#81: Spartacus (1960)

Oscar Winner:

Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor (Peter Ustinov), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design

I hate the word epic, especially when it's tagged as the genre of a film. It makes me think that the film is going to be long in length, have a lot of scenic shots to just show you how grand the movie actually is, and be very predictable. Spartacus easily met all these qualifications. So, the question was if I would enjoy this movie? It did take me several sittings to get through the 3 hour and 15 minute run time, but in the end, the qualities that make an epic indeed an epic, made this film an entertaining watch.

Kirk Douglas plays the title character, a tough slave who is sold into the hands of a Gladiator trainer, Batiatus (brilliantly acted by Peter Ustinov). With the brute combination of mistreatment and falling in love with one of Batiatus' slave girls (Jean Simmons), Spartacus leads a rebellion that overthrows the camp. As Spartacus leads the slaves towards their homeland, he unknowingly becomes a chess piece in a political game between two Roman senators, the republican Gracchus (Charles Laughton) and the militarist Crassus (Laurence Oliver).

Does the plot sound familiar at all? Switch out a few settings and names, and this could've totally been Gladiator or Braveheart (Oddly enough, epic, yet one of my favorite films). As mentioned before, this film is tough to get through solely on its length. If it would've been trimmed down by 45 minutes, it would have been much more watchable and I honestly think it could've retained its impact. It's interesting to know that Stanley Kubrick directed this film because it feels very dated. It's historically known that this was the last film in which he didn't have full control over all elements of the film and it shows. As a viewer, you slowly see two styles start to clash. Spartacus has that traditional Hollywood stiffness to its acting and dialogue that was so prominent in an earlier film on this list, Ben-Hur. But you begin to see Kubrick interject his now famous artistic vision in the way he stages and composes some shots. There is a much more realistic nature to the violence that must have not been seen up to that point. Spartacus is very revolutionary in the way that you can see a new style of filmmaking starting to take over the movie system.

Even though Kirk Douglas comes off like Charlton Heston at times, he definitely can carry a film, but its the supporting roles that keep one invested into the plot. I was surprised by how much more interested I became in the political maneuvering than I did the battle scenes. Unfortunately, there aren't too many surprises to what happens. I don't know if it's because that so many things that occur in the movie are now cliches in the epic genre, but when you aren't kept on the edge of your seat with a film like this, it's hard to pay attention.

That said, the plot is challenging enough to keep you invested and it really does have some moments that are truly memorable. I can now say, "I am Spartacus!" and know the emotional impact it carries. I can see why this film eked its way onto this list, but unless you just eat the epic genre up, you may could find a better feast.

I give Spartacus 3.5 out of 5 fights to the death.

* If you ever have a chance, reading about all the chaos that happened to get this film made is probably more interesting than the film itself.

#82: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

Oscar Winner:

*Best Picture - Unique and Artistic Production, Best Cinematography, Best Actress (Jay Gaynor)

* The only time this category was awarded to a film

Ah yes... The first silent film on this list. Guess what? It's not even a comedy! It would almost take bribery to get most people to sit down and watch a silent film, but just like any type of history, one needs to discover something's past to truly gain an appreciation for it. It's been since college that I've really taken the time to sit down and watch a silent film, and although I don't recommend doing it at 10 p.m. (silent film = sleepiness), I'm so glad I did it with Sunrise.

Directed by the famous German director, F.W. Murnau (most famous for the vampire flick Nosferatu), Sunrise mixes Hitchcockian thrills and romance to tell a tale of rekindled love. Blended with the German expressionism style that Murnau made so famous (how about that film history knowledge being dropped on you!) and enhanced passion that audiences so love, Sunrise follows The Man (George O'Brien) and The Wife (Janet Gaynor) whose marriage is on the rocks. One night, The Man is tempted by The Woman From the City (Margaret Livingston) to kill his wife and leave his farm and children behind for a glorious big-city life with her. With obvious guilt-ridden feelings, The Man can't go through with the plan, but through this more-than-major set back, a stronger bond forms between the married couple.

This film is 83 years old and its amazing to see the apparent influence it has had on now current films. Two major components stood out to me. First off, I loved the cutting-edge editing and camera work of the film. Silent films always seem to be constrained in one setting, so it was refreshing to see an older movie get away from the genre’s static nature. Also, Murnau uses overlay effects to great dramatic effect that still seem innovative today. Even the very few title cards have an artistic breath to them. I couldn't help but think that Moulin Rouge was heavily influenced by this film by not just the editing, but the setting as well. Which brings me to the second component... The cinematography is beautiful. It's not a surprise that it won the Oscar for this category in the way that it captures its vast cityscapes that often had me admiring how they filmed their scenes.

Unfortunately, these technical achievements couldn't hold my attention very well when the second act of the film started. I absolutely loved the beginning and the end of this ironic fairy tale, but as the couples romance starts to bud once again, things start to slow down and it starts to feel like... well, a silent movie. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very engaging story, but the middle almost feels like a completely different film. But it's needed to have the very strong payoff at the end.

I would be remorse if I didn't mention the strong performances in the film. Silent film acting is a whole different type of performance and O'Brien and Gaynor bring so much conviction and realness to their roles. I would love to see how present actors would fair in a silent film like this. In a way, I think it would be an experiment that would really separate the really great actors from just the good ones.

If I hadn't started to get bored somewhat during the middle of this film, Sunrise would get a much higher rating for me. Despite that, I would definitely recommend it to just about anybody and if you forced to only watch one silent film to be an example for the genre, I wouldn't mind this one being it.

I give Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans 4 out of 5 drunken piglets.