Spartacus

Stanley Kubrick's 1960 epic of a gladiator slave (producer/star Kirk Douglas) who led a mass revolt that nearly brought Rome to her knees remains an epic testament to the universal longing for freedom. Although screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who adapted the story from Howard Fast's novel, was not pleased with the way Spartacus's string of victories (as the slave army made its run towards the sea where ships supposedly awaited) were played down in the final version (the last epic battle comprises the only major battle scene in the movie), Spartacus ultimately benefited by being more character study than spectacle. Criterion's stunning new digital transfer of the 1991 restored version is simply gorgeous, with stirring Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, and extras that include a commentary track by Douglas, Ustinov and Fast (among others), interviews, original storyboards, and more. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—May 25, 2010—Universal, 197 min., PG-13, $26.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1960's Spartacus: 50th Anniversary Edition features a great transfer and a 5.1 DTS-HD soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (8 min.), five vintage newsreels (5 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette (5 min.), archival interviews with costars Jean Simmons (4 min.) and Peter Ustinov (3 min.), image galleries (including production stills, concept art, costume design, storyboards, posters, and print ads), and trailers. Bottom line: Kubrick's classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.][Blu-ray Review—Oct. 20, 2015—Universal, 197 min., PG-13, Blu-ray: $19.98—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1960's Spartacus boasts a stellar transfer with DTS-HD 7.1 sound. Extras new to this release include “I Am Spartacus: A Conversation with Kirk Douglas” (10 min.), “Restoring Spartacus” (9 min.), and bonus UltraViolet and digital copies of the film. Extras carried over from previous releases include deleted scenes (8 min.), archival interviews with costars Peter Ustinov and Jean Simmons (6 min.), behind-the-scenes footage (5 min.), vintage newsreels (5 min.), image galleries, and trailers. Bottom line: a restored version with an additional 12 minutes, this Spartacus looks and sounds stunning.]