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Spartacus

Spartacus

1960
Drama
Action
3h 17m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 62.25% from 4027 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(4027)
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Rated 08 Sep 2020
75
65th
All these big epic films from the time look the same, Kubrick couldn’t even escape it. I do love seeing cast of thousands stuff , just giant dick waving of look how much money we are spending. “Let’s rock and roll”
Rated 26 Apr 2007
71
60th
A little too long, but Spartacus does enough to seperate itself from others in it's genre to make it worthwhile. It's too bad that Kubrick didn't have full control over this project, I'm sure he would have made great improvements.
Rated 27 Apr 2008
86
86th
Snails or oysters? Apparently I'm gastronomically destined to be alone.
Rated 06 Dec 2008
4
55th
Despite the lack of control Kubrick had, I think its fair to say he was intimidated by the new format he started using here - there's hardly a handful of interesting cinematography in its entirety - and certainly nothing that would clue you in that you're watching something of Kubrick [outside of the battle scenes (Mel Gibson must have took a lot of notes here)]. Anyhow, this is probably the best that you can expect from the Grand Epics of Old Hollywood.
Rated 08 Jul 2008
8
78th
Very enjoyable and easy to sit through, but that's its biggest problem I guess (well, together with its running time), Kubrick's films shouldn't evoke that feeling, they usually make you feel uncomfortable, render you motionless and raise questions, which didn't happen here. Douglas is still a favorable leading man, and the film looks great (scenery wise), nice little epic...
Rated 28 Jun 2007
87
86th
Amazing production and amazing cinemetography, but if Kubrick had full control over this film, I am sure it would have been alot better than it is. Spartacus has alot of memorable scenes, and Kirk Douglas is absolutely fantastic. The shots of the landscapes and the battle sequences were great. But there is no reason for it to be that long. My least favorite Kubrick, and yet I can understand why it is considered to be one of his greatest. A very good film of the genre. Good Kubrick.
Rated 10 Oct 2019
55
29th
Kirk Douglas' ponytail is an abomination.
Rated 16 Mar 2007
75
62nd
My least favorite of Kubrick's films. While there were some breathtaking shots during the film I found it to be more like an almost run of the mill Hollywood epic. In addition the soundtrack really didn't sit well with me. Still well worth seeing as it's redeeming qualities far, far outweight my complaints and it certainly paved the way for epic films involving shades of grey, rather than black and white heros and villians.
Rated 09 Feb 2007
4
74th
The for-hire outlier among Kubrick's filmography, hardly a film befitting this director's reputation, lacking the visual schemes, the diligent pacing, the ironic humor, or the provocative ideas that make his work so distinct. Nevertheless it is an impressively scoped and detailed production. A fun action adventure epic, with a nearly unbelievable assembly of on-screen talent.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
61
18th
Spartacus gets very good about 150 minutes into it, starting with a fantastic battle scene, and from there things taking a big turn for the worse for our hero but more interesting for the viewer. That first 2.5 hours, though... mediocre Hollywood by-the-numbers epic. Felt like it was written by committee, hitting all the formulaic points. There were some good scenes, but they were few and far between; for the most part I was yawning and periodically checking the remaining time on the disc.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
5
44th
Competently made but way too long and gets really muddled in the middle. It sucks when you see all these amazing shots only to have the next scene obviously be on a sound stage somewhere. The most interesting parts of the film are the beginning when Spartacus is a slave but then it just turns into genero epic film. Very forgettable.
Rated 03 May 2020
85
87th
Wait, who was Spartacus? I spent the whole film thinking it was Kirk Douglas.
Rated 28 Nov 2009
100
95th
Douglas, whose political leanings are amply on display herein, also served as executive producer, surrounding himself with the best talent available. Magnificent climactic battle scene features 8,000 real, live Spanish soldiers to stunning effect.
Rated 09 May 2008
71
52nd
Entertaining, but fails to really go beyond simple entertainment at any point.
Rated 23 Mar 2014
60
27th
Spartacus gets both ends of the shaft from film nerds due to the fact it's the least "Kubrickian" Stanley Kubrick movie, and most everyone else shrugs it off because it's just not particularly great. Kubrick-like or not, Spartacus is still a pretty well done cheesy Hollywood melodrama adventure flick with some very entertaining action scenes, only really held back by its shallow script, how brutal its running time feels in the last third, and how out of place Kirk Douglas looks in the setting.
Rated 13 Oct 2009
90
96th
An interesting "missing link" between classic golden age hollywood epics and modern cinema. Douglas is great as the title character, but its definitely the supporting cast of Romans that drives the story and makes this movie interesting.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
91st
An excellent example of the sword-and-sandel epic.
Rated 28 Oct 2008
75
59th
A good way to know if your gay or not.
