Spartacus [DVD]

Spartacus is a rousing testament to the spirit and dignity of man, dealing with a revolt by slaves against the pagan Roman Empire, based on the novel by Howard Fast. As a spectacle, the clash between the slave army led by Kirk Douglas and the Romans commanded by Laurence Olivier, is nothing short of amazing. Douglas is the mainstay of the picture. He is not particularly expressive, in contrast to the sophisticated Olivier, the conniving parasite gladiator ring operator portrayed by Peter Ustinov or the supple and subtle slave maiden played by Jean Simmons. However, Douglas succeeds admirably in giving an impression of a man who is afire within. Some 8,000 Spanish soldiers became Roman legionnaires for the massive battle sequences filmed outside Madrid, but the rest of the picture was made in Hollywood.