Kirk Douglas' great statement as a producer, Spartacus tells the story of an obscure slave in ancient Rome who leads a revolt of slaves against their masters. In the title role, Douglas evokes the grandeur of the human spirit facing down abject circumstances. Vast and profound, the film is graced by a magnificent cast, and by Dalton Trumbo's felicitous writing, soaring in its vision and delectable in its details.
DCP, color, 196 min. DIR: Stanley Kubrick. SCR: Dalton Trumbo. CAST: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton.