Film Review: Spartacus Essay, Research Paper
What is clearly justified by the historical sources
In Stanley Kubrick’s film of Spartacus, many events that are documented in the
historical sources are accurately portrayed. In the film, we see Spartacus and other
slaves seize kitchen implements from the cookhouse in which they are eating and
attack the guards. This is clearly justified by Plutarch in Fall of the Roman Empire;
“seventy-eight, who realised this, managed to act in time and get away, armed with
choppers and spits which they seized from some cookhouse”.
The film shows that in the summer of 73 BC, “about seventy slaves escaped from
Batiatus’s training school at Capua and established a defensible position on Mount
Vesuvius some thirty kilometres away. ” This is clearly justified by the historical sources
and is accurately portrayed in the film.
The film also correclty portrays the Cilicians pulling out of an agreement with
Spartacus, in which they were going to transport slaves to Sicily. The Cilicians are
bribed by the Romans to pull out of the agreement, so that they can quell the slave
revolt. This left the slaves trapped near Rhegium in the Peninsula of Brittium, and with
armies marching towards them from north and east, Spartacus was left with no choice
but to turn and face Crassus…
What is contradicted by the historical sources
In the film, Spartacus says that he was a slave from birth and that his father before
him was also a slave. However, this is contradicted by accounts of Spartacus’ life. It is
said that he had once served with the military service with the Romans and was then
later sold as a slave.
The next contradiction is when, in the film, Spartacus leads the slaves to cross the
Alps where they would disperse and go to their homes. However, Plutarch claims that
the slaves had not agreed with Spartacus’ plan: “His men however, would not listen to
him. They were strong in numbers and full of confidence, and they went about Italy
ravaging everything in their way.1″
One of the most incorrectly portrayed events in the film is when spartacus dies. In the
film, Spartacus is crucified after being forced to have a gladiatorial fight with his close
friend. However, it is documented that Spartacus actually died in battle, when he ran
at Crassus: “Though he did not reach Crassus, he cut down two centurions who fell on
him together.”
What has been added in
In the film, Spartacus falls in love with a kitchen slave who he takes with him and who
eventually has his child. However, none of this is documented in the historical sources
and was probably added in to have the seemingly mandatory love interest that is in
Hollywood movies.
Along with Spartacus’ ‘wife’ comes Spartacus’ baby son who was born shortly before he
died. This has been added in by the film makers, probably to give the story an element
of happiness in the end because after the birth of Spartacus’ son, his blood line is
continued even though he is now dead.
It is clear that the film Spartacus is not a completely historically accurate depiction of
the actual events that happened around 73BC. Instead, it has taken certain events
and dramatised them in order to keep entertainment value high and keep the viewers
interested. However, in doing this, the film has become less historically accurate to the
extent that it could even be called a fiction film.
Bibliography
KR Bradley, Slavery and Rebellion in the Roman World, Indiana University Press,
Bloomington, Indiana, USA, 1989
Plutarch, Fall of the Roman Empire, Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1972