521 reviews
I don't even know how to describe how much I love Spartacus, both the original and the prequel. I've watched the entire series all the way through at least four or five times because it's just that good. All you have to is read through the reviews to see how beloved this series is. The entire cast is just incredible. I think most people thought when Andy Whitfield tragically died and they had to recast the role of Spartacus that it would drop in quality. It didn't! As good as Whitfield was, Liam McIntyre stepped in and was just as good. It will grab your attention from the first episode and hold it throughout the series. If you haven't seen this amazing show yet stop what you're doing right now and go watch it!
It's so good I'm watching it all over again. 10 years later it's still holds up. Amid all the glorious violence I had forgotten just how surprisingly emotional this series was.
If you have not seen it, watch it!
For fans of Gladiator, Xena, Hercules, and works by Sam Raimi. You need not have seen the original 1960 film Spartacus to enjoy the series as they are not related.
Warning - every episode contains nudity and explicit sex scenes. You have been warned.
And don't forget to watch the 6 episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which aired between seasons one and two, but could be watched after this series. This was basically a holdover for the fans while it was hoped for and assumed by everyone involved that Andy Whitfield's return would be eminent.
Sadly, Andy Whitfield was taken from us a year and a half after the final episode aired. If you like Andy and enjoyed his performance make sure to check out the documentary Be Here Now. RIP Andy Whitfield.
For fans of Gladiator, Xena, Hercules, and works by Sam Raimi. You need not have seen the original 1960 film Spartacus to enjoy the series as they are not related.
Warning - every episode contains nudity and explicit sex scenes. You have been warned.
And don't forget to watch the 6 episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which aired between seasons one and two, but could be watched after this series. This was basically a holdover for the fans while it was hoped for and assumed by everyone involved that Andy Whitfield's return would be eminent.
Sadly, Andy Whitfield was taken from us a year and a half after the final episode aired. If you like Andy and enjoyed his performance make sure to check out the documentary Be Here Now. RIP Andy Whitfield.
Spartacus is ridiculously underrated and absolutely one of my favorite tv shows ever! It is one of the rare shows where each season is just as incredible as the others, all 4 seasons are fantastic & some of the best tv I've ever seen! I've watched the entire series 3 times already. After the original actor (Andrew Whitfield) who played Spartacus sadly died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after Season 1, they had to recast it and the actor who replaced him (Liam McIntyre) as Spartacus was just as terrific! Do yourself a favor and watch this incredible series immediately...you will not be disappointed! It really is the perfect show!
- Supermanfan-13
- Sep 29, 2020
- Permalink
- cinema_forever19
- Apr 27, 2020
- Permalink
This series rocks! It is full of action packed historical fiction plots. As well as plenty of gratuitous nudity! Hehe
- rexcapritarius
- Aug 3, 2019
- Permalink
I started watching this very belatedly in early 2019 while waiting for the final season of Game of Thrones. I figured some swords-and-sandals would fit the bill in the meantime.
For the first two episodes, that's exactly what I got. Nothing special; a lot of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and colourful baroque mock-Shakespearean dialogue so over-the-top that I couldn't tell whether the acting was good or not. However, I had seen John Hannah (Batiatus) and Lucy Lawless (Lucretia) in other things before, so I stuck with it.
And damn, did the show hook me quickly after that. Yes, the dialogue is absurd and nobody ever spoke like that, but the actors deliver it with such unrestrained gusto and are clearly having such a blast making the show that you can't help but get swept up in it. Also, the dialogue has the added virtue of being clever and well-written: for example, there's a scene in the final season (don't worry, no spoilers) in which Marcus Crassus is having a discussion with his son Tiberius and a young Julius Caesar. Crassus is speaking to both of them, and they are answering him -- but Crassus is completely oblivious to the fact that Tiberius and Caesar are simultaneously having their own verbal sparring match against each other, while still advancing their three-way discussion. I rewound that scene a few times just to watch it play out.
Gory violence and graphic sex can only sustain a show for so long; fortunately, the characters are beautifully written and developed, and their relationships with each other (romantic or otherwise) are allowed to evolve and progress. By the end of the show I had come to care greatly about the central characters -- and what else could possibly be the mark of well-written characters effectively portrayed?
It's the stuff of TV legend by this point that Andy Whitfield, who gave a virtuoso performance as Spartacus in season one, was diagnosed with cancer shortly after filming wrapped, and that it took his life. The switch to his successor Liam McIntyre took a little bit to get used to, but McIntyre stepped into the unenviable position of taking over from a well-liked and tragically departed predecessor in a central role, and made it his own. No small feat, that.
In closing, if you're not a fan of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and casual profanity, this show won't be for you. If you're a "fan" of those things, watch the show, and you'll be surprised by how quickly they take a back seat to the story and the characters. Enjoy!
For the first two episodes, that's exactly what I got. Nothing special; a lot of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and colourful baroque mock-Shakespearean dialogue so over-the-top that I couldn't tell whether the acting was good or not. However, I had seen John Hannah (Batiatus) and Lucy Lawless (Lucretia) in other things before, so I stuck with it.
