Spartaco

Come with me, you whose pulse beats faster than the magic name of freedom…”. If your appreciation of this acclaimed rebel comes courtesy of Stanley Kubrick and Kirk Douglas, then you might not readily recognise this far earlier telling of his story. Not least because the characterisation of Crassus from Enrico Bracci far more closely resembles Charles Laughton than Sir Laurence! This version establishes our hero as a defeated Thracian chief brought home by Crassus after his successful foray into Asia Minor. Initially, he is well enough treated and trains to be a gladiator whilst his wife “Idamis” (Cristina Ruspoli) becomes a confidante of the powerful “Narona” (Maria Gandini). That all goes a bit pear-shaped when Spartacus is accused of killing a man, and his resultant treatment opens his eyes to the ghastly treatment of thousands of slaves at the hands of their Roman masters. Thereafter, we see something more familiar as these slaves realise their gladiatorial skills prove to be more than a match for their guards and their silver-armoured commanders. What is really quite striking here is the quality of the production. Not just the costumes and sets, but the location photography and the naturally choreographed combat scenes with swords, daggers, lions and nets used adeptly by actors and stuntmen alike. It’s also quite noticeable that we don’t have too many of the cast looking adoringly at the camera nor do we get that sense of “performance” that’s often got with historical silent features. After a few introductory scenes, the film gets it self into top gear and cruises along entertainingly.