Spartacus (Special Edition) [DVD]

SPARTACUS [1960] [50th Anniversary Edition] [Special Deluxe Limited Edition DigiBook] [Blu-ray] The Thrilling Adventure That Electrified the World! Winner of 4 Academy Awards!This presentation of the powerful film classic features an additional five minutes of footage cut from the film's original release, plus the original overture and extended soundtrack.Director Stanley Kubrick tells the tale of Spartacus [Kirk Douglas], the bold gladiator slave, and Varinia [Jean Simmons], the woman who believed in his cause. Challenged by the power-hungry General Crassus [Sir Laurence Olivier], Spartacus is forced to face his convictions and the power of the Roman Empire at its glorious height. The inspirational true account of man's eternal struggle for freedom, Spartacus combines history with spectacle to create a moving drama of love and commitment. Narrated by Vic Perrin (uncredited).FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: Academy Awards® Win: Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Peter Ustinov. Win: Best Art Direction Set Decoration for Colour for Alexander Golitzen, Eric Orbom, Julia Heron and Russell A. Gausman. Win: Best Cinematography for Colour for Russell Metty. Win: Best Costume Design for Colour for Arlington Valles and Bill Thomas. Nomination: Best Film Editing for Robert Lawrence. Nomination: Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture for Alex North.Cast: Kirk Douglas, Sir Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, John Gavin, Nina Foch, John Ireland, Herbert Lom, John Dall, Charles McGraw, Joanna Barnes, Harold J. Stone, Woody Strode, Peter Brocco, Paul Lambert, Robert J. Wilke, Nicholas Dennis, John Hoyt, Frederick Worlock, Tony Curtis, Arthur Batanides (uncredited), Paul Baxley (uncredited), Norman Bishop (uncredited), Don Bramblett (uncredited), Courtney Brown (uncredited), Rudy Bukich (uncredited), Bob Burns (uncredited), Al Carmichael (uncredited), John Daheim (uncredited), Carol Daniels (uncredited), Tony Dante (uncredited), Doris Darling (uncredited), Ted de Corsia (uncredited), Terence de Marney (uncredited), Frank Donahue (uncredited), Mary Donovan (uncredited), Johnny Duncan (uncredited), Louie Elias (uncredited), Maurice Elias (uncredited), Logan Field (uncredited), Duke Fishman (uncredited), Seamon Glass (uncredited), Joe Gold (uncredited), Sol Gorss (uncredited), Brad Harris (uncredited), Wayne Heffley (uncredited), Charles Horvath (uncredited), Loren Janes (uncredited), Duke Johnson (uncredited), Harry C. Johnson (uncredited), Kenner G. Kemp (uncredited), George Kennedy (uncredited), Hubie Kerns (uncredited), Aron Kincaid (uncredited), Paul Kruger (uncredited), Stubby Kruger (uncredited), Dayton Lummis (uncredited), Otto Malde (uncredited), Gordon Mitchell (uncredited), Regis Parton (uncredited), Victor Paul (uncredited), Leonard Penn (uncredited), Gil Perkins (uncredited), Jack Perkins (uncredited), Larry Perron (uncredited), Preston Peterson (uncredited), Eugene Poole (uncredited), Bill Raisch (uncredited), George Robotham (uncredited), Ronnie Rondell Jr. (uncredited), Wally Rose (uncredited), Autumn Russell (uncredited), Aaron Saxon (uncredited), Jim Sears (uncredited), Scott Seaton (uncredited), Alex Sharp (uncredited), Tom Steele (uncredited), John Stephenson (uncredited), Robert Stevenson (uncredited), Kay Stewart (uncredited), Jerry Summers (uncredited), Jo Summers (uncredited), Glen Thompson (uncredited), Larry Thor (uncredited), Don Turner (uncredited), Dale Van Sickel (uncredited), Louise Vincent (uncredited), Peter Virgo (uncredited), Will J. White (uncredited), Charles Wilcox (uncredited), Billy Williams (uncredited), Lynda Lee Williams (uncredited), Carleton Young (uncredited) and Fred Zendar (uncredited)Director: Stanley KubrickProducers: Edward Lewis Edward Muhl (uncredited) and Kirk DouglasScreenplay: Dalton Trumbo (screenplay), Calder Willingham (battle scenes) (uncredited), Peter Ustinov (uncredited) and Howard Fast (based on the novel)Composer: Alex NorthCinematography: Russell MettyVideo Resolution: 1080p [Technicolor]Aspect Ratio: 2.22:1 [Super Technirama 70]Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French: 5.1 DTS-HD, Italian: 5.1 DTS-HD, German: 5.1 DTS-HD and Japanese: 5.1 DTS-HDSubtitles: English, English SDH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Cantonese Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish and Mandarin ChineseRunning Time: 197 minutesRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 1Studio: Universal InternationalAndrew's Blu-ray Review: When is a Stanley Kubrick film not a Stanley Kubrick film? The answer: when legendary auteur was a hired gun for the one and only time in his career. Kirk Douglas installed Stanley Kubrick as director of the Roman epic `Spartacus' after sacking original choice Anthony Mann. Kirk Douglas and Stanley Kubrick had previously worked together on a much more recognisably Stanley Kubrick film, the 1957 World War One drama `Paths of Glory,' but on `Spartacus' things were totally different.A big-budget, high-risk project produced by Kirk Douglas himself, reportedly after the actor failed to win the title role in 1959's wildly successful ‘BEN-HUR' and ‘SPARTACUS' needed to be big at the box office and Kirk Douglas, perhaps understandably, wanted to harness Stanley Kubrick's talent in a very direct and unflashy way. It's the director's most mainstream work and a picture he all but disowned entirely and which convinced him to from that point only make films on which he could exercise full creative control.It sounds like a bit of a mess after saying all that, but ‘SPARTACUS' is for me the best film of its kind ever produced and for a great many reasons. Firstly, it is the only major Hollywood film of its kind which isn't a dreary Christian parable. ‘SPARTACUS' is a much more down to earth human story, focussing on a slave revolt as an underclass seek to defeat their rulers and escape the Roman Empire. Written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo, the parallels between the story of Spartacus and the ideology of communism are hard to miss, as the wealthy, privileged Roman ruling elite face the wrath of those whose labour has kept them so well-fed.The final famous defeat of the slaves at the hands of the Roman army also echoes Trumbo's own story and his defiance. Through the "I am Spartacus" sequence we see the solidarity of those who refuse to "name names" a sub-text Trumbo has since confirmed in interviews, whilst the fate of Spartacus himself is also interesting in this context: though the Romans defeat him, they cannot defeat his idea. We are told at the film's opening that Spartacus dreamed of the abolition of slavery 2000 years before it became a reality and it is from this fact that Dalton Trumbo asks us to take heart. Sir Laurence Olivier, as Roman patrician Crassus, states as the film nears its climax that his aim is not just to kill Spartacus, but to "kill the legend of Spartacus." But unfortunately for him, you can't kill an idea.With this political tract, Spartacus is about something more contemporary and more important than the Roman Empire or outdated superstition. It is a hopeful and humanistic film which lacks the soft-focus romanticism of its cinematic rivals. It is also spectacularly witty, such as when Peter Ustinov's cowardly schemer Lentulus Batiatus tells Crassus that he doesn't want to stay with the army during battle, saying: "I'm a civilian... I'm even more of a civilian than most civilians."Having such a terrific cast is another huge reason why ‘SPARTACUS' is so good. Peter Ustinov won an OSCAR® for his part and deservedly so, whilst Sir Lawrence Olivier and Kirk Douglas are also ably joined by actors of the calibre and presence of Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons and the late great Tony Curtis. The scenes of simmering sexual tension between Tony Curtis and Sir Lawrence Olivier are among the best in the film and add to the sense that something more complex and mature is going on here than in previous film genre.Perhaps these details are the most tangible signs of Stanley Kubrick's influence on the project are felt in the unprecedented authenticity and scale of the battle scenes, filmed in on location in Madrid using Spanish infantry soldiers at his urging and something he wanted to repeat ten years later, hoping to use real Romanian cavalry to make his doomed Napoleon film. The action scenes in ‘SPARTACUS' are much more bloody and visceral than any others seen in Roman epics of the era as well and hold up well today.The least Stanley Kubrick element is Spartacus himself. In no other Stanley Kubrick film, other than perhaps Douglas' Col. Dax in ‘Paths of Glory' is the hero so without fault. If let loose on the film I suspect Stanley Kubrick would have made a point of having the slave leader destroyed by his obsession with freedom, whilst he might also have questioned Spartacus' willingness to offer his comrades lives for an ideal. Stanley Kubrick was many things but never an ideologue. But the screenplay of Dalton Trumbo is the opposite of Stanley Kubrick: it has a point of view, an ideology, an ethos which makes it compelling and affecting. Stanley Kubrick made many great films and it is a pity that he never considered ‘SPARTACUS’ to be one of them.Blu-ray Video Quality – The video quality on this release is a full 1080p image in the 2.20:1 aspect ratio. As IMDb states under technical aspects for the aspect ratio for this, it was filmed using a cinematography process known as "Super Technirama 70" which was really just a marketing name for them using a 35mm source to optically enlarge it to 70mm for larger theatrical displays and such. This process did not really result in any increased amount of detail or anything such as processes like Todd-AO, Cinerama or nowadays IMAX and such. Because this film print is over 50 years in age it's really