#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.

#100: Ben-Hur (1959)

*Oscar winner:
Best Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Picture, Best Sound   *Unequaled until 1997’s Titanic

I may have been my own worst enemy on this one. Yeah, I know you are supposed to go into a movie with no expectations, but I’m sorry, the fine print on the back of the DVD cover which said 212 minutes scared me a little bit. I had seen the chariot scene well over 25 times throughout my lifetime and was amazed every time, but I had to still get into a decent mindset for this movie.

Ben-Hur is a Biblical epic in which a Jewish prince of Jerusalem, Judea Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), has his whole life turned upside down when his old friend Messala, a high-ranking officer of Rome, throws Ben-Hur into slavery after he is wrongfully accused of trying to murder the Governor of Rome, and for good measure, locks his mother and sister in jail as well. Told alongside Jesus’ ministry on Earth, the film follows Ben-Hur’s incredible journey to find those closest to him and seek revenge on Messala.

It’s a great plot. You can’t help but think of other epic films like Braveheart and Gladiator, but the big thing for me was that it took 3 1/2 hours to tell this story when it could have just as easily been told in 2 1/2 hours or less. It’s hard to adjust to the theatrical acting in the film because it just makes the scenes seem that much longer. But it is amazing to watch just for the set design, and oh yeah, have I mentioned the chariot scene yet? This movie really was truly an amazing feat for something made in 1959. If it was made today, I can imagine all the sets just being computer effects, like 300. Ben-Hur is a movie that has its ups and downs, but like many roller-coaster rides, you are glad that you stepped out and took the ride.

I give Ben-Hur 3.5 out of 5 spiky wheels.