This Saturday I’m gonna shmooze with Kirk Douglas. Okay, me and a theatre full of fans, but why be particular?
The entrance fee is his latest book, Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving & Learning
After all, of all of his films, I’ve only seen The Bad and the Beautiful (and The Man from Snowy River, but how his role in that occurred I’ll never understand). Despite my obsession with TCM, I’ve somehow missed out on a slew of cleft chin-filled flicks.
So I decided if nothing else, I should fit in a little Spartacus. Before Stanley Kubrick tripped out in space and dutifully shut Tom Cruise’s eyes, he went to Rome to film this 1960 epic. So long it includes an intermission, so controversial because it involved many blacklisted filmmakers that Douglas helped get back into action.
That, and the snails and oysters scene between Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis. Though by the time they restored the film in 1991, they needed to rerecord these cut lines. Olivier had since passed away, so Anthony Hopkins stepped in to mimic the bathtub seduction. Olivier is deliciously evil in every scene, and though surrounded by great actors, his wickedness is the most enthralling.
Amongst the great lineup is Peter Ustinov, but I must admit I was constantly reminded of his vocal contribution to one of my favorite childhood movies, Disney’s Robin Hood. Hey, the characters were not that different. The memory was reinforced by the gladiators' trainer, whose froggy pitch was oddly reminiscent of the crocodile guard in the same film.
Alex North’s full throttle score is reminiscent of many compositions of the time, with intense battle horns and shrill fight movements to alert the audience that the quiet dramatic scenes are over. He would go on to score the larger than life Cleopatra.
Who can deny the fantastic tension before the battle, the awfulness of the resulting sea of dead warriors and the power of the “I am Spartacus” scene? And what a horrible turn of events when two friends earnestly attempt to kill one another to spare his friend from a crucifixion, only to confess their brotherly love in a dieing breath?
Not a perfect film, but captivating. The best moments are found in hushed dialogue, from the conniving planning of the senators to the relentlessly optimist speeches of the ex-slaves. But who are we kidding? Everyone loves a good gladiator movie.