something with a large problem of the presentation's continuity in terms of the amount of detail, the amount of obvious DNR [Digital Noise Reduction] used which leads to a real mixed amount of film grain in the presentation. Also, there is a large, large amount of film dirt, hairs, scratches, blue lines, dots, you name left in there that the DNR didn't smear out. Here's a good example of this. FIRST take a look at this iconic screenshot HERE, next only a few frames and seconds maybe tops, later in this screenshot HERE you'll see what I'm talking about on the far right side in the middle. This is not something that happens occasionally, it happens throughout the transfer. They just did not clean this up much at all. On a few positive notes, the colours are bright and vibrant as we get bright yellows and whites of the sand and dirt while the night sequences feature darker blacks that seemed a bit washed out and take chapter four where the blacks on the wall seemed to be almost bleeding down the wall instead of being placed there. The level of detail in colour is nearly perfect here though even if it is a tad bit subdued. Take chapter eight, a beautiful outdoor sequence that fully showcases the lush greens, vibrant blues in the sky. For again, for probably about the fifth time I've said it, this a 50 year old film it looks like an improvement over the inferior NTSC DVD release, but not clearly, and I do mean that with a pun intended as it just seems really softer than soft, smeared. The lack of effort on this transfer that made it in nowadays considerable as a restoration is sad and I'm sorry to have to say this to fans of this CLASSIC film. Universal, you seriously need to get your act together as I said, you own the rights to a lot more classics than any other studio in Hollywood and it's not going to please fans you giving their favourite films this type of transfer. The whole idea of using DNR [Digital Noise Reduction] as a lazy tool to try to hide the lack of you cleaning up the actual print is just sad. Despite this I still feel it earns a “5 Star Rating” for overall video quality on this, the 50th anniversary and Hi-Definition Blu-ray debut of this Stanley Kubrick directed classic film.Blu-ray Audio Quality – The audio quality on this release is presented in a stunning 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, finally given a true audio track, `Spartacus' sounds great, especially in the filmic principal battle sequence in chapter 14. Dialogue is kept in check never becoming overly muddled, except in the battle sequences where some of the few words muttered can be hard to hear over the yelling and screaming of the soldiers fighting. Speaking of the battle sequence, this is really where the soundtrack comes alive. Even though the film is rather heavy in the dialogue field, the battle sequence gives the front speakers a nice workout, as the clanging and banging of the soldiers swords sound great. I was also pretty surprised with the level of the bass in this sequence as well. The bass gave us a nice atmospheric experience to the battle creating a nice piece. The sub didn't boom and shake, but added a good amount of background helping to complete the sense of the battle at hand. I also enjoyed the use of the original music by Alex North as the score, while never that loud and boasting, is the perfect volume to capture all the emotions of the themes in the film and very bright in its nature. Again, while not screaming a demo-material, ‘SPARTACUS' sounded great giving the audience a real sense of the brutality of battle. All in all this still earns again a 5 Star Rating for overall audio quality, not bad for a film 50 years in age film, but then again nothing that is going to amaze you either in all honesty. Speaking of the dialogue, there are some points around halfway through the film when the scene will change angle back and forth and so will the dialogue trying to do some cheesy 5.1 soundscape effect that in turn just leaves you wishing they'd kept the thing in its original intended mix.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras: Here we the extras presented uncut with footage from a fully restored film.Special Feature: Deleted Scenes: includes Spartacus Meets Variana [UK Version] [2:01]; 1967 Finale [2:20] and Gracchus' Suicide [Audio Recording] [1:00].Special Feature: 1960 Archival Interviews: It includes an Interview with Peter Ustinov [2:58] and Interview with Jean Simmons [3:44].Special Feature: Behind-The-Scenes Footage [5:11] is a brief look and is without sound of Douglas and the troops learning how to cut each other to shreds at the Gladiator School.Special Feature: 5 Vintage Newsreels [4:58] Five period newsreels from the Criterion Collection edition are shown here, featuring appearances at various events and premieres. In one great bit, Kirk Douglas is shown getting his signature, shoeprints, and chin immortalised in cement at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood.Special Feature: Image Gallery: Here we get a collection of production stills, concept art, costume designs, storyboards, posters and print adverts.Theatrical Trailer [2:45] Also from the Criterion Collection edition, we get to see a re-release trailer for the film after its collection of 4 OSCAR® Academy Awards® win.BONUS: A Beautiful Designed Collectible 40-page illustrated booklet, with stunning coloured photos and in-depth information on the making of this classic film and its characters.Finally, ‘SPARTACUS' is an incredible achievement in film. Touted at the time of its release as a "thinking man's epic," the film retains its spectacular lustre fifty years later partly because of the emotional maturity and thoughtful social commentary of its story, and because of Kirk Douglas' powerfully compelling performance. Kirk Douglas gives a rugged performance as the "proud and rebellious" upstart Spartacus, but it is Peter Ustinov who steals the show. His obsequious slave trader, Lentulus Batiatus, tells Spartacus that he smells like a rhinoceros, before packing him off to gladiator school. Such acidly piquant offhand wit won Ustinov an Academy Award® (one of four for the film) as well as the honour of being the only actor to win an Oscar for a Kubrick film. All in all this is a brilliant spectacular film and Stanley Kubrick has done a stunning job in directing a very intelligent film and this Special Deluxe Limited Edition DigiBook is an added bonus and if you want the ultimate version, then this is the one to purchase. Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom

Good

Stanley Kubrick entered the big time here, being asked to substitute for director Anthony Mann, who was the first choice for Spartacus, in and fact did direct the opening scenes of the movie. Kubrick clearly has to work within certain creative boundaries, imposed by either the studio or Douglas, as the films producer. Some scenes are melodramatic and some of the moralising is a bit too obvious, particularly the scenes with Douglas and Simmonds and Douglas to the masses, albeit Olivier does make his scenes with Simmonds more interesting and less saccharine. In fact Olivier, Ustinov and Charles Laughton are the best performances in the film, with Olivier's Crassus oozing power, but becoming more vulnerable when seeing its impact (or lack thereof) on Spartacus; Ustinov's opportunist who nevertheless evokes sympathy as the 'survivor' character and Laughton's character's clever manipulations of gullible senators and his political sparring with Crassus in the 'Republican v Dictator' duel. Douglas is solid enough, albeit in archetypal Hollywood Leading Man mode, and certainly a role that is not quite as interesting as say for example, his performance in Paths of Glory, his previous collaboration with Kubrick.Despite this, and the rather obvious flamboyant approach to the design and photography, which was to show "look at the money we are spending on this" ($12 million, a lot at the time), Kubrick brings competent direction and more fleshed out (supporting) characters than usual for a film of this size and scope. Editing is first rate, as is Alex North's music, and the action sequences are generally well handled. The best sequences are the gladiator combat scenes in front of the Crassus character early on in the film, and the arrival of the Roman Legions on the site of the films final battle, where image, editing and music come together brilliantly. The films climax is a bold and interesting choice, and works so well partly because Douglas plays his character in a more understated fashion in this part of the film. Its also interesting to see Crassus try many times, and fail every time to get one over Spartacus, even though at first glance it looks like Crassus does.The plot, while loosely based on history, is the best part of the film, and while there are one or two convenient co-incidences, is doesn't mar the film and is no more than in any populist large scale Hollywood Movie. The political machinations that Spartacus becomes involved in are very prescient and still apply to situations seen by holders of power today, and this key subtext was clearly articulated, especially the handing over of more power to a leader in the interests of 'security'.Overall, a very entertaining action film, with an atypical but highly effective climax. It was Kubrick's last experience of the Hollywood System, and from now on Kubrick would work independently out of England, which would give his subsequent films a very different look and feel. Great value as a very cheap HD DVD with an absolutely fantastic image and excellent sound.

I watch this regularly,I love it that mutch

Q/ The question was did Spartacus meet my expectations.A/ No he dies at the end. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Four hours of action packed story. Great to watch but not sure todays audience have the attention span to watch the river films from this eraJ