And damn, did the show hook me quickly after that. Yes, the dialogue is absurd and nobody ever spoke like that, but the actors deliver it with such unrestrained gusto and are clearly having such a blast making the show that you can't help but get swept up in it. Also, the dialogue has the added virtue of being clever and well-written: for example, there's a scene in the final season (don't worry, no spoilers) in which Marcus Crassus is having a discussion with his son Tiberius and a young Julius Caesar. Crassus is speaking to both of them, and they are answering him -- but Crassus is completely oblivious to the fact that Tiberius and Caesar are simultaneously having their own verbal sparring match against each other, while still advancing their three-way discussion. I rewound that scene a few times just to watch it play out.
Gory violence and graphic sex can only sustain a show for so long; fortunately, the characters are beautifully written and developed, and their relationships with each other (romantic or otherwise) are allowed to evolve and progress. By the end of the show I had come to care greatly about the central characters -- and what else could possibly be the mark of well-written characters effectively portrayed?
It's the stuff of TV legend by this point that Andy Whitfield, who gave a virtuoso performance as Spartacus in season one, was diagnosed with cancer shortly after filming wrapped, and that it took his life. The switch to his successor Liam McIntyre took a little bit to get used to, but McIntyre stepped into the unenviable position of taking over from a well-liked and tragically departed predecessor in a central role, and made it his own. No small feat, that.
In closing, if you're not a fan of gory violence, graphic sex and nudity, and casual profanity, this show won't be for you. If you're a "fan" of those things, watch the show, and you'll be surprised by how quickly they take a back seat to the story and the characters. Enjoy!
- meairton-39463
- Aug 13, 2019
- Permalink
The complete series is an absolute masterpiece. As a former Australia producer I am so proud of the most sincere work not only from the cast but also the crew. Based in New Zealand it brings a complete smorgasbord of the great talents from director, producers, cinematography to a unique editing style and I must impress upon the casting just perfect.
To all involved you do yourselves proud and you bring credit to our industry. Job well done!
- gdonaldson-86399
- Jan 5, 2020
- Permalink
For me the pilot was something of a mix between the graphic violence of 300(it even includes somewhat similar battle sequences), the sex of 300, the idea of Gladiator and a bit of Rome. I almost stopped watching it and I'm glad I didn't do it. People would see the first episode and dismiss it as "gore and sex" time-wasting perversity. And they would be mistaken. The plot, filled with at first glance one-dimensional characters, is so varied, so deep, full of plot twists and unpredictable outcomes that you may find yourself glued to the screen.The sex is still there, the sexy images as well(muscular men and beautiful women), but the characters have gained so much depth and perspective, that you can't say someone is just white or black(with two exceptions). There are so many shades of gray in between, that most of the times even if you want to hate a character for plotting against the protagonist, you find yourself siding with him on another level. The protagonist is not a saint, the "bad guys" show they can love and cherish, and you see the other side of mighty Rome, the one not shown in "Rome". This show, even after the less than spectacular pilot, can be and for the moment is great and it's not the gore or sex that make it so.
In 300, Rome and even Gladiator, to which Spartacus: Blood and Sand is usually compared, the main characters are free men and women, people who act on their generally free will(yes, even in Gladiator). This show is different. Spartacus: Blood and Sand displays the Roman world through the eyes of the downtrodden, the helpless and the people without rights - the enslaved, THE underdogs, who eventually tried to defy the might of Rome, who lost and lost in an epic and tragic way and in their fall still achieved greatness and immortality. Among the nudity, spilling blood and duel sequences, Spartacus: Blood and Sand shows the viewer why freedom is such a cherished thing, what happens when we lose it and why people throughout time have risen to regain it and died pursuing it or defending it.
Some people mock the characters for being "one-dimensional" and demand more complexity. Others have voiced their contempt of the less than accurate representation of "the complex social system of Rome". Spartacus: Blood and Sand does not seek to represent the social system. For the people at the bottom of the ladder it was irrelevant whether Sulla was killing senators or Pompeus was gaining power. As for the one-dimensional characters, let me pound the obvious and say this - when you have to kill a friend at the command of your master, or be killed as well, there's no possibility for inner struggle or soul searching. You can't really disobey your master when humiliation, rape, torture and death lie just a whim away.
It's early to say definitely whether Spartacus: Blood and Sand will be a great TV show. It certainly is for now and gets better and better. Unless the creators manage to screw up gigantically, which they have avoided so far, this child of Starz can become epic.
In 300, Rome and even Gladiator, to which Spartacus: Blood and Sand is usually compared, the main characters are free men and women, people who act on their generally free will(yes, even in Gladiator). This show is different. Spartacus: Blood and Sand displays the Roman world through the eyes of the downtrodden, the helpless and the people without rights - the enslaved, THE underdogs, who eventually tried to defy the might of Rome, who lost and lost in an epic and tragic way and in their fall still achieved greatness and immortality. Among the nudity, spilling blood and duel sequences, Spartacus: Blood and Sand shows the viewer why freedom is such a cherished thing, what happens when we lose it and why people throughout time have risen to regain it and died pursuing it or defending it.
