The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus. After weeks of being trained to kill for the arena, Spartacus turns on his owners and leads the other slaves in rebellion. As the rebels move from town to town, their numbers swell as escaped slaves join their ranks. Under the leadership of Spartacus, they make their way to southern Italy, where they will cross the sea and return to their homes.
"They trained him to kill for their pleasure ... but they trained him a little too well"
Top Billed Cast
Kirk Douglas
Spartacus
Laurence Olivier
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Jean Simmons
Varinia
Charles Laughton
Sempronius Gracchus
Peter Ustinov
Lentulus Batiatus
John Gavin
Julius Caesar
Tony Curtis
Antoninus
Nina Foch
Helena Glabrus
Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews
J John ChardVerified TMDB Critic
2019-09-15
The sword and sandal epic that has everything.
Spartacus is the Thracian slave who refused to be a Roman plaything, breaking out of their clutches he led the slave revolt that panicked the Roman Rebublic in circa BC 73, this film is based on that period in history.
Spartacus got off to a troubled start, original director Anthony Mann was fired by leading man Kirk Douglas (Spartacus) after a falling out, some of Mann's work does remain in the final picture, though, notably some of the early scenes in the desert are thought to be at Mann's direction. In came then director for hire Stanley ...
B BornKnightVerified TMDB Critic
2023-11-21
This historical/epic drama was one of those 50-60's movies that lasted for 3 and a half hours. It isn't perfect despite the production have being great in some points.
The main issue is that it isn't historical based (and who knows the history to the full extend?), but it was based on a Roward Fast novel of 1951 with lots of romanticized and non historical events.
Some things are history: like the basis of the dispute of the senate member involved in the rebellion, like Crassus (the main opositor), Grassus (the roman senator that was more a patrician than a warrior) and young Julius Cesa...
C CinemaSerfVerified TMDB Critic
2024-05-30
Kirk Douglas had the vision to back the previously black-listed Dalton Trumbo with his excellent screenplay for this epic tale of slavery and the struggle for freedom. He also led a cast with some of the best actors to ever grace the silver screen. Olivier, Laughton, Ustinov, Curtis and a wonderfully tender Jean Simmons who all lift this tale of a slave who rebelled against the tyrannical rule of his Roman masters and inspired thousands to follow him as they strove to escape, then defeat the armies of Rome. The cinematography, colour, costumes are all the stuff of artists and Alex North create...