Rated 11 Jun 2022
85
90th
Some directors disown a movie because they have no control over the final result, Kubrick disowned this because he didn’t have total control. But despite disagreements between varying peeps during production, the film does not come across as a mess. Considering it was chiefly made as an “I’ll show them” from Kirk Douglas in response to him not getting the starring role in Ben-Hur, it’s pretty good. As far as epics go, the pacing is kind to the audience as well.
Rated 04 May 2012
91
94th
Kubrick is capable of better, but this film is still far superior to most in its class. Douglas turns out a good performance, and the story is told in an appropriate, sweeping, epic fashion. Beautifully shot with a tremendous score.
Rated 20 Aug 2018
70
56th
In which Kubrick proves he can make a blockbuster epic like the rest of them, complete with cheesy romance side plot and unnecessarily complicated political rivalries.
Rated 16 Aug 2011
65
42nd
"Spartacus" is the only bland film Kubrick ever allowed himself to make -and yet, he couldn't summon enough courage to make it a boring one. It's old-fashioned and entertaining -bloated and corny, but undeniably compelling. Kubrick only briefly gets to expose his directorial brilliance, but during some subversive scenes, one can feel his rebellious spirit struggling to kick in. Ustinov and Laughton ensure that the film is never boring when they are on screen -Douglas and Simmons, not so much.
Rated 21 Oct 2007
100
82nd
Wonderful movie-what a choice-kill your best friend and be crucified or let your best friend kill you so he can be crucified?
Rated 02 Oct 2007
87
77th
Pretty darn enjoyable. Fine performances. I'd say it's Kubrick's most fun, not best, after Strangelove.
Rated 21 Oct 2009
84
91st
Not historically accurate, but one of the better movies playing in ancient times.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
62nd
Not a big Kirk Douglas fan, but I appreciate this movie for what it is. A classic.
Rated 04 Oct 2021
45
10th
Kirk Douglas stumbles through this bad-written role of Spartacus. The main theme is a distraction from the topicality that slavery and racism are still going strong in 1960; 'Crassus' tells us literally that slavery is something ancient that will remain for thousands of years. The second theme is that being a rock-shoving slave for life doesn't stand in the way of being an educated, well-read, talented, lovable leader - this movie is in it's core a blatant, pukening commercial for libertarism.
Rated 05 Nov 2012
88
60th
88.000
Rated 13 Mar 2011
84
63rd
Old school mojstrovina :)
Rated 10 Mar 2020
80
76th
80.2
Rated 06 Jan 2014
96
89th
Featuring terrific performances and epic action, Kubrick's restored swords-and-sandals epic is a true classic.
Rated 21 Nov 2021
95
82nd
The film is full of fantastic character actors who — it's obvious — are having a whale of a time with a great script and acting their socks off. As a result, this epic engrosses your mind as well as your eyes and your emotions. It's pretty wonderful, actually.
Rated 11 Sep 2011
62
66th
Doesn't feel like a Kubrick film. The buildup to Spartacus' first fight is intense, but beyond that it's stale and very much of the era of swords and sandals. Gibson probably stole the speeches for Braveheart.
Rated 10 Sep 2007
87
87th
The entire cast here is wonderful and while the story is a little cliched it works well. The movie is visually stunning and, some occasional moments aside, tells its story in a very natural and engrossing way. The most impressive part for me was that, unlike other epics of the time like Ben-Hur, it never feels laughable or dated.
Rated 24 Aug 2016
78
65th
Finally, That Thing You Do! makes sense.
Rated 29 Feb 2008
95
80th
Absolutley spectacular historical epic.
Rated 04 Jan 2009
70
52nd
Pretty naive.
Rated 30 Nov 2011
70
72nd
Pretty entertaining, but don't expect it to be a "Kubrick film," if you know what I mean.
Rated 18 Apr 2011
50
4th
There are a few scattered good moments and it finally gets going towards the end, but in a movie that's over 190 minutes, that's really not a good thing at all. I AM SPARTACUS!!
Rated 21 Sep 2010
74
90th
It's dated and overlong but it's still an excellent epic for the times, love that downer ending.
Rated 01 Mar 2008
80
68th
# 410
Rated 13 Feb 2009
86
89th
The film is quite long, but Kirk Douglas provides a great performance. Visually stunning.
Rated 21 Jul 2009
3
74th
The writing can be formulaic at times, but the direction and performances are quite good.
Rated 02 Dec 2010
78
63rd
If you can find a copy with the cut scenes in it the film deserves at least an 85 from me. Cut? A lot is missing.
Rated 27 Feb 2010
85
57th
It's disjointed and at times seeps with Hollywood, but you can see Kubrick's genius poking out here and there, Kirk Douglas' performance is excellent and the film is a joy to look at like most epics of the time, but it hasn't aged all that well either. That being said, it's hard to give it a lower rating simply because it's ridiculously entertaining and engaging from beginning to end. I still get weirded out by some of the more out-of-place gore effects, but it's a fun movie none-the-less.
