Spartacus (1960) The Epic Hero - Movie Review Example

Spartacus (1960) – The Epic Hero Elements of an epic film include the fact the film involves accomplishing tasks and deeds that normal human beings could not through a hero who is the center of the plot. The hero is guided by a supernatural power and tends to work across a vast setting. These films, in most cases, exhibit what is referred to as elevated style that is, they are overly formal and exaggerated. Spartacus is an epic film, since fundamentally it has most of the aforementioned characteristics.

In my opinion, Spartacus is a hero. He finds himself in a situation where he has to fight his friends to death, and after Draba spares his life, Spartacus leads the slaves in overpowering the guards, and finally running away. He also refuses to rape Varinia when she was sent in his cell to entertain him. The film is certainly a product of great work from Stanley Kubrick. The graphic nature of the scenes and the ability to use slow motion especially when Spartacus trains in the arena to be a gladiator is one of the scenes that bring out the director’s technical abilities.

High sound quality, especially the scene where Senator Marcus Licinius Crassus addresses the gladiators (Joanna 2). The themes of the callous nature of slavery and the desire for freedom are demonstrated where women are forced into sexual activities, and men are forced to fight to their death, including with their friends. This compels Spartacus and the rest of the slaves to rebel and fight their way out. The manner in which ancient Rome is portrayed by Spartacus is authentic. There is a lot of historical evidence suggesting the injustices of slavery and sexual exploitation in the empire.

The director, as well as the screenwriters, used an accurate portrayal of ancient Rome, with instances of exaggeration to make the film more entertaining. Works CitedTop of FormJoanna, Paul. "spartacus: Identifying a Cinematic Epic Hero." (2013). Print. Bottom of Form