If you think you’ve seen Spartacus, it’s time to watch it again. The last time I saw it was
on television during the ‘70s. It had been heavily edited to fit a two-hour
time slot. When films were being selected in the ‘90s for restoration, it was
discovered that not one complete print of Spartacus existed. Thankfully, many
of those involved in the original production were still alive and participated
in its restoration. One scene is still missing and is lost to the ages except
for the sound recording. Watching the restored Spartacus was a treat. I relished all of the scenes I’d not
witnessed before. Characters took on a new depth. The slave revolt on which Spartacus is based occurred over two
thousand years ago, so a fair amount of creative license was used in the
production of this movie. Still, all of the main players in this film were
highly talented actors, each doing their best. Rather than outshining each
other, they brought a living glow to the film. Peter Ustinov’s supporting
actor Oscar win for his role as an obeisant slave merchant was highly deserved.
His willingness to bend to money was not the only delicious portrayal of Roman
society. Laurence Olivier and Charles Laughton’s adversarial roles in the Roman
senate gave a fair representation of Rome as well. And
I encourage you to see the three-hour restored version of Spartacus for the excellent screenwriting by Dalton Trumbo. Whether
it was a commentary on his Hollywood blacklisting or something deeper, you can
decide.
Received four Academy Awards.