Some people mock the characters for being "one-dimensional" and demand more complexity. Others have voiced their contempt of the less than accurate representation of "the complex social system of Rome". Spartacus: Blood and Sand does not seek to represent the social system. For the people at the bottom of the ladder it was irrelevant whether Sulla was killing senators or Pompeus was gaining power. As for the one-dimensional characters, let me pound the obvious and say this - when you have to kill a friend at the command of your master, or be killed as well, there's no possibility for inner struggle or soul searching. You can't really disobey your master when humiliation, rape, torture and death lie just a whim away.
It's early to say definitely whether Spartacus: Blood and Sand will be a great TV show. It certainly is for now and gets better and better. Unless the creators manage to screw up gigantically, which they have avoided so far, this child of Starz can become epic.
- petarpeychinov
- Feb 8, 2010
- Permalink
Yes, the show starts out dull and mindless. Yes, the show offers full frontal nudity. Yes, it's bloody violent (if you measure it in buckets of blood). No, it is NOT a storyless show.
To get it out of the way: If you can't stand a naked breast; skip this one. I know how some people are very sensitive to naked skin, but I guess a chopped off head is OK? (Yes, I'm kicking your way you "Oh, that's Janet Jacksons covered up breast on live TV. I have to call the TV network"-people).
Each episode added a new layer as I see it. The characters grow in dept, and the conspiracies grow ever more entangling. I always wanted to see more after the second episode. The show exploded! For a show like this to even work the producers had to make a choice between kiddy-TV and adult TV. They chose the latter and hit the damn spot. Spartacus Blood and sand is one of the few shows that is just for us "big kids". I don't care if people are naked or headless on TV, as long as it suits the show. In this case it had not worked without it. Praise the gods that someone had the guts to think past the double morals of todays television and just press on! Rome was no flower-covered heaven on earth.
The acting can seem stale at first, but each actor grows in their role as the show progresses. A few of them impressed me, as I had deemed them to be c-graded actors a long time ago (Xena, anyone?). Some of the stars of this show seem to have found a show that suited them as much as they suited the roles they had to fill.
To avoid spoilers I will not say much about the story. What I can say is: The story evolves at the same rate as the actors/characters. Nearing the end you will beg for more! It's hard even to catch your breath after what I have just seen: The last episode offers the greatest form of chatarsis I have ever witnessed/felt in a TV show.
I will root for Spartacus in season 2 (and 3, and 4).
Sorry about the spelling errors and such.
To get it out of the way: If you can't stand a naked breast; skip this one. I know how some people are very sensitive to naked skin, but I guess a chopped off head is OK? (Yes, I'm kicking your way you "Oh, that's Janet Jacksons covered up breast on live TV. I have to call the TV network"-people).
Each episode added a new layer as I see it. The characters grow in dept, and the conspiracies grow ever more entangling. I always wanted to see more after the second episode. The show exploded! For a show like this to even work the producers had to make a choice between kiddy-TV and adult TV. They chose the latter and hit the damn spot. Spartacus Blood and sand is one of the few shows that is just for us "big kids". I don't care if people are naked or headless on TV, as long as it suits the show. In this case it had not worked without it. Praise the gods that someone had the guts to think past the double morals of todays television and just press on! Rome was no flower-covered heaven on earth.
The acting can seem stale at first, but each actor grows in their role as the show progresses. A few of them impressed me, as I had deemed them to be c-graded actors a long time ago (Xena, anyone?). Some of the stars of this show seem to have found a show that suited them as much as they suited the roles they had to fill.
To avoid spoilers I will not say much about the story. What I can say is: The story evolves at the same rate as the actors/characters. Nearing the end you will beg for more! It's hard even to catch your breath after what I have just seen: The last episode offers the greatest form of chatarsis I have ever witnessed/felt in a TV show.
I will root for Spartacus in season 2 (and 3, and 4).
Sorry about the spelling errors and such.
- bladerunnerd-1
- Apr 16, 2010
- Permalink
This is not a series for everyone and many people will find a lot in it offensive. They will have good cause. If you are under 16 you should not watch it. Why am i so excited by it then: For the ones that want to see fights, blood, brutality, sex, men looking like gods, blood, erotica, excitement, blood, swearing, allot of skulls being bashed, sweat, savagery, arena fights, honor, friendships intrigues, assassinations, and lets not forget some more blood, this is a show for you.
It is brutal and it is one of the best shows out there. It is not a soup opera and if you are one of those people that got excited by a show like CAPRICA skip this one.
This show makes your hart race. The first episode is the weakest, but by episode 4 which i just saw i am swearing by all the Roman Gods that this is what i was born to watch. It is raw bloody entertainment!
This show is so unique, it is in a category with THE WIRE, thought they have noting in common and their uniqueness lies in completely different places, they are bot light years away of what is being made.
For a low budget with computer graphics, after the first weaker episode, the show becomes so realistic, by episode 4 it has griped me in its razor sharp clutches and the downward spiral of darkness is leaving bloody marks on my soul!
If you like it you will love it, if you don't like it you will hate it.
It is brutal and it is one of the best shows out there. It is not a soup opera and if you are one of those people that got excited by a show like CAPRICA skip this one.
This show makes your hart race. The first episode is the weakest, but by episode 4 which i just saw i am swearing by all the Roman Gods that this is what i was born to watch. It is raw bloody entertainment!
This show is so unique, it is in a category with THE WIRE, thought they have noting in common and their uniqueness lies in completely different places, they are bot light years away of what is being made.
For a low budget with computer graphics, after the first weaker episode, the show becomes so realistic, by episode 4 it has griped me in its razor sharp clutches and the downward spiral of darkness is leaving bloody marks on my soul!
If you like it you will love it, if you don't like it you will hate it.
Blood and Sand was released in the golden age of TV shows, when they were starting to get good and not just some cheap filler for your Wednesday evening. Netflix had recently started its streaming service, but people are still watching TV every now and then and Spartacus would show up late at night.
Spartacus has everything that today's public truly desires: violence, sex and a good story, mirroring the wishes of the Romans in the gladiatorial age. And Spartacus excels at all of it. The show starts with the warning that the graphic violence is there due to the historical portrayal of ancient Roman society. Yes, that's totally the reason for your boobs and violence: historical accuracy.
If you'd just look at some of the screenshots from this show, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it is utter trash, as you behold a bunch of half-naked bodybuilders and fake blood effects. And while Spartacus is no Citizen Kane and you won't be using it as study material for your history major, it is a surprisingly high-quality show. It's just very stylized and this stylisation can come off as cheap.
Spartacus Blood and Sand as well as its prequel, Spartacus Gods of the Arena, concentrate on the time leading up to the Third Servile War, rather than the rebellion itself. This is an interesting place in time to focus on. The story is mostly that of revenge, but there are a number of other clear-to-understand themes present: corruption in pursuit of power, spectacle, betrayal, identity, social class and of course, bromance. Lots and lots of bromance.
The primary brain behind the show is Steven DeKnight, who's worked on shows like Smallville, which is exactly the kind of show I would name as an example of why I used to hate television shows. It was therefore surprising that the same person who wrote for Smallville also wrote for Spartacus. Apart from a few issues in the first few episodes, Spartacus is comprised of intricate plotlines and has a distinctive dialogue that is generally well thought out. Although the dialogue is theatrical in nature, it is still natural and clear enough to be understood, without being pretentious. The pacing is good throughout the show. The episodes do not drag on and so the material is not stretched beyond its worth, like in so many other shows of the time. The intensity is maintained throughout.
Andy Whitfield's portrayal of Spartacus has surprising depth and intensity for a previously unknown actor, God rest his soul. The classically trained John Hannah was an excellent choice for the ambitious dominus of the gladiatorial school. Jonah gives a deep performance, which in combination with the writing for this character, makes his character far more interesting than Spartacus, who only wants vengeance. Lucy Lawless, as the wife of the dominus, makes the complex relationship with her husband work. It is really cool that the show made the antagonists such believable people with complicated backgrounds and motivations. They did go a bit too far with Craig Parker's Roman legate, but he is not in the first season that much.
Of course, the acting and the dialogue are not without flaws. Sometimes, the character development is hard to buy and the naked warriors in the snow make you wonder if the show let go of its senses for the sake of style, but those flaws are quickly outshined.
With regard to the visuals, the obvious question comes to mind: is Spartacus ripping off the style of 300 (2006)? Yes. Yes, it does. The naked bodybuilders, the intense CGI skies, the excessive blood, the macho culture, and the slow-motion fights. It's all here. The fake blood and the CGI do make it look a bit cheap, but the fakeness becomes a part of the theatrical theme that runs throughout the show, along with the style of dialogue, and frankly, Spartacus overshadows the movie 300 and makes it look like a rip-off from Spartacus rather than the other way around. Even though Spartacus uses a lot of computer effects for its backgrounds, there are also quite a number of detailed sets, that sell this show on a physical level.
Once the rebellion starts, with the 2nd season (technically 3rd, if you could the prequel), called Vengeance, the show lost me. With a different lead actor, due to the death of Andy Whitfield, and following the departure of John Hannah, as the primary antagonist, the show had nothing but CGI and naked models left to prop it up. The rumour is that the other seasons are not bad, once you get used to the new cast. However, what I really like about both Blood and Sand and Gods of the Arena is that they have a satisfying end without any major cliffhangers designed to make you watch the next season. So, if you decide to step out at season 1, you can do so without any penalties.
I conclusion, Spartacus is less like a complex wine and more like big juicy steak - great for some, but can be a bit much for others. The grotesque violence and sexual filler make it seems like teenagers are the target audience, but the show proved popular not only with my testosterone filled male friends, but with the ladies as well.
Spartacus has everything that today's public truly desires: violence, sex and a good story, mirroring the wishes of the Romans in the gladiatorial age. And Spartacus excels at all of it. The show starts with the warning that the graphic violence is there due to the historical portrayal of ancient Roman society. Yes, that's totally the reason for your boobs and violence: historical accuracy.
If you'd just look at some of the screenshots from this show, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it is utter trash, as you behold a bunch of half-naked bodybuilders and fake blood effects. And while Spartacus is no Citizen Kane and you won't be using it as study material for your history major, it is a surprisingly high-quality show. It's just very stylized and this stylisation can come off as cheap.
Spartacus Blood and Sand as well as its prequel, Spartacus Gods of the Arena, concentrate on the time leading up to the Third Servile War, rather than the rebellion itself. This is an interesting place in time to focus on. The story is mostly that of revenge, but there are a number of other clear-to-understand themes present: corruption in pursuit of power, spectacle, betrayal, identity, social class and of course, bromance. Lots and lots of bromance.
The primary brain behind the show is Steven DeKnight, who's worked on shows like Smallville, which is exactly the kind of show I would name as an example of why I used to hate television shows. It was therefore surprising that the same person who wrote for Smallville also wrote for Spartacus. Apart from a few issues in the first few episodes, Spartacus is comprised of intricate plotlines and has a distinctive dialogue that is generally well thought out. Although the dialogue is theatrical in nature, it is still natural and clear enough to be understood, without being pretentious. The pacing is good throughout the show. The episodes do not drag on and so the material is not stretched beyond its worth, like in so many other shows of the time. The intensity is maintained throughout.
Andy Whitfield's portrayal of Spartacus has surprising depth and intensity for a previously unknown actor, God rest his soul. The classically trained John Hannah was an excellent choice for the ambitious dominus of the gladiatorial school. Jonah gives a deep performance, which in combination with the writing for this character, makes his character far more interesting than Spartacus, who only wants vengeance. Lucy Lawless, as the wife of the dominus, makes the complex relationship with her husband work. It is really cool that the show made the antagonists such believable people with complicated backgrounds and motivations. They did go a bit too far with Craig Parker's Roman legate, but he is not in the first season that much.
Of course, the acting and the dialogue are not without flaws. Sometimes, the character development is hard to buy and the naked warriors in the snow make you wonder if the show let go of its senses for the sake of style, but those flaws are quickly outshined.
With regard to the visuals, the obvious question comes to mind: is Spartacus ripping off the style of 300 (2006)? Yes. Yes, it does. The naked bodybuilders, the intense CGI skies, the excessive blood, the macho culture, and the slow-motion fights. It's all here. The fake blood and the CGI do make it look a bit cheap, but the fakeness becomes a part of the theatrical theme that runs throughout the show, along with the style of dialogue, and frankly, Spartacus overshadows the movie 300 and makes it look like a rip-off from Spartacus rather than the other way around. Even though Spartacus uses a lot of computer effects for its backgrounds, there are also quite a number of detailed sets, that sell this show on a physical level.
Once the rebellion starts, with the 2nd season (technically 3rd, if you could the prequel), called Vengeance, the show lost me. With a different lead actor, due to the death of Andy Whitfield, and following the departure of John Hannah, as the primary antagonist, the show had nothing but CGI and naked models left to prop it up. The rumour is that the other seasons are not bad, once you get used to the new cast. However, what I really like about both Blood and Sand and Gods of the Arena is that they have a satisfying end without any major cliffhangers designed to make you watch the next season. So, if you decide to step out at season 1, you can do so without any penalties.
I conclusion, Spartacus is less like a complex wine and more like big juicy steak - great for some, but can be a bit much for others. The grotesque violence and sexual filler make it seems like teenagers are the target audience, but the show proved popular not only with my testosterone filled male friends, but with the ladies as well.
Spartacus changed my life in better. Even after the dead of the first actor who played Spartacus, i continued watching and i loved it. It's about force, power, humble, the sense of life, Love and much more. If you need strength or if you are depressed, you must watch Spartacus.
Have patience and watch till end. You won't regret it!
- mihuclaudialina
- Aug 8, 2018
- Permalink
I felt skeptical about the upcoming series when I first saw the trailers but thought; maybe it will be better ... the voice-overs did promise greater things. However, from the first episode I felt real disappointment. Rather than being more realistic it's more Hollywood. Yes, it does offer graphic violence - more on that later - and full frontal nudity but it falls short in a number of other areas. But first let me digress to some of the other points: By far the best performance I've enjoyed in this offering is that of John Hannah as Batiatus. His consummate skill as an actor leaves me feeling he deserves more success. His significant other is Lucy Lawless as Lucretia. She is well cast and certainly entertains and keeps up with Hannah. She's beautiful and shows it and comes through feeling like there's a nice bit of underlying intelligence I'd like to know better. One of the most fun characters is Viva Bianca as Ilithyia. She plays the part with a kind of delicious wickedness that's absent malice. She is also quite something special to look at, especially disrobed; which brings us to the male flesh offerings. Andy Whitfield as the title character Spartacus does a credible job but I can't overcome the idea he's in the part because someone in Hollywood thought he'd just look good. His antagonist in much of the episodes I saw is Manu Bennett as the gladiator Crixus and Peter Mensah as Doctore; a sort of gladiator teacher/overseer. Whitfield and Bennett snarl at each other appropriately and put up with full body depilation as their major sacrifice for their art.
The costumes, makeup, sets, and other production are rendered with quality if not historic accuracy. Without researching the issue, I find it hard to swallow the prevalence of depilation. It just doesn't ring true to what I recall from studying ancient history. The ancients were rather proud of their body hair as proof of their maturity and not even females shaved anywhere; none of that is evident here. But I suppose it's a minor point but I just felt that it flew in the face of the claims that they were striving for more historic accuracy. That gets us to the gritty parts, the violence, nudity and sex. The violence depicted here is over-the-top Hollywood all the way. The copious amounts of arterial blood that appear at the slightest wounds just smacks of sensationalist violence rather than accuracy. That - the violence - is a subject I know all too much about. Even severing an artery doesn't produce that much blood that fast. The sort of violence in the real world also produces a good deal more gore; not to mention that none of the film makers can ever hope to duplicate the accompanying odors. Worse, to me, by far is the fact that the bloodiest parts seem to be uniformly rendered in slow motion; thereby seeming to emphasize the bloodiest violence as the most important part of the offering. This aspect disappointed me the most.
