"Spartacus" (1960) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #81

Synopsis (according to imdb.com)
The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman empire.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
Spartacus is a combination of Ben-Hur, Gladiator, and Braveheart, only not as good as any of them.  I didn't mind this film, but I just wasn't overly impressed with it.  For instance, I was surprised as to the lack of character development.  On that same note, a lot of the relationships were never explained or developed enough.  You'd think this stuff would happen during a 3+ hour movie.  Oh well.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
While this is certainly an epic movie, I don't really think it belongs in the Top 100.  It's big and historic, but "Ben-Hur" was done better and includes the incredible chariot race scene.  "Spartacus" didn't really have any scene that stood out as phenomenal like that. However, it was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, winning 4 of them (Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, and Best Supporting Actor).

Complaints:
Kirk Douglas.  I was not impressed with his acting at all.  For the most part, he just held a straight face without conveying much (or any) emotion.  Better lead acting could have dramatically improved my opinion of this film.

LET ME SUM UP...
Epic film with underwhelming development and lead acting.

MY RATING: 4/10

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