Based on the novel The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, Island of Lost Souls is the story of an island where a scientist is trying to a hybrid of humans and animals as it eventually goes out of control. Directed by Erle C. Kenton and screenplay by Waldemar Young and Philip Wyle, the film is a strange sci-fi horror film set in a remote island in the South Pacific where a shipwrecked man makes a chilling discovery of what a mad scientist is trying to do. Starring Charles Laughton, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams, Kathleen Burke, Arthur Hohl, Stanley Fields, and Bela Lugsoi. Island of Lost Souls is a thrilling and evocative film from Erle C. Kenton.
The film follows a man who had been kicked out of a ship after being saved following a shipwreck where he finds himself on a strange island where a scientist is trying to create a hybrid of humans and animals in a strange experiment. It’s a film that explore the idea of a man wanting to play God as he lives in this remote island where he would collect animals with the help of his assistant Mr. Montgomery (Arthur Hohl) who was onboard of a ship collecting these animals. During Montgomery’s journey, he would encounter a man on a capsized lifeboat in Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) who is saved and aided by Montgomery back to health until the ship’s captain knocks Parker onto the ship of Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton). Parker would stay in the island for a few days where he befriends Dr. Moreau’s daughter Lota (Kathleen Burke) where he would later make a chilling discovery. The film’s screenplay showcase this air of madness in Dr. Moreau as well as what he’s trying to do in creating a civilization that would allow a lot of the animalistic traits out of these people and create a better version of humanity.
The direction of Erle C. Kenton does have elements of style in terms of its approach to suspense and horror yet much of it is very straightforward. Shot on soundstages, the film does play into this world that is cut off from society where Dr. Moreau is trying to create one with order as one of his creatures known as the Sayer of the Law (Bela Lugosi) recites the concepts of the law. While there are a few wide shots, Kenton’s direction emphasize more on medium shots and some close-ups for some of the coverage in the film’s 1:33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Notably in the way he presents some of the drama as well as these moments of suspense including Parker’s discovery of this room known as the House of Pain. The third act where Parker’s fiancée Ruth Thomas (Leila Hyams) arrives to the island with another ship captain, the suspense and terror do heighten up when Dr. Moreau decides to do something that is against everything he had intended to do. Overall, Kenton crafts a chilling yet rapturous film about an island of human-animal hybrids being created by a mad scientist.
Cinematographer Karl Struss, with special photographic effects by Gordon Jennings, does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography with its stylish usage of lights for many of the scenes at night as well as in some of the film’s interior scenes. Art director Hans Dreier does amazing work with the look of the sets including some of the rooms at Dr. Moreau’s house as well as the look of the jungle. The makeup work of Charles Gemora and Wally Westmore is excellent for the way the monsters look into their mixture of animal and human. The sound work of M.M. Poggi and Loren L. Ryder is superb for the sound effects created as well as the sense of eerie atmosphere of the jungle. The film’s music by Arthur Johnston and Sigmund Krumgold is fantastic for its usage of tribal drums and heavy orchestral music to play into the suspense and terror.
The casting by Fred A. Datig is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from George Irving as a consul at a nearby Samoan island, Tetsu Komai as Dr. Moreau’s animal-human hybrid servant M’ling, Hans Steinke as a big animal-human hybrid in Ouran, Stanley Fields as a cargo ship captain who kicks Parker out of his ship in Captain Davies, Paul Hurst as a ship captain in Captain Donahue who accompanies Ruth to Dr. Moreau’s island to find Parker, and Bela Lugosi in a fantastic small role as the animal-human hybrid known as the Sayer of the Law as an intelligent beast who states the complexities of the laws while figuring out its flaws. Arthur Hohl is superb as Mr. Montgomery as a former doctor who aids Dr. Moreau in the surgeries and experiments as he has an interest in what Dr. Moreau is doing only to realize how far Dr. Moreau has gone.
Kathleen Burke is excellent as Lota, the Panther Woman, as this human-like figure who is considered a daughter of Dr. Moreau who has a great interest in Parker as she copes with her animal-like condition. Leila Hyams is amazing as Ruth Thomas as Parker’s fiancée who is eager to find him as she would learn about what is going on at Dr. Moreau’s island which terrifies her. Richard Arlen is brilliant as Edward Parker as a man who had been shipwrecked only to be kicked out of another boat where he finds himself on Dr. Moreau’s island as he copes with what he sees as he tries to escape only to be part of an experiment as it relates to Lota. Finally, there’s Charles Laughton in a phenomenal performance as Dr. Moreau as a mad scientist trying to create his own version of humanity through animal and experiment them with humans as a way to create a new society only to display elements of madness and manipulation as it is one of Laughton’s iconic performances.
Island of Lost