The nudity and sex are more realistic than likely anything that has been presented by the modern media thus far, but it still falls far short of the reality of those times. Nudity then was a lot more prevalent, a lot more common and a lot more matter-of-fact.
I found it curious that the violence is far more emphasized that any other part of the equation; even the nudity and sex. I had the certain thought that if the sex were given an emphasis equal to that of the violence then we'd be treated to full screen sized vaginas opening in slow motion. It all left me feeling that the sad fact is that violence - even the most brutal types of depictions - are still far more socially acceptable than the relatively calm and peaceful pursuits involving nudity and sex. That still feels like an indictment against modern society. At least the ancients were more-or-less uniformly and honestly depraved. If I watch the remainder of the series it will more than likely be to enjoy the non-violent performances of Hannah, Lawless and Bianca. They are the best of it.
The costumes, makeup, sets, and other production are rendered with quality if not historic accuracy. Without researching the issue, I find it hard to swallow the prevalence of depilation. It just doesn't ring true to what I recall from studying ancient history. The ancients were rather proud of their body hair as proof of their maturity and not even females shaved anywhere; none of that is evident here. But I suppose it's a minor point but I just felt that it flew in the face of the claims that they were striving for more historic accuracy. That gets us to the gritty parts, the violence, nudity and sex. The violence depicted here is over-the-top Hollywood all the way. The copious amounts of arterial blood that appear at the slightest wounds just smacks of sensationalist violence rather than accuracy. That - the violence - is a subject I know all too much about. Even severing an artery doesn't produce that much blood that fast. The sort of violence in the real world also produces a good deal more gore; not to mention that none of the film makers can ever hope to duplicate the accompanying odors. Worse, to me, by far is the fact that the bloodiest parts seem to be uniformly rendered in slow motion; thereby seeming to emphasize the bloodiest violence as the most important part of the offering. This aspect disappointed me the most.
The nudity and sex are more realistic than likely anything that has been presented by the modern media thus far, but it still falls far short of the reality of those times. Nudity then was a lot more prevalent, a lot more common and a lot more matter-of-fact.
I found it curious that the violence is far more emphasized that any other part of the equation; even the nudity and sex. I had the certain thought that if the sex were given an emphasis equal to that of the violence then we'd be treated to full screen sized vaginas opening in slow motion. It all left me feeling that the sad fact is that violence - even the most brutal types of depictions - are still far more socially acceptable than the relatively calm and peaceful pursuits involving nudity and sex. That still feels like an indictment against modern society. At least the ancients were more-or-less uniformly and honestly depraved. If I watch the remainder of the series it will more than likely be to enjoy the non-violent performances of Hannah, Lawless and Bianca. They are the best of it.
- Placiddragon
- Mar 12, 2010
- Permalink
- andrei_doggfather
- Feb 15, 2010
- Permalink
After the first season you'll notice changing in the main actor "Spartacus". That's because Andy Whitefield passed away because of cancer.
The series deserves a try but this is an appreciation post for Andy.
- BoulosSoueileh
- Jan 10, 2021
- Permalink
- Leofwine_draca
- Jan 27, 2012
- Permalink
I watched the whole Spartacus series back when it first came up and now I'm revisiting it. Still, it does stand it's ground. I had no recollection of Jai Courteney being in the series and I don't like him as an actor but as Varro he is just great. All the acting is great, even when it's over the top, it all just fits together so nicely. Yeah, the GCI is a bit funny now and then but after just a few episodes, I really started to enjoy it. This show is sad, exciting and just pure fun to watch. To Andy: you made such an impression on younger me and you still do. You are a legend.
- TerribleKatherine
- Feb 20, 2022
- Permalink
I can't stand much of whats on TV. What I love about this show is the amount of sensuality and poetry it brings to the table, while not being sensory with respect to sexuality, violence, and ethics. I usually hate romance, but the romance in this movie is genuine, there are several forms of love and lust that are identified in the episodes. The fact that they have homosexuality in it despite possible conflicting interest--what would seem to attract small target audience--does suggest a good portrayal of sexuality at that time (Although i doubt that only a couple of them would be subject to homosexual lust because many of the mentors and mentees mated at that time).
As a previous rater stated, the characters have shades of evil and good. Their ethics seems to match what values were imbedded in the roman civilization. The reason there is so much blood and it over indulges is because the show not only explicitly includes sensual dialogue, but the way it is directed and the tactics of capturing violence and glory are not 2D and speak to its sensuality. Bottom line: if you are a passionate person, you will enjoy the dramatic dialogue and poetry, the sexuality, and the brutality.
