Spartacus
2004
This television production stars Goran Visnjic (ER) as the titular gladiator in this television adaptation of the same 1951 Howard Fast novel that spawned Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film classic. While living out his life as a slave the deserts of Egypt, Spartacus is bought by a trainer of gladiators and forced to fight for the .. Read more
| Starring | Goran Visnjic, Alan Bates, Angus Macfadyen, Rhona Mitra |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Dornhelm |
| Genres | Drama |
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Spartacus
This television production stars Goran Visnjic (ER) as the titular gladiator in this television adaptation of the same 1951 Howard Fast novel that spawned Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film classic. While living out his life as a slave the deserts of Egypt, Spartacus is bought by a trainer of gladiators and forced to fight for the amusement of the Roman masses. There, he spearheads a slave uprising which rocks the very foundations of Rome. Alan Bates co-stars as Lentulas Agrippa in his final screen role.
| Starring | Goran Visnjic, Alan Bates, Angus Macfadyen, Rhona Mitra, James Frain, Ben Cross, Ross Kemp |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Dornhelm |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK VIDEO RENTAL |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 47 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 08 Nov 2004 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Most helpful member's review
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8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Enjoyable
Having read the reviews on Spartacus before deciding to see it for myself I did not expect much from this movie!
I was pleasantly surprised having watched it! The film itself was very watchable and at times you often found yourself relating to the characters and sympathinsing with what they went through. Obviously this film was never going to live up to the original or surpass the likes of 'Gladiator'. However, it is worth a watch despite Grant from Eastenders (Ross Kemp) putting in a very poor display of acting.
Recommended!!! -
Most recent members' review
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Excellent Retelling
This is NOT a retelling of the history of the Slave Revolt led by Spartacus in the 1st Century BCE; what it is a rewriting of the Kirk Douglas 1960 movie of Spartacus. In that rewriting this version shares many of the fictional historical constructs necessary to dramatise the story, since so very little is actually known, however it also shares many of the same scenes and dramatic constructs as well indeed a very great many of the scenes in this movie are taken directly from the 1960 movie.
Having said all that this version does many parts of the story much better than the 1960 movie and the scenes of the political in-fighting in the Roman Senate are particularly well done as are the battle scenes. We still have the total fiction of the Romans not having a fleet (tell the Carthaginians that one) and a great Pirate fleet being prepared to carry away Spartacus and all his men but its good drama I guess. Other excellent points are the way that with each victory elements of Roman armour and equipment appear in the Slave Army’s ranks.
There are a couple of really stupid and intensely infuriating bits such as where Crixus’s band all gain blue woad face paint as though they were extras from ‘Braveheart’ (where it is equally historically inaccurate by the way) and the Roman senior officers calling their General “My Lord”, a totally unknown concept to a Roman. -
News and features
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New role for Law
- 26 Jul 2004
Jude Law looks likely to star in a remake of the 1949 classic "All the King's Men". Law is set to play Jack Burden - first played by "Spartacus" star John Ireland - in the re-make. The first version of the film won the "big three" Academy awards, best actor in a leading role, best actress in a leading role and best picture. In the film Law's character is a journalist who falls under the spell of populist politician Willie Stark. Sean Penn is expected to play Stark, Read more
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Spartacus
This television production stars Goran Visnjic (ER) as the titular gladiator in this television adaptation of the same 1951 Howard Fast novel that spawned Stanley Kubrick's 1960 film classic. While living out his life as a slave the deserts of Egypt, Spartacus is bought by a trainer of gladiators ...
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