Spartacus

At the age of just 32, Stanley Kubrick took over the direction of this lavish historical widescreen epic about the slave revolt in ancient Rome at the request of Kirk Douglas, following Anthony Mann’s departure. Kubrick, who for the only time in his career did not have complete control over a project, was dissatisfied with the result: his very next film, *Lolita*, begins with a bitter joke about its predecessor. Nevertheless, Spartacus ranks among the outstanding examples of its genre: under Kubrick’s direction, moralising melodrama (contributed by Blacklist writer Dalton Trumbo), the glorification of the hero (contributed by lead actor/producer Kirk Douglas), decadence presented with relish (contributed by an impressive all-star cast of the most diverse make-up) and Kubrick’s delight in dialectics all vie for prominence in a highly compelling manner. (C.H.)