case, however, we see the exact opposite of a warrior and that is a frightened little boy who looked like he had never held a sword in his life.

Later in the movie Achilles and Hector finally have the showdown we have all been waiting for. The two most powerful warriors in all of Greece face off in front of the great wall of Troy. Hector gives Achilles his toughest battle he has ever faced, but even Hector is not good enough to defeat Achilles. Achilles defeats Hector and from that point on the Greek army has all the advantage they could ever need. After the loss of Hector, the film then portrays the famous Trojan Horse scene (those who know the historical context know). The plan was created by Odysseus according to history, but they do not show the formation of the plan in the film. Then just like most movies of this nature (Gladiator), the main character meets his end after he finally finds peace. The mighty Achilles meets his end by the hands of Paris, to avenge his fallen brother Hector. 

Despite some shortcomings, there were many things I enjoyed about Troy. I may be a little biased because I enjoy historically based movies, but I believe they did a good job considering how little is known about the real Troy. Not much is known about the Trojan Wars except little pieces of history that have been found on archeological digs. The goal of this movie was to portray a significant part of ancient Greek culture based on what we currently know about the Trojan Wars. I found myself closely watching and listening more often than not but considering it is three hours, the average viewer may deserve a little more to keep them interested. Audiences should get the impressions that Ancient Greece was beautiful in terms of climate, architecture, and art, but was also a time of war, sickness, and pettiness. If you are looking for a love story with plenty of character development this is not the film for you. The best historical based films work when both visual and emotional qualities. As I stated already the goal of the film was to portray the Trojan Wars to the best of their ability, so it’s understandable that they didn’t spend a great amount of time on character development. Peterson nailed it when it comes to battle scenes but fell short when it comes to believable characters.

The major piece of culture that the movie Spartacus that is shown is the life of a slave and how many slaves the Romans uses to build their cities.  The Gladiators were forced to fight each other in the small wooden arenas, and they trained and to fight for the amusement of the rich.  Every slave Spartacus came upon he freed, and they joined his army because they believed in his leadership.  The clothes the slaves wore were rags and leather armor.  Spartacus taught them how to fight and he led them against the armies of Rome using spears and shields that the slaves made themselves or won when they defeated the legions.  

In stark contrast to the slaves, the senators led lives of opulence and greed.  They use gold and marble in every building they were in.  The bathhouses were made almost completely out of marble with grand designs in the walls and pillars.  The walls of their homes had paintings of gods and goddesses on them and marble statues and busts everywhere.  The armor the generals wore were gold plated armor and red capes and gold-plated helmets.  On the armor were great feats of battle and their ancestors and previous rulers. Each soldier had a set of heavy iron armor and a wooden and metal shield and a brown cape.  This movie gave a very accurate representation of the respective sides with the Soldiers that had battle tactics and proper armor and training, and the slaves turned into Soldiers and trained by Spartacus.

The music composed for this movie is by Alex North.  This music is the best part of the movie and it makes the scenes so much more emotional.  If there was no music the movie would be so lifeless and emotionless.  The best part of the movie that music effects is when Spartacus is tied up and Crassus the new emperor confronts Spartacus and Crassus punches Spartacus and Spartacus in return spits in the face of the new Emperor and a big swell of music happens at the same time.  This impacts the overall feeling in the movie because you can really feel the life and death situation.  The greatest part of the entire movie is the battle between the slaves and the Roman Legions, and the music portrays the battle as a climactic final battle that will result in victory or death.

The movie shows all these aspects including the culture, grand designs of the building, the slave’s lives and the Roman Legion armor and the Generals.  This movie does an amazing job of portraying the stark contrast of the senator’s lives compared to the lives of the slaves.  The senators had wealth and slaves had nothing this was shown off very well in the movie because anyone that was freed from being a slave wanted to join the slave army immediately.  The music is the most amazing part of this movie and without it, the movie would not feel as great as it does.  I think this is one of the best movies based on the Ancient Romans before they became completely dominant over a large area.  I would highly recommend anyone who likes Roman history or any history to watch this movie and they will not be disappointed with the dedication the actors and directors put into this movie. 