Rated 01 Jul 2014
60
28th
A strange film in Kubrick's oeuvre. It just feels so...undistinctive. Like it is another sword and sandals film straight out of the Hollywood production line. Spartacus is just plain pedestrian. It feels a bit bloated, a bit overblown, and at times is really rather hammy. Still it's an enjoyable romp, with some great fights (Douglas' debut gladiatorial fight was truly fantastic) and some nice humour, but I don't imagine I'll be watching it again.
Rated 03 Mar 2015
78
75th
Good movie but not Kubrick's movie.
Rated 04 Nov 2010
80
68th
Sadly, its just a generic Hollywood epic. Its entertaining, full of morality, good shoots, in short, everything you get when you watch Hollywood epics you also get here. Kirk Douglas plays a pretty good Spartacus (even though his performance in Paths of Glory is alot better), Kubrick did good, even though his creative control was on a short leash.
Rated 24 Aug 2019
45
23rd
Run of the mill Hollywood epic cheese - nothing spectacular. Kirk doesn't fit the role at all, looks 50 here and is laughable as a gladiator with his scrawny old men legs.
Rated 20 Oct 2008
90
90th
One of the best historical epics!
Rated 12 Aug 2011
60
39th
Meh, no way! This can't be called a masterpiece. Every Kubrick movie isn't a masterpiece. And this is the proof of it. I mean, as far as I'm concerned Ben Hur is quite better by all means.
Rated 01 May 2012
77
62nd
this one has got a tremendous amount of greatness in it, fantastic story, great direction, good acting, and awesome fights. the sole reason i did not score it higher is that it's three hours long, had there been about an hour trimmed off of this thing it would have been amazing.
Rated 24 May 2021
45
16th
Kubrick must have been threatened to film this.
Rated 09 Nov 2009
95
96th
Epic
Rated 08 Jun 2019
90
39th
Pretty good, but you can barely tell Kubrick had any hand in it.
Rated 10 Aug 2012
50
31st
Netflix
Rated 22 Dec 2009
96
96th
A rare epic that is intelligent, focused and inspiring.
Rated 18 Oct 2007
55
39th
A little long and boring in places. But epics can be fun if you're in the right mood.
Rated 09 Mar 2011
73
66th
"No, I am Spartacus!"
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
82nd
Epic.
Rated 23 Jun 2016
81
81st
Un kolossal dei più classici e apprezzati, essendo in parte di Kubrick si pone ovviamente sopra la media del genere. Da vedere
Rated 12 Jan 2008
80
60th
Maybe the last of the true epics. A real story translated into a decent plot with good acting (in the main) and an exciting mix of action, adventure, love and loss.
Rated 17 Apr 2009
15
10th
I took basic Latin in middle school and fell asleep during most of this. What I was awake for made me wish I was sleeping.
Rated 25 Oct 2018
60
26th
Spartacus: "When a free man dies, he loses the pleasure of life. A slave loses his pain. Death is the only freedom a slave knows. That's why he's not afraid of it."
Rated 19 Sep 2010
73
54th
Quite an iconoclastic film with plenty of scenes in which the imagery comes out swinging. Some interesting political wrangling and plotting breaks the monotony of life on the road with 70,000 slaves. Ustinov did have an entertaining role, with a well written personality and he made the most of it, netting himself an Oscar in the process. Occasionally odd dialogue, somewhat dated, fine use of the films score however. I always enjoy an overture in cinema.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
96th
Quite the spectacle - and very watchable.
Rated 19 Dec 2008
84
68th
326
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
77th
Probably about as good as this kind of thing can get. Score based on distant memory.
Rated 14 Aug 2011
92
96th
Spartacus is epic, with a budget of 12m, which at the time was huge. Huge battles, small fights, and Roman politics. Even though Kubrick "disowned" it, it's still one of his better films. Sitting at a 3 hour run time, I wasn't bored once. Even if you're not a fan of this genre, the politics alone should be interesting enough to warrant a watch.
Rated 01 May 2009
70
14th
Oh Charleston, you made my high school humanities class extra gay!
Rated 10 Dec 2014
36
11th
Credit where credit is due - the first hour of the flick is certainly Kubrickian - look at that camera action during the slaves breaking out of the mess hall! But with that thrilling first hour gone, we are left with a lot of filler, a few rightfully iconic scenes, and a movie which just screams bog-standard, identikit Hollywood epic. Though I appreciate the political tones, around 75% of this is a total snoozer.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
39th
The movie that made Kirk Douglas famous (I think). Filmed the same year I was born, great Saturday entertainment for a pre-teen. Kirk over-acts, but is great.
Rated 20 May 2007
66
55th
They really had an amazing epic the first half hour, but then they tried to make it a movie for everyone, and it suffered horribly. It's much too long, and there are far too many unnecessary scenes. It's certainly an excellent blueprint for later movies like Gladiator, isn't it?
Rated 28 Jun 2014
62
55th
Better writing than is the norm for turgid, historical epics. Peter Ustinov and Charles Laughton take full advantage and, in tandem, steal the picture quite handily from everyone else involved. ("The more chains you put on her, the less like a slave she looks.") AWFUL score. What is about the Spartacus legend that inspires such terrible music? First the god-awful Khachaturian ballet, then this.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
75th
Spectacular epic, never bores. Kubrick at his best, with some fine performances by Douglas, Olivier and Ustinov. The film Ben Hur wishes it could be.
Rated 28 Nov 2011
75
64th
That score will be in my head for weeks.
Rated 25 Jan 2010
80
62nd
It doesn't much feel like a Kubrick film, and the stories of creative differences on the set seem to support that contention. Spartacus is a good movie and the scope is epic, but it's too long and the characterizations lack subtlety.
Rated 26 Oct 2012
91
56th
91.000
Rated 02 Feb 2021
2
31st
Hollywood involvement can ruin everything. Even Kubrick.
Rated 21 May 2012
73
71st
Nothing I can really say other than "epic"
Rated 26 Feb 2007
71
69th
An enjoyable, grand epic, words rarely put together in the same phrase.
Rated 14 Mar 2019
95
94th
95.00
Rated 01 Oct 2018
87
91st
87.33
Rated 16 Mar 2007
68
54th
I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS I AM SPARTACUS
Rated 11 Oct 2008
82
76th
Maybe not the best done by Kubrick, but I adored it when I was young, in the middle of my Sword & Sandal phase concerning movies and didn't know anything about the director or his importance in movie history. It's a great Sword & Sandal movie and it does not need to be anything else. And besides, there are really great actors together in one movie: Olivier, Ustinov, Curtis and Douglas.
Rated 15 Aug 2010
7
84th
Not the Stan-man's best, but what it has going for it is its truly epic scope, sweeping cinematography, cast of thousands, and overall grandeur. It's a shame i couldn't have seen it on the big screen. Held back a little by some obvious sets and the bombastic score and love story occasionally dipping into cheesiness.
Rated 10 Apr 2009
81
96th
ger; (das original)
Rated 22 Sep 2010
50
22nd
too slow
Rated 14 May 2009
79
61st
Did not need that love story.
Rated 13 Jun 2013
72
75th
More a sword and sandal large-scale classic than actually a Kubrick film, this is a Hollywood epic with a flawless hero vs a mean world of injustice. The political background looks pale -- I simply couldn't buy Laughton and Olivier's rivalry --, but there is always a good scene between a pair of forgettable ones -- soldiers of the slave army saying "I'm Spartacus!" and then the man himself dropping a tear, a dude's arm being cut off, and finally the holy gladiator being crucified like Jesus.
Rated 29 Jul 2014
92
99th
It's amazing to think that Spartacus was made before cgi. The movie is epic in scale and scenery with battles that make the big screen come alive. This is one of my favorite films.
Rated 26 Jun 2009
95
94th
Great Epic old film!
Rated 11 Jul 2013
77
76th
köle, kölelik, roma, gladyatör, gladyatör okulu, köle isyani, ask (Trakyalı bir köle olan Spartacus önderliginde ayaklanan kölelerin Romalilara karsi verdigi mücadeleyi konu ediniyor)
Rated 30 Mar 2015
85
89th
30.03.2015, Yurt
Rated 10 Sep 2008
78
67th
Stop judging this film over Kubrick's creative control, like it's some sort of litmus test, and just watch it. This IS more Trumbo and Douglas than Stanley, but it's a damn good costume epic in its own right, supported by a depressing ending with a glimmer of hope just barely hidden from view.
Rated 11 Mar 2018
87
72nd
Long but well paced, Spartacus is large in scope but still manages to deliver a very personal story. Kirk Douglas and Jean Simmons deliver very natural performances and feel like real people despite the larger-than-life story.
Rated 03 Apr 2016
70
87th
Very corny at times, especially the entire romance arc. Nonetheless it's a rather compelling yet straightforward sword and sandal epic.
Rated 09 Jul 2017
60
35th
It's a good film, and certainly its epic scope makes it a candidate for "one of the greatest" lists, but there's something sterile about it. Most of the other actors -- Ustinov, Laughton, Olivier -- seem to out-perform Douglas consistently. (I watched this about a decade ago, and other than the "I am Spartacus" scene, remembered no other parts.)
Rated 25 Mar 2013
80
86th
Kubrick directs a melodramatic historical epic, and it's tight. And so is that score.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
64th
I enjoyed this a lot. The best of the late 50's early 60's epics.

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