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During
the last century of the Roman Empire’s rule, thousands are born enslaved to
either the privileged class known as patricians or the wealthiest of the
commoners, known as plebeians. One exceptionally strong slave in the
rock mines of Libya, Spartacus, is regularly whipped for displaying his
intelligence and pride.
One day, Batiatus, who trains slaves to become
gladiators, purchases Spartacus and several other slaves for his training
camp in Capua. There, Batiatus announces that each man will be taught
to fight to the death strategically, for the pleasure of patricians who
enjoy the "sport." Training proves as dehumanizing as the mines; each
slave is branded, mercilessly instructed by head trainer Marcellus, and kept
in cells. Spartacus tries to befriend Ethopian gladiator Draba, but
soon learns that the men refuse to ally, knowing that they may be forced to
kill each other.
One night, Spartacus is presented the slave
woman Varinia. Batiatus and Marcellus, knowing that Spartacus has never
been with a woman, watch from a grate above his cell as Varinia stoically
undresses. Their laughter disgusts Spartacus and, after he refuses to
mistreat the young woman, Batiatus takes her away as punishment for not
acting as "a man."
Over the next weeks, Spartacus excels at
gladiatorial skills and falls further in love with Varinia. Marcellus
attempts to derail their attraction, but the couple manages to exchange
furtive touches.
One
day, Marcus Licinius Crassus, a patrician in competition with the plebeian
Gracchus for control of the Roman Senate, arrives at Capua along with his
wife Lady Helena, sister-in-law Claudia and her fiancée, Marcus Glabrus.
To celebrate the betrothal, Crassus insists that a gladiatorial match be
arranged, ignoring Batiatus’ concern that forcing the slaves to fight to the
death in their own camp could cause an uprising. Helena and Claudia
choose four slaves, including Spartacus and Draba, to fight, and order them
to be scantily clad. As the matches begin, the patricians banter
happily, undisturbed by the desperation of the fighting men. Spartacus
listens from the holding cell as a friend is killed, then enters into battle
against Draba. Draba overcomes Spartacus but, unwilling to kill his
compatriot, instead attacks Crassus and is immediately killed by a guard.
When Spartacus later hears that Crassus has
bought Varinia, he can no longer control his rage, and attacks Marcellus.
Emboldened, the other slaves follow suit and escape, forming an "army" that
travels across the countryside, looting landowners and freeing slaves, who
then join the swelling ranks. Word soon spreads to Rome of the slave
rebellion, causing outrage in the Senate.
While Crassus is away, Gracchus cannily
challenges Glabrus, now head of the Roman garrison, to lead some of the
troops against the slaves, leaving Julius Caesar as temporary chief of the
remaining garrison. When Crassus returns, he comprehends immediately
that Gracchus plots to keep Glabrus out of Rome, leaving Crassus more
vulnerable to attack.
Meanwhile,
Spartacus inspires his troops to form a united front that can sweep across
the country and escape over the sea to their homelands. In one town,
Spartacus is elated to find Varinia, who has escaped and now confesses her
love.
Back in Rome, while Crassus admires his new
"body slave," Antoninus, Gracchus schemes with Batiatus, who blames Crassus
for Spartacus’ rebellion. Soon, Spartacus’ army settles at Mt.
Vesuvius, where an escaped Antoninus impresses Spartacus, who longs for an
education, with his songs.
One day, Tigranes, a representative of Salician
pirates, visits to offer the slaves support. Spartacus trades the
army’s riches for 500 ships, to await the army on the east coast of Italy.
Tigranes agrees to the trade, and when he wonders aloud why Spartacus
believes he can defeat the mighty Roman garrison, the former slave replies
that, unlike soldiers, his men are not afraid to die, since even death is
preferable to a life in chains.
Soon after, Glabrus arrives and, underestimating
the intelligence of the slaves, fails to prepare his troops adequately.
Spartacus is able to destroy the garrison and capture Glabrus, whom he sends
back to the senate with the message that the army will not be stopped.
Crassus is forced to banish Glabrus and retire in shame.
Throughout the winter, Spartacus’ ever-growing
group crosses the country, many dying along the way. In the spring,
Spartacus is overjoyed to learn that Varinia is pregnant.
Meanwhile, Gracchus convinces the senate to name
Caesar as commander of the garrison and to send two legions to destroy
Spartacus. When no one volunteers to lead the legions against
Spartacus, Gracchus is forced to ask Crassus, who is delighted to head the
campaign to "restore order" to Rome.
Later, Gracchus reveals to Caesar that he has
maneuvered the sale of the Salician ships to Spartacus, knowing that
Spartacus’ triumph will spell defeat for Crassus. Although Spartacus
celebrates upon reaching an encampment a mere twenty miles away from the
Salician ships, Tigranes soon arrives, with the news that Pompey and Crassus
have conspired to surround Spartacus’ army, necessitating the withdrawal of
the ships. Spartacus realizes that Crassus is forcing him to attack
Rome, which will allow the patrician to use all the troops at his disposal
against them. Dismissing Tigranes’ offer to smuggle Spartacus and
Antoninus, now his closest aide, to freedom, Spartacus instead stirs his
troops to march against Rome. At the same time, the Romans elect
Crassus as head consul and leader of the legions, and he vows to destroy
Spartacus and restore order to the empire.
The
armies soon come within fighting distance of each other, and Crassus,
single-minded in his fear of and hatred for Spartacus, pays Batiatus to
identify the former slave on the battleground. Just before the battle,
Spartacus tells Varinia that his only prayer is for his son to be born free
and to learn about his father’s cause. Within hours, Crassus’ trained
troops have overcome the slave army, and Crassus announces to the survivors
that they will be spared crucifixion if they identify Spartacus.
Spartacus stands to speak but, before he can sacrifice himself, Antoninus
stands and declares, "I am Spartacus." One by one, each slave follows
suit, choosing death over betraying the man who brought him freedom.
Enraged, Crassus orders them all to be crucified during a long march, lining
the road to Rome with their bodies. He also finds Varinia, clutching
Spartacus’ newborn son, and sends her to his estate.
Along the march, Crassus recognizes Antoninus
and then, upon spotting Spartacus, guesses he may be his enemy, and orders
the two men be kept alive until they reach his estate. There, he
banishes Gracchus to the country, intending to use him in the future for his
popularity with the "rabble."
Soon after, Batiatus experiences what Gracchus
terms "a bad case of dignity" and refuses to identify Spartacus, and instead
plots with Gracchus to steal Varinia from the estate in order to irritate
Crassus. Crassus dotes on Varinia, whose love he believes will prove
his superiority over Spartacus but she vows never to stop loving Spartacus.
Meanwhile, Spartacus mourns Varinia and his son,
who he assumes have died. When Crassus confronts Spartacus, the slave
spits in his face, spurring the dictator to order him to fight Antoninus to
death, with the winner to be crucified. Spartacus and Antoninus fight
valiantly, each trying to save the other from a more painful death, and
Spartacus soon triumphs. After murmuring that he loved Spartacus like
a father, Antoninus dies, and Spartacus proclaims that "he will come back,
and he will be millions." Crassus, fearful even in his victory, orders
Spartacus crucified at the gates to Rome.
Meanwhile, Batiatus brings Varinia and the boy
to Gracchus, who presents them with falsified papers that will allow them
freedom, then kills himself. As Varinia leaves Rome, she catches sight
of Spartacus on the cross. In his last moments of life, Spartacus sees
Varinia lift his son and hears her declare that the boy, now free, will
never forget his father.
Notes
The film is based on the novel Spartacus by Howard Fast (New York,
1951). It begins with a voice-over narration stating that before
Christianity, the Roman Republic ruled as the center of the civilized world,
but remained stricken with the disease of slavery. Although some
reviews noted the story’s unreliable correlation to history, many of the
film’s characters were derived from real figures, including Spartacus (d. 71
B.C.), Marcus Licinius Crassus (d. 53 B.C.) and Caius Sempronius Gracchus
(d. 121 B.C.). As depicted in the film, Spartacus was a Thracian slave
who broke out of a Capuan gladiators’ school to lead a revolt that was
eventually suppressed by Crassus, who then crucified his captives by the
hundreds. In contrast to the film, Spartacus was killed in battle,
after which Crassus ruled Rome in a triumvirate with Pompey and Julius
Caesar. Gracchus lived decades earlier, and helped organize a social reform
movement that lasted only a few years before being repealed. He was
killed in a series of riots protesting the repeal.
On March 19, 1958,
Kirk Douglas’ company, Bryna Productions, announced a production deal
with Universal that would begin with the studio providing co-financing and
distribution services for a film to be based on the 1951 Howard Fast novel
Spartacus. The film’s proposed budget at that time was
$4,000,000. In August 1958, Alciona Productions planned to produce a
film entitled Spartacus and the Gladiators (not based on Fast's book)
with
Yul Brynner as star, Martin Ritt as director and United Artists as
distributor. Bryna protested the use of the title, but on August 21,
1958, HR announced that the MPAA had awarded Alciona sole use of the
name. Bryna then appealed the decision and, according to Douglas’
autobiography, after a brief competition United Artists conceded the rights
to the name in October 1958.
According to a modern source, David Lean was
considered to direct Spartacus, but declined.
Laurence Olivier was then asked to direct, but HR reported in
October 1958 that he had “relinquished” the directing assignment, as he felt
the dual role of actor-director would prove too demanding. Anthony
Mann took over as director, but was fired by Douglas after two weeks of
shooting. Douglas stated in his autobiography that he considered Mann
“too docile,” especially for the powerful actors dominating the cast.
The scenes that Mann shot, consisting mainly of the opening sequence
depicting slaves working in the mines, remain in the final film. Douglas
then hired Stanley Kubrick, who began shooting on February 16, 1959.
Modern sources refer to numerous disputes
between Kubrick and various cast and crew members, most notably Douglas and
writer Dalton Trumbo. At the time that Douglas hired Trumbo to adapt
Fast’s novel, Trumbo, a member of the Hollywood Ten, was still blacklisted
because of his refusal to testify before the House Committee on Un-American
Activities. Douglas related the following in his autobiography:
Trumbo was forced to work in secret, often using either producer Edward
Lewis as a front, or the pen name of “Sam Jackson.” When the final
writing credit needed to be decided, Kubrick suggested using his own name,
which so offended Douglas that he insisted Trumbo receive onscreen credit in
his own name. Despite the ensuing opposition from the American Legion
and such personalities as
Hedda Hopper and
John Wayne, this credit constituted, as an April 26, 1991 NYT
article described it, “a giant step toward ending the Hollywood blacklist.”
(Some modern sources dispute this status, pointing out that Trumbo also
received credit for the United Artists film
Exodus ,
which was not released until December 1960 but may have set its credit list
earlier.)
Sabina Bethmann was originally hired to play “Varinia,”
but on February 20, 1959 the “Rambling Reporter” column in HR noted
that she had been paid $3,000 to leave the production. According to
studio press materials, technical director Vittorio Nino Novarese was a
professor of history, costume and décor at the Italian State School for
Cinematographical Studies. Modern sources state that Richard
Farnsworth, who played a gladiator in the film, also served as Douglas'
stand-in.
Many injuries occurred during the long
production. According to a May 22, 1959 HR news item,
Tony Curtis split his Achilles' tendon while playing tennis with Douglas
and was placed in a cast from heel to knee. His scenes were then
delayed until his leg healed. The following month, as reported in
HR, Douglas contracted the flu, causing production to halt for five
days. In addition, longtime Universal art director Eric Orbom died of
a heart attack during production, in May 1959.
After principal photography was completed in Los
Angeles in early August 1959, Kubrick and photographer Clifford Stine
traveled to Spain to shoot battle scenes. According to an October 1959
HR news item, 8,800 Spanish army troops were photographed for the
sequence. HR reported on October 15, 1959 that the crowd noises
used in the sequence were to be recorded at the upcoming football game
between Notre Dame and Michigan State. According to a March 22, 1959
article in NYT, “upwards of 50,000 extras took part” in the battle
sequences, which were supplemented by dummies and painted backdrops.
In addition to scenes shot on location in Spain and Los Angeles, news items
and reviews add that some scenes were shot in St. George, Utah, Arizona,
Italy and in California at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Death Valley and
Chatsworth.
Spartacus was shot in Super
Technirama-70, a widescreen process based on VistaVision. Technirama used
35mm film spooled through the camera horizontally, allowing for a frame
twice the size of the normal 35mm negative. HR reported on July
24, 1959 that Kubrick spent $40,000 on the over-ten-acre gladiator camp set.
On the side of the set that bordered the freeway, a 125-foot asbestos
curtain was erected in order to film the burning of the camp, which was
organized with collaboration from the Los Angeles Fire and Police
Departments. Studio press materials state that 5,000 uniforms and
seven tons of armor were borrowed from Italian museums, and that “every one
of Hollywood’s 187 stunt men was trained in the gladiatorial rituals of
combat to the death.” Modern sources note that production utilized
approximately 10,500 people. In July 1959, HR announced that
the budget had “spiraled” from $5,000,000 to $9,000,000 and, according to
studio press materials, the final budget was $12,000,000. Some sources
stated that the massive production was the most expensive in film history to
that point; however, the budget for the 1959 M-G-M epic
Ben-Hur
exceeded $15,000,000. The April 1991 NYT article points out
that this amount equaled more than Universal was worth at the time of the
film’s production, when the studio was purchased by MCA for $11,250,000.
Although sources conflict about running times,
contemporary reviews following press screenings state a range from 190 to
195 minutes. An April 1991 Connoisseur article states that the
National Catholic Legion of Decency demanded that five minutes of
objectionable material be cut from the film, including graphic battle scenes
and what is commonly referred to by modern sources as the “snails and
oysters” scene. In the scene, during which the bisexual “Crassus,” is
in his bath, he obliquely questions “Antoninus” about his sexual orientation
through a metaphorical discussion of his own preference for snails sometimes
and oysters at other times.
Universal’s advertising campaign, which began in
December 1959, declared that “1960 is the year of Spartacus.”
The film's world premiere was held on September 22, 1960 at the DeMille
Theatre in New York. The contract between the theater and Universal
included a $1,000,000 film rental minimum, the highest ever for a motion
picture. According to an April 7, 1960 HR article, the theater
installed a new screen and projectors for the premiere. The picture
was shown with a fifteen-minute intermission. To coincide with the
film’s release, Bantam published a paperback version of Spartacus
containing a sixteen-page illustrated booklet of material from the film,
including drawings, credits and a summary.
Modern sources add the following names to the
crew credits: Acting coach Jeff Corey; Hair stylist Jay
Sebring; Storyboard artists Claude Gillingwater and Johnny Peacock;
Sound Jack Foley; Stunt coord Johnny Daheim; Stunt double
for
Kirk Douglas Loren Janes; and Stuntman Sol Goras. The
HR reviewer called Spartacus “magnificent,” “monumental” and
“a splendid achievement.” The picture received the 1960 Golden Globe
for Best Picture and Academy Awards for Supporting Actor (Peter
Ustinov), Art Direction, Cinematography and Costume Design. Spartacus
was ranked 81st on AFI's 2007 100 Years…100 Movies - 10th Anniversary
Edition list of the greatest American films, ranked 62nd on the AFI 100
Years...100 Thrills list, and the character of Spartacus was ranked 22
in the AFI 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list.
In 1990, Universal launched a restoration of
Spartacus, done by Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz. The new
version included previously excised material, including the “snails and
oysters” scene. Because Olivier had died by the time of the
restoration, Harris hired Anthony Hopkins to dub Crassus’ dialogue.
The restored version, in 70mm and six-track Dolby sound, had its premiere on
April 21, 1991 in New York at a benefit for the American Film Institute.
On April 24, 2001, the Criterion Collection released a special-edition
Spartacus DVD that included commentary by Douglas, Lewis, Fast, Ustinov
and Harris.
Other film versions of the Spartacus story
include a 1909 Italian film entitled Spartacus, as well as 1963's
The Slave and the 1965 picture Revenge of the Gladiators, both of
which were Italian productions. In 2004, the USA Network broadcast a
television miniseries of Spartacus , directed by Robert Dornhelm and
starring Goran Visnjic. Many reviewers of the Oscar-winning 2001 film
Gladiator noted the similarities between it and Spartacus.
Gladiator was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Russell Crowe. |
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