As a previous rater stated, the characters have shades of evil and good. Their ethics seems to match what values were imbedded in the roman civilization. The reason there is so much blood and it over indulges is because the show not only explicitly includes sensual dialogue, but the way it is directed and the tactics of capturing violence and glory are not 2D and speak to its sensuality. Bottom line: if you are a passionate person, you will enjoy the dramatic dialogue and poetry, the sexuality, and the brutality.
its been said many times on this site but i want to add by voice, Spartacus is the TV show now and one of the best ever, along with Sons of Anarchy.
sure it started life as a 300 clone but now the story line, acting, characters, plots twists, everything are beyond the best TV and movies ever made. sure, that's a bold claim, but how long does a movie last, even multi-part epics like Godfather and LOTR only last a total of about 7 hours. in only 1 season of Sparticus we've seen characters evolve and schemes develop.
the script writers must be some kind of gods to come up with this. like many, i love that the bad guys aren't all bad, the good guys not all good. all TV and movie writers should study this to see how real characters are developed and stories created.
and the acting, where to start, Andy Whitfield and John Hannah are brilliant and Peter Mensah just owns the screen every time he's on camera. That guy should be the next Denzel or Samuel L Jackson.
and as to those who say 'too much sex, too much violence' i say 'bring it on!'
sure it started life as a 300 clone but now the story line, acting, characters, plots twists, everything are beyond the best TV and movies ever made. sure, that's a bold claim, but how long does a movie last, even multi-part epics like Godfather and LOTR only last a total of about 7 hours. in only 1 season of Sparticus we've seen characters evolve and schemes develop.
the script writers must be some kind of gods to come up with this. like many, i love that the bad guys aren't all bad, the good guys not all good. all TV and movie writers should study this to see how real characters are developed and stories created.
and the acting, where to start, Andy Whitfield and John Hannah are brilliant and Peter Mensah just owns the screen every time he's on camera. That guy should be the next Denzel or Samuel L Jackson.
and as to those who say 'too much sex, too much violence' i say 'bring it on!'
- steveh2112
- Apr 14, 2010
- Permalink
If you want a series about Roman history, one can watch HBO's Rome (a very fine TV show). If you want to see a trashy and outrageously entertaining TV show with nonstop gore and nudity (both male and female) as well as graphic sex, Spartacus (very loosely based on the history of Ancient Rome's slave gladiator turned rebel leader) should be the choice.
Supposedly, TV shows are by necessity tamer than movies, yet I haven't seen any movie as consistently graphic about sex and violence as Spartacus. Suffice to say that almost everybody in the large cast of mostly muscular men and gorgeous women, gets naked in the series at some point. Episode 9 in particular – subtly called "Whore" – is a highlight in that regard.
A bit slow to start (I struggled with episode 1, but get hooked after episode 2), this admittedly not for all tastes series, was filmed in New Zealand with a mostly Australian and Kiwi cast. Its striking visual style can be compared with 300 (the gladiator's trainer, the great Peter Mensah, had a small role in that movie). The show is finely led in the titular role by Andy Whitfield (unfortunately he died of cancer after the first season, and was replaced by another actor in the following season). Yet, even if most of the cast is great, the best performance to me is by John Hannah as the devious Batiatus, the owner of the Gladiator's school. Hannah, whose background has been mostly on British comedies, excels here. While he initially seems to lack the toughness one supposes a master of a gladiator's school should have, he is eventually seen as a charming yet also very cruel and cunning man. Also remarkable are the performances of Manu Bennett as the knucklehead (but eventually noble) gladiator Crixus, Viva Bianca as the gorgeous but scheming Ilythia, and Nick Tarabay as Batiatus slimy aide, Ashur.
Supposedly, TV shows are by necessity tamer than movies, yet I haven't seen any movie as consistently graphic about sex and violence as Spartacus. Suffice to say that almost everybody in the large cast of mostly muscular men and gorgeous women, gets naked in the series at some point. Episode 9 in particular – subtly called "Whore" – is a highlight in that regard.
A bit slow to start (I struggled with episode 1, but get hooked after episode 2), this admittedly not for all tastes series, was filmed in New Zealand with a mostly Australian and Kiwi cast. Its striking visual style can be compared with 300 (the gladiator's trainer, the great Peter Mensah, had a small role in that movie). The show is finely led in the titular role by Andy Whitfield (unfortunately he died of cancer after the first season, and was replaced by another actor in the following season). Yet, even if most of the cast is great, the best performance to me is by John Hannah as the devious Batiatus, the owner of the Gladiator's school. Hannah, whose background has been mostly on British comedies, excels here. While he initially seems to lack the toughness one supposes a master of a gladiator's school should have, he is eventually seen as a charming yet also very cruel and cunning man. Also remarkable are the performances of Manu Bennett as the knucklehead (but eventually noble) gladiator Crixus, Viva Bianca as the gorgeous but scheming Ilythia, and Nick Tarabay as Batiatus slimy aide, Ashur.
I don't wanna write a long review, i just wanna put words and thoughts in one sentence :
I CAN NEVER WATCH ANY SERIES AFTER WATCHING SPARTACUS
- stphan-ray
- Mar 19, 2020
- Permalink
I went into this with a skeptical attitude and wanted it to be great! I love Epics and being a fan of the Epics of the 1950's and 1960's, and the original SPARTACUS with Kirk Douglas in particular, I was very interested in what would be done with this version. I have no problem with differences in the interpretation of the story since the true history of the actual Spartacus is very sketchy. Historians know very little about many of the details in his life and the military campaigns, so I'm open to changes in one dramatic version over another.