In the beginning of the movie, you can see the slavery aspect of the ancient Roman time period come to be as the Roman soldiers were all wearing gladiator helmets they were beating the slaves. The outfits the Roman soldiers were wearing were portrayed very accurately as the sculpture “The Augustus of Primaporta” had matched up to the soldiers in the movie with a very similar look, as the dominant empire color red stuck out on their clothes. Also, very noticeable from the start is an early example of marble head sculptures like the one you can see of a woman displayed in one of the houses in the background of the main scene which reflects a famous sculpture of Antonius Pius. Many sculptures were brought to life during this time in Rome, as contrapposto was on the rise in sculptures artists were making a lot more of them, during the movie you can see a sculpture with this technique in the background. 

Spartacus is a movie depicting specifically the struggle of fighting and the glory that comes out of being a true gladiator. The movie portrayed the gladiators and armor that they wore almost perfectly making it seem like It was actually real and almost not a movie as the gladiator’s costumes were pinpoint accurate and precise with detail. The armor shined and the helmets where designed perfectly giving off a powerful look. The Roman Empire was famous for the dedication and will to build amazing structures as their architectures were precise and taken deep into consideration with great pride. In the movie, you can see in the background an example of a bridge with arches holding it up, which shows the geometrical symmetry in the structure. During the movie, the buildings are portrayed as typical ancient Rome structures, with the big white pillars and the look of higher status. As leaders tend to ride horses as shown in many ancient Roman sculptures, the movie nicely depicted the same way in the movie as examples are shown a lot. The movie has done a good job of incorporating fresco paintings in the background of scenes which is a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster or ceilings. The fresco painting in the movie has a similar touch to it and is portrayed extremely well as it reminds the typical viewer of the fresco “Garden from Villa of Livia” as it had multiple corresponding colors and looks that are accurately the same.

All together Spartacus the movie did well portraying the roman empire accurately displayed the artwork techniques and the structures of the time of the Roman Empire. Starting from the gladiators and armor to the fresco paintings and sculptures to the precise bridges and pillars in front of the buildings. The Roman empire was accurately displayed as the gladiators, scenery, and artworks were all depicted specifically.

It begins in 1^st Century BC where Roman Republic has since fallen into a slum state of corruption with crooked aristocrats governing the law and trade while the menial work and labor-intensive jobs are done by armies of slaves. The setting depicts the once proud and opulent nation by hinting towards the reflection of how dominant the Roman Empire once was, only for the viewer to notice that it is in fact still prosperous, however it has not remained this way by the most noble means. The setting is also very visually radiant compared to other films of the era and incorporates color to draw the attention of the viewer towards the immediate plot and character action in the foreground, such as when he is being covered in paint during training, while leaving the background empty and bland in some scenes to help symbolize the vastness of the Roman Republic. The architecture is also true to the period with large opulent buildings being seen throughout the course of the movie that have intricate details such and decorative sculpting, massive stairways, and large stone columns that allow the building to give off an impressive look that emits wealth and power.

We are then introduced to Spartacus, a young rebellious slave who is so unwilling to continue his duties in a mining pit that his insubordination has him sentenced to death by starvation. By a stroke of luck he is saved from his sentence and almost certain death by a Roman businessman named Lentulus Batiatus, who was so impressed by his ferocious behavior and desire to live that he purchases Spartacus to be trained as a gladiator. He then undergoes extensive and physically abusive training lead by a man by the name of Marcellus who realizes the true potential of Spartacus which prompts him to push him, but not too hard in order to retain his value. Gladiators and the business built around their entertainment was very prevalent during the era of ancient Rome which the film captures the essence of well. From the large arena-like buildings similar to the Flavian Amphitheater that held these events, to the armor and weaponry showcased in the battles, this culture was what shaped the Roman Empire for generations and eventually lead to its demise which is apparent upon watching the film.

Spartacus then forms a relationship with a serving woman he had met in his cell with whom he faces many repercussions and humiliations due to mutually breaking the conditions of being a servant. Their relationship continues until she is eventually purchased by a wealthy Roman businessman and government official named Marcus Licinius Crassus, whose overall goal is to become a dictator of the Roman Republic. Meanwhile, Spartacus survives a fight where he was disarmed and left for dead until one of the other gladiators rebelled in a burst of defiance and attacked the audience ultimately ending in his death by the hands of one of Crassus’s guards. When Marcellus continues to humiliate Spartacus for his relationship with Varinia the servant he lashed back and kills him in a fit of rage which then erupts a riot. The gladiators are able to bombard the guard with sheer force and escape into the country where they then elect Spartacus as their leader. To put this into perspective, the Roman Republic had fallen under turbulent times and you can sense this unstable nature throughout the film where you recognize that there is foreshadowing leading to the fact that times are about to change and it can either be for better or worse.

Spartacus and his men pillage the countryside of Rome acquiring money and resources as well as gaining other forces of slaves along the way. Varinia is able to escape her capture at the hands of Crassus and return to join Spartacus accompanied by another slave by the name of Antoninus who was a slave entertainer. Amid panic ensuing in Rome, Spartacus convinces his men to fight to the death against the Republic in an attempt to abolish slavery and free all men forever. The rebellion is vicious and costs many lives but in the midst of all of the tyranny and mayhem in the streets of Rome, the city falls to its rebel which symbolizes the death of their old culture in the hopes of a new sustainable rebirth. Spartacus survives the carnage just long enough to see his baby son who is a living example of a new free citizen who has the opportunity to grow up in a slavery forbidden world all because of his doing. The film Spartacus was a classic take on an impressive Roman history that controlled much the world for generations and influenced a plethora of cultures for year to come. It can not fairly be compared to the blockbuster films of today, however its simplicity and heart provides the viewer with an interesting look upon a once dominant culture and the art that it spawned.

Spartacus and the other slaves rebelled and fought back, making their own army to fight against the Romans. Spartacus, and his pregnant love Varinia, picked up more slaves along the way, joining their new army. They were going to the sea to buy boats to sail, however, the ships never arrived. The movie goes on to show how Spartacus fought, but then was turned back into a slave. They show his struggles and the ending is one I had not thought would happen.

As far as props and costumes go, this film successfully portrayed the time period and the types of clothing that people wore in the Ancient Roman Era. The sandals were spot on as well as the clothes that the slaves/fighters were wearing. I thought of the movie Gladiator, because they are very similar as far as props and costumes go. It is interesting how they didn’t wear much armour, because in many other films, like Gladiator, they are head to toe in armour. It is interesting to see how different directors portray the same thing. However, I still feel like both makes the audience understand what a gladiator looked like. One thing I noticed specifically was how the wine was served from a giant bag like sack. There weren’t wine bottle like we have today, so that helped put me in the time period of the Ancient Romans. The makeup was very well done, as the slaves looked tired, dirty, sweaty, and run down. One thing that helps a general audience grasp the time period is how everything looks worn down and “old.” In this film, they actually made many of the structures and clothing of divine figures clean and pristine. Which, from an educational standpoint makes sense due to the fact that at the time, many of those buildings were relatively new. I could see, though, that to a general and uneducated audience, it would’ve been harder to picture the “old” setting.

The buildings and structures were much like the architecture of the actual time period. The columns and tent-like structures made it feel like there were the upper class Romans versus Spartacus and how they traveled rebuilding their tents from location to location.  I felt like the landscape was properly portrayed with far hills and deserts as well as forest areas and Roman cities. I would have liked to see the Colosseum more as this was a major topic in the film. Fighting was the main purpose of the slaves. When Antoninus and Spartacus were forced to fight, I feel that if it took place in a Colosseum, it would’ve been more epic and suspenseful. The reason I say this is because from an uneducated standpoint, when the average person thinks of Ancient Rome, one of the first things they think of is the Colosseum. So to appeal to the average audience, adding the Colosseum would’ve helped to picture Ancient Rome.

Overall, I think this film successfully portrayed the Ancient Roman era and the citizens and senate of Rome. However, I think some parts were dragged on. This film was about three hours long and I felt that there were some parts that could’ve been shortened or cut from the film. For instance, during the initial battle scene, the Romans set up their men in a strategical format. It went on for about five minutes. I feel like if they just showed how they were set up at the end, it would’ve still related the same thing. I would give this film an 8.5/10 if I had to, because it successfully portrayed the Ancient Roman era, as well as give a good storyline and plot. The excessive length of the film and unnecessary scenes is what is bringing the score down. However, I would definitely suggest this film to someone who enjoys a good love story, action, and history about the time period.  

Like many Kubrick movies you are treated to a visual masterpiece. The movie is well shot and includes a splendid soundtrack. As a story Spartacus is amazing, from an art standpoint, specifically in the detail this movie was lacking. Like other movies take place in ancient Rome it fails to be realistic. This is most commonly seen in sculptures. The sculptures and marble work of the time would have been painted. In this movie they are base white. This could have been done to avoid a distracting and allow the viewer to immerse themselves into the movie due to the fact that most people are not aware that they statues would have been painted. Another issue is the overwhelming lack of art in general. These halls would have been highly decorated with statues, sculptures, busts, anything to add a flair to a room but this was not included in the movie. The senate chambers were bare aside from of a flag in the middle of the room, and the bathhouses were dull,  limited to some simple wall texture. One of the few examples of fine detail being  used was in Crassus chamber. His camber had all the luxuries you would expect of upper-class Rome.

Clothing and armor was also an issue. To put it simple it was bland. Even the upper class was underwhelming in most cases. It looked like they took a white bed sheet and wrapped the actor in it and then added a little gold trim around the neck. The armor of Rome was even generic. Simple leather was used or basic chain mail that covered one arm. Even Spartacus himself was wearing two slabs of metal with bumps on it. I understand that a movie of this size had to cut budget somewhere but they couldn’t even bother to give the important characters something acceptable looking. In all my critiques however  I did notice that the Roman elites in battles armor did actually have some design on it. When I looked deeper into it though I failed to see a wolf, which is an important figure in Roman culture and was commonly used on elites armor to symbolize greatness and tradition. Theirs simply had some trim and design on it that meant nothing.

As brutally critical as I have been thus far I do want to state that I actually enjoyed the movie. As a story it was actually really good and tells a underdog and love story in one that makes you feel for the characters. I also do attribute a lot of what they are lacking in historical accuracy’s to the limitations of the era. If you look at Gladiator which does a fairly good job of representing that time frame 99% of the buildings and structures are CGI. This was not in existence in 1960. We have also advanced in film since then which would have also been a limitation of the movie.

Spartacus and Kubrick do get some things right though. Spartacus did a good job as far as combat goes and kept that historically accurate to the time. The had multiple styles of fighters (trident and net vs. sword and shield) and had them fight in pairs. They did their best to maintain realism from and architectural sense. The large, marble, columned style of building that is synonymous with Roman architecture was used thought out the movie. The gladiator school also resembled some realism in the sense of the stadium used to fight. The stadium was similar to the Coliseum in the sense of it being  a circular design with a watching area dedicated for only the elites. Obviously it is nowhere near the same size of the Coliseum but shares the principle elements.

Overall Spartacus is a great film. It is a classic like many of Kubrick’s and should be praised in its own right. As critical as I was ,I want to emphasize that from a strict enjoyment factor the movie is very good. From a historical standpoint the movie is only somewhat accurate. Most of my issues are strictly in the detail. You could argue that I was being nitpicky or that my gripes are unrealistic for the time, however, I argue that for a movie of this caliber with a director of that magnitude my expectations were very high and were not met from a depiction of the art as well as a Roman culture standpoint. If art and art-related detail does not matter to you then this movie is flawless if art does matter to you then these fine details will drive you crazy and ruin some of the immersion factor that one would hope for.

The movie does a pretty good job of displaying the lives of slaves and other members of the Roman Republic. There are other movies that I personally think do a better job of showing what this time in history was like, for example the movie Gladiator. Both movies are fairly similar in plot and setting, but I think Gladiator does a better job of portraying this time period. That is not to say that this movie does a bad job. It was filmed in 1960, so obviously the quality, effects, and props in the movie aren’t going to be up to standard with a movie that was filmed in the early 2000’s. It still shows a good deal of what not only life was like, but what the art was like back then. The armor worn by the fighters in one fighting scene is pretty similar to what someone would have worn back then. The weapons also are key in the art during this time. I personally do not think the props and weapons used in this movie did justice to how detailed and fine the weapons used during fighting actually were during the Roman Empire. The Roman’s weaponry and armor was an expression of art. The little details and décor of them really was a staple during this time period. Also the effects in this movie such as blood and sweat and all that good stuff was actually pretty good. Although this was in 1960, so the Hollywood effects aren’t anything we see today, but still for the time period it wasn’t too bad.

One thing I really enjoyed about the movie was the overall setting, buildings and architecture seen in the movie. Of course, Hollywood has to put their spin on it to make it look more appealing to an audience, but for the most part the architecture in the movie was up to par with historical context. For example, there is a scene in the movie which Spartacus and another slave fight to the death while being watched upon. This I think does a good job of showing a battle arena which definitely would have been used then. Although the arena was very bland, I would expect to see more types of artwork displayed around the arena.

One thing about the movie I didn’t particularly enjoy was the plot. To me, the plot was pretty basic. A slave escapes the wrath of the Roman Empire and creates an army to which peace is made and slaves are free for good. Once again this is 1960, but still I would’ve enjoyed seeing a little better job making the overall plot of the movie a little more interesting. Kirk Douglas on the other hand though, does a great job of playing the role of Spartacus. He really gets into character and shows what a slave’s life was like at the time.

Overall, the movie was pretty good in my opinion, it had its own flaws, but then again every movie does. From the way they displayed artwork during this time with the architecture and clothing and sometimes the props used, it was pretty cool to see their interpretation of the Roman Empire during the movie. The actors in the movie did a pretty great job of showing what life not only as a slave, but as a higher up was like. I think that was the main purpose of the movie, to show just how insane the Roman Empire was and what civilizations were like. From the way they battled during events, to being one of the most powerful civilizations of all time. I would probably give this movie a 4 out of 5 stars because it really does do its job of presenting Roman life, there is just some simple things I would change about it. It being made in 1960 and not having the technology we do today made it harder to display everything, but it did well for the time period. All in all, that is my review of the movie Spartacus.

Spartacus, a slave in the Roman republic is to be put to death. His life is spared when Biatius purchases him and brings him back to his gladiator school to be trained as a gladiator. Through some surprising turns of events, Spartacus leads the other slaves to revolt against the Roman republi. Roman troops are sent out to capture the revolting slaves, who defeat the Roman soldiers. Crassus tells the slaves that they can have their freedom if they just give him Spartacus. Spartacus is about to reveal himself when each of the other slaves shouts out the famous line “I am Spartacus!”. This leads to a mass slaughter by the Romans; However, Spartacus miraculously survives and is eventually reunited with his family.

The screenwriters and directors do an exceptional job at creating a thrilling tale that is easy to watch. It pulls the viewer in and keeps them wanting more. However, while it is a great movie in regards to entertainment, it is also a superb movie with regard to the art that is portrayed throughout. We need to keep in mind that this film was created in 1960 which is nearly 60 years ago. The technology that was available during that time period does not even compare to the technology that is available to us now for the use of creating and editing films. However, the director and everyone involved in making this film come alive used the resources that were available to them and used them to their fullest as the movie turned out great.

For starters, the landscape that is used in the movie truly gives the movie more of a “grand effect”. In more than one scene we see the large and vast dry desert. In the portrayal, the viewer can almost feel how dry and hot it is in that scene. The viewer can sympathize with Spartacus because we can almost feel the agonizing heat and despair that he is feeling.

In other scenes, we see the gladiator armor that the slaves are wearing. This is where I want to stop and take a little more time to look at some of the choices that the costume designers, directors, and others made. In some cases, they made great decisions. In one scene, we see Spartacus with armor over just one arm and he is holding a sword; this is a historically correct representation of what one type of gladiator armor may look like based off artifacts that we have from these time periods. In other scenes, however, we see much less historically accurate armor for these types of gladiators and for this time period such as the armor that Spartacus is wearing in several of the fighting scenes. If the viewer doesn’t know any better, then these costumes look like they would be historically correct, but this also can lead to misunderstandings since some of the costumes are historically correct and others are not. Additionally, if you are a viewer who does have historical knowledge of this time period, then this detail can make the film less accurate and less impactful for you since some of the details are accurate and others are not.

Finally, the architecture and landscape that is shown in the movie does give the movie more of a grand feeling for the viewer. As stated earlier, the technology that was available during the 1960’s is not to the same grade that technology is now; however, the director was still able to get the same feeling across to the viewer as he would have been able to do if he had better and higher grade technology. He achieved this by the camera pans and careful selections of the film settings. The opening scene was filmed in Death Valley, California. Filming then moved to the Universal Lot in Hollywood, where most of the film was filmed, with the battles being filmed in Spain. Additionally, the directors used many landscapes between Los Angeles and San Francisco to get the “historic” look they were searching for. That is not where the director stopped with the “using his resources” though. The sounds that are heard throughout battle is the recording of football fans attending a Notre Dame versus Michigan football game.  

Spartacus, a film about pride, determination, and freedom, comes to life on the screen. It is a true testament to the directors who put their best foot forward to deliver a, historically accurate film about a slave revolt against the Roman Republic that closely models what the time period would have felt and looked like during the Roman republic. It is a grand film that touches the hearts of its viewers.