Spartacus (2004)

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

This is a new version about the true story of gladiator Spartacus (Goran Visnjic), formerly adapted by Kubrick in a famed masterpiece. At the beginning , the Thracian slave laboring in harsh rock, when he's purchased by obese Battiatus(Ian McNeice in the role of Peter Ustinov). Brought back to Capua in a gladiator's school, he knows corpulent gladiator named Draba(Henry Simmons in the role of Woody Strode) and Jewish slave named David(James Frain). He escapes and stirs up all gladiators and slaves in a revolt(73 B.C.) against the power of Rome . Meanwhile he falls in love with Varinia(Rhona Mitra, Jean Simmons's role). After various generals (Ben Cross) are vanquished , the rebellion is put down by Crassus(Angus McFadyen in the role of Laurence Olivier)who confronts with wily old senator Agrippa(Alan Bates, in a similar role to Charles Laughton as Gracchus)and Pompeius. Ultimately the rebels are defeated and crucified along Via Appia, in a sea of crosses silhouetted against a sunset. Spartacus actually died in battle and his body was not found.Spartacus history is imaginatively brought to life on impressive images with great production values and outstanding scenarios. Sword cross, drama, gladiators fights abound in this spellbinding adaptation on audacious Spartacus existence , one of the most rebels in the history. Magnificent climatic battle scenes , features by hundred real extras, adding computer generator soldiers. Although redundant to original movie , is a fitting description of Spartacus character, however is sometimes a shot for shot recreation but it doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence. It's all immensely epic, though predictable, as we have seen the former classic movie , but also its predictability is redeemed in part by the charismatic performances of excellent starring with flawless portrayals and all around with the best talent available. The film is dedicated to Howard Fast, novel's author, and Alan Bates, deceased during shooting.The film is well directed by Robert Dornhelm, a miniseries expert, about historic events and characters, such as Archduke Rudolf and Mary Vetsera, Anne Frank, War and Peace, Ten commandments and even Rudy Giuliani. The Spartacus life was previously adapted by Riccard Freda(1952) with Massimo Girotti and Ludmilla Tcherina, the prestigious version by Kubrick and following with 'The son of Spartacus'(1962) by Sergio Corbucci and with Steve Reeves. The movie will like to people enamored for historic deeds and epic feats.

With a mythic story like Spartacus, you can't expect too much accuracy and realism, especially with differing stories on the subject. Onen theory is that Spartacus was a Roman, who fought in the legions, but was arrested for treason after refusing to obey commands and defying his commander, and who abandoned his name and took the name Spartacus when he was enslaved. The whole "Thracian" thing developed because at the time there were two types of gladiatorial fighting styles---Gallic and Thracian, and he was Thracian.Another story goes that he really was a Thracian, who fought in the Roman legions (probably auxiliary) or earned his citizenship and fought in the legions, then the same thing happened and he became a slave and w/e. I don't care which to believe.In this TV version I was very impressed with the cinematography and costumes and such, but it suffers a lot from cliché's. For one, all the Romans are depicted as villainous, greedy scum who don't care about anything--not even other Romans, by the looks of it; all the slaves are depicted as noble upright men forced into their current position but are all such noble godly men and such.Another thing which really annoys me is that this Spartacus is a full-blown atheist, which I think should have gotten his stupid little head crushed in by the other slaves--or killed by the black slave when he was ordered to fight him for Marcus Licinius Crassus's viewing pleasure. Listening to his dumb atheistic sayings like "i don't believe in anything unless i can see and touch it" is really lame and cliché', and it doesn't do much for his intelligence, either. Even a true atheist wouldn't base his atheism on something that childish and ignorant.Then the Roman armor really looks... they've got no armor--no scale plates like some depictions, no hamata lorica chain mail like in historical depictions, but BROWN LEATHER! Even their helmets are brown leather. Really ridiculous. The battle scenes are also very "Gladiator"-esque, with the soldiers pretty much wandering off to pick their own individual fights, but for their sake, they weren't even in formation in that scene, so that's an excuse.Then there's the slave uprising at the gladiator school, in which for some effed up reason, the legionaries outside go into testudo formation (used for deflecting ARROWS, JAVELINS, SLINGS) and get butchered in seconds by what are essentially gladiators armed with knives, daggers, and some spears.The performances are quite average on everyone's part, except Ian McNiece who is spectacular, and Angus Macfeyden is stupendous. His acting as Marcus Licinius Crassus is awesome. And I especially love that crazed look of disillusionment he does on the wall in Southern Italy when he discovers Spartacus has sneaked over the walls while distracting the Romans by sending cows with torches strapped to them to make them look like an army in the night. The guy who plays Spartacus is really abysmal.All in all, probably fun to watch, but if you're really into history like me, you'll be shouting at the TV screen like a lunatic, saying "nuh uh!" and "omg" and "impossible!" and such! One of my biggest complaints was the Senators' irrational and illogical fear that Crassus would overthrow the Republic. If anything, Pompeius should be their biggest concern for that sort of thing, yet they consider him some sort of hero of the Republic (not true) rather than the Picentine upstart he is. And there's absolutely no mention of Lucius Cornelius Sulla at all, who was only just dictator of Rome just a few years before the events and had a tremendous impact on Roman politics at the time. Sort of curious that Ian McNiece is in it, and the year after he would appear in HBO's "Rome" as the newsreader. He should've gotten a bigger role in "Rome" though.

This movie presents the story of Spartacus a Thracian slave that leads gladiator slaves out of a slave camp at Capua. The battle scenes are great reenactments and they show the brutality of the ancient world.The actor that portrays Marcus Crassus plays the aristocratic stuck up general quite well and his rivalry with fellow senator Agrippa keep the plot moving throughout the entire movie. Not only does this movie show you how these ancient people fought, but it also shows the brutality that the Romans had against there opposing armies. This movie contains all the elements of a good war movie: fighting, rivalries, and romance. Overall this movie is one of my favorites and Goran Visnjic was the perfect guy for the job.

I have done quite a bit of research regarding Spartacus and the slave revolt he was part of in the century preceeding the birth of Jesus. This version of Spartacus - made in 2004 follows the academic history of Spartacus and the uprising to the letter. Some versions show Spartacus being crucified, which is not true. Spartacus died in his last battle with Marcus Crassus, which is how the 2004 version is shot. The 2004 version also shows the fact that Pompey, a popular Roman General called upon by the Roman Senate to help stop the slave revolt, took credit for defeating Spartacus when in fact it was Marcus Crassus who actually defeated Spartacus and his army. If there is one thing I would have liked added it would be some sort of trailer language that described the remaining years of Marcus Crassus as he was a main character in the movie but the movie sort of left him "hanging" in the end. In truth, Marcus Crassus never achieved the glory he desired for himself and eventually met a very horrible end when he battled the Persian Army years after the defeat of Spartacus. The Persian Army captured Marcus Crassus after defeating his army and to kill him, poured molten gold down his throat. He was then beheaded and his head sent to the King of Persia as a trophy. I think this was a fitting end for a man who was very vain, a glory seeker and who despised the idea of freedom for all men, except the rich Romans.