History
Adventure drama
Spartacus (1960): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Spartacus is a 1960 adventure drama directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier. It is based on Spartacus by Howard Fast. It earned $1.9 million worldwide on a $12 million budget. It won 4 Oscars, including Actor in a Supporting Role and Art Direction (Color), and 5 awards in all. Critics gave it 87 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.9/10. Rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Director
- Stanley Kubrick
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Universal Pictures
- Budget
- $12M
- Based on
- Spartacus by Howard Fast
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Spartacus About?
The premise of Spartacus without spoilers, adapted from Spartacus by Howard Fast. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A slave named Spartacus endures harsh training to become a gladiator. He ignites a fierce rebellion against the Roman Republic, challenging the authority of the powerful and ambitious Crassus. As Spartacus’s revolt gains momentum, Crassus sees an opportunity to rise in power by brutally suppressing the uprising and crushing the gladiators' fight for freedom.
Spartacus Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- gladiator
- slave rebellion
- roman republic
- national film registry
- spartacus character
- julius caesar character
- libya
- human branding
- epic war
- all star cast
- third servile war
- impalement
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- epic
- intermission
- sword and sandal action
- opening narration
- capital punishment
- gladiator school
- appian way
- looting
- bust sculpture
- narration
- speech
- parasol
- general
- semi biographical film
- prisoner of war
- forced prostitution
- slave
- lost love
- emancipation
- birth
- senator
- love
- italy
- roman senate
- murder
- fight to the death
- escaped slave
- battle
- slavery
- combat
- antiquity
- ancient rome
- romantic rivalry
- jealousy
- homosexual subtext
- sword and sandal
- trident
- suicide
Where to watch
Where to Watch Spartacus
Rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
Cast & crew
Spartacus Cast
Kirk Douglas leads the cast, with Laurence Olivier. Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
-
Director Stanley Kubrick
Ratings
Spartacus Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Spartacus 87 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.9/10.
-
IMDb 7.9 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 87 Metascore
User score 8.1
See on Metacritic
Plot
Spartacus Plot Summary
What happens in Spartacus from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
**, during the waning days of the Roman Republic, a vast number of individuals are born into slavery, subjected to the elite patricians and the wealthiest plebeians. Among these is Spartacus, a fierce Thracian slave, portrayed by Kirk Douglas, who endures brutal whippings for his intelligence and rebellion. In a daring act of defiance, he bites a Roman centurion’s ankle while attempting to assist a fellow slave who has stumbled under the weight of heavy rocks. As punishment, Spartacus is bound and left to succumb to the elements, seemingly forgotten. However, fate intervenes when a gladiator trainer named Batiatus, played by Peter Ustinov, acquires Spartacus along with several others to train them in the art of combat at his ludus in Capua.
Full summary
The whole story of Spartacus, scene by scene
Box office
Spartacus Box Office & Budget
Spartacus grossed $1.9 million worldwide on a $12 million budget, 15% of what it cost. $1.8 million came from the US and Canada and $22,783 (1%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$1.9M
15% of its budget back
- US & Canada
- $1.8M
- International
- $22.8K
- Budget
- $12M
US & Canada 99%
Rest of the world 1%
Awards
Spartacus Awards & Nominations
Spartacus won 4 Oscars, including Actor in a Supporting Role and Art Direction (Color), and 5 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1961, with 4 wins from 6 nominations.
5 wins12 nominations3 ceremonies
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Oscars 1961 4 wins · 6 nominations- Won Actor in a Supporting Role – Peter Ustinov
- Won Art Direction (Color)
- Won Cinematography (Color)
- Won Costume Design (Color)
- Nominated Film Editing
-
Golden Globes 1961 1 win · 5 nominations- Won Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Nominated Best Director – Stanley Kubrick
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor) – Laurence Olivier
- Nominated Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Comedy or Musical (Supporting Actor) – Woody Strode and Peter Ustinov
- Nominated Original Score
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BAFTA 1961 1 nomination- Nominated Best Film
Videos
Spartacus Trailers & Videos
12 videos: 1 trailer, 2 clips and 9 featurettes.
- Clip "I Am Spartacus!"
- Clip Gladiator Duel: Spartacus vs. Draba
- Featurette Jean Simmons Toasts "The One And Only Spartacus"
- Featurette Tom Cruise On Kirk Douglas & SPARTACUS
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Spartacus?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who played the role of Spartacus?
Details
Spartacus Also Known As
24 alternative titles, including “Spartakos” and “Espartaco”.
- Also known as
-
- Spartakos
- Espartaco
- Spartakus
- Spartacus: Rebel Against Rome
- 스파르타쿠스
- Spartacus Rebel Against Rome
- สปาร์ตาคัส
- Սպարտակուս
- Spartaküs
- Спартак
- 斯巴达克斯
- Σπάρτακος
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- スパルタカス
- ספרטקוס
- 스팔타커스
- Cпapтaĸ
- Espàrtac
- 萬夫莫敵
- Thủ Lĩnh Nô Lệ
- اسپارتاکوس
- 風雲群英會
- ขุนศึกชาติทมิฬ
- Spartakas, სპარტაკი
- Spartak
Seen Spartacus?
More like this
Movies Like Spartacus
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Spartacus, Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators and Sins of Rome.
From the blog
Articles About Spartacus
2 articles about Spartacus. The latest: “The Renaissance of Historical Epics in Modern Film”.
FAQ
Spartacus FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of Spartacus, each answered in a sentence.
When was Spartacus released?
Spartacus was released on October 19, 1960.
Who directed Spartacus?
Spartacus was directed by Stanley Kubrick.
More films by Stanley Kubrick Who is in the cast of Spartacus?
Spartacus stars Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier.
Where can I watch Spartacus?
In the US, Spartacus is available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Spartacus make at the box office?
Spartacus grossed $1.9 million worldwide ($1.8 million domestic, $22,783 international) on a budget of $12 million.
How is Spartacus rated?
Spartacus has 7.9/10 on IMDb and 87 on Metacritic.
Is Spartacus based on a book?
Yes. Spartacus is adapted from Spartacus by Howard Fast.
What awards did Spartacus win?
Spartacus won 5 awards from 12 nominations, including Actor in a Supporting Role at the Oscars 1961.
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