The problem I have is mainly with the production values of this version. Let's start with the script. I realize that all films cannot take the course of Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE Christ and present a subtitled film with the actors speaking the original language of the historical period. Kevin Costner brilliantly used this technique as well with the Native Americans in DANCES WITH WOLVES. However, a film maker doesn't have to take it to that extreme. In the historical epics of the past, scripts were often careful to not include dialog which sounded too contemporary in order to give it the illusion of a past time. This helps the audience's acceptance of the story having taken place in times past. Ben-Hur (1959) is a good example of this. Spartacus (1960) has some dialog problems but is also, for the most part, a good example of this.
That said, this version of SPARTACUS seems to go out of it's way to sound every bit like Martin Scorcese's GOODFELLAS, complete with use of the F-bomb every couple minutes along with every other contemporary expletive one might imagine, including the "C" word, the "B" word, the "S" word, etc. Simply put...It sounds absurd. Can we at least try to give this some semblance of ancient history. With the expletives and the grunting and groaning of the muscle bound performers during the battle scenes, it sounds and looks like the warriors originated with the WWE.
Next up is the violence. I stop short of referring to the violence as exploitive, which it is, but it is SO extreme that it is silly. The use of slow motion, normal motion, slow motion, normal motion mixed with squirting blood all over the camera, all over the other actors, squirting out fast, squirting out slow from this angle and that angle is once again, absurd. It is SO overdone that one is desensitized after watching 45 minutes of the first episode. At one point a character gets punched in the face and even THAT is in slow motion. It's laughable! This viewer got the impression that this was being filmed by students in a high school film class who couldn't get enough slow motion and gory blood spilling. Most of the blood spilling is CGI anyway and looks fake.
That brings up my next criticism. I highly doubt that there is one scene in this travesty that was filmed on location. EVERYTHING, including the most simple scene appears to use the CGI technique and it makes the entire production look like one massive computer game.
Next we have the overuse of sex scenes which are equally as silly as the violence as they are all choreographed to look like the covers of cheap romance novels with men who look like they're from Chippendales and women who look like they stepped out of the Victoria's Secret catalog. No one looks natural. It's buffed bodies and big boobs. Because of the sexually explicit nature of some of the scenes, I can't go into detail here. I guess the tamest way to put it is that some decadent scenes appear as if they were filmed in an S&M club.
This is truly an exploitive piece of garbage that falls just short of being pornography....bad acting and all, but I'm sure it will find an audience. After all, Shakespeare said it best, this kind of exploitation is there to "Split the ears of the groundlings who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise."
The problem I have is mainly with the production values of this version. Let's start with the script. I realize that all films cannot take the course of Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE Christ and present a subtitled film with the actors speaking the original language of the historical period. Kevin Costner brilliantly used this technique as well with the Native Americans in DANCES WITH WOLVES. However, a film maker doesn't have to take it to that extreme. In the historical epics of the past, scripts were often careful to not include dialog which sounded too contemporary in order to give it the illusion of a past time. This helps the audience's acceptance of the story having taken place in times past. Ben-Hur (1959) is a good example of this. Spartacus (1960) has some dialog problems but is also, for the most part, a good example of this.
That said, this version of SPARTACUS seems to go out of it's way to sound every bit like Martin Scorcese's GOODFELLAS, complete with use of the F-bomb every couple minutes along with every other contemporary expletive one might imagine, including the "C" word, the "B" word, the "S" word, etc. Simply put...It sounds absurd. Can we at least try to give this some semblance of ancient history. With the expletives and the grunting and groaning of the muscle bound performers during the battle scenes, it sounds and looks like the warriors originated with the WWE.
Next up is the violence. I stop short of referring to the violence as exploitive, which it is, but it is SO extreme that it is silly. The use of slow motion, normal motion, slow motion, normal motion mixed with squirting blood all over the camera, all over the other actors, squirting out fast, squirting out slow from this angle and that angle is once again, absurd. It is SO overdone that one is desensitized after watching 45 minutes of the first episode. At one point a character gets punched in the face and even THAT is in slow motion. It's laughable! This viewer got the impression that this was being filmed by students in a high school film class who couldn't get enough slow motion and gory blood spilling. Most of the blood spilling is CGI anyway and looks fake.
That brings up my next criticism. I highly doubt that there is one scene in this travesty that was filmed on location. EVERYTHING, including the most simple scene appears to use the CGI technique and it makes the entire production look like one massive computer game.
Next we have the overuse of sex scenes which are equally as silly as the violence as they are all choreographed to look like the covers of cheap romance novels with men who look like they're from Chippendales and women who look like they stepped out of the Victoria's Secret catalog. No one looks natural. It's buffed bodies and big boobs. Because of the sexually explicit nature of some of the scenes, I can't go into detail here. I guess the tamest way to put it is that some decadent scenes appear as if they were filmed in an S&M club.
This is truly an exploitive piece of garbage that falls just short of being pornography....bad acting and all, but I'm sure it will find an audience. After all, Shakespeare said it best, this kind of exploitation is there to "Split the ears of the groundlings who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise."