Spartacus. 2 Disc Special Edition. Kirk Douglas. Laurence Olivier.

SPARTACUS, based on Howard Fast's popular novel, is Stanley Kubrick's glorious masterpiece about a slave uprising in Rome in 70 BC. Kirk Douglas, who also served as executive producer, stars as the title character, a man born of a slave woman and a slave master who has known nothing but chains for his entire life. After being forced to put on a gladiator show--that almost leads to his death--for wealthy Romans (including a marvellously conniving Laurence Olivier as the power-hungry Crassus), Spartacus leads a slave revolt across Italy that soon has thousands marching on Rome. Meanwhile, he has fallen in love with the beautiful Varinia (an effervescent Jean Simmons), pledging his life to her.
Douglas assembled a fabulous all-star cast for the film; in addition to himself, Simmons, and Olivier, terrific performances are turned in by Charles Laughton as the curmudgeonly senator Gracchus, John Gavin (PSYCHO) as the young Julius Caesar, Tony Curtis as Antoninus (a "singer of songs," with all lines delivered in a beautifully thick New York accent), and especially Peter Ustinov, an Oscar winner for his portrayal of the businessman Batiatus, who always wants to know what's in it for him. Blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo's melodramatic script and Alex North's thrilling, soaring score add a majesty that helps make SPARTACUS one of the finest costume epics to ever come out of Hollywood.

Credits
Leading Role 1 Kirk Douglas
Leading Role 2 Laurence Olivier
Leading Role 3 Jean Simmons
Additional Roles by Tony Curtis, Peter Ustinov, Charles Laughton, Nina Foch, John Gavin
Director 1 Stanley Kubrick
Producer Edward Lewis
Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo
Score Composer Alex North
Editor Robert Lawrence

Features
Region 2
Release Format DVD
Rating PG
Release Year 2004
Genre Action/Adventure
Additional Genre Historical
Language English
Running Time 186 minutes
EAN 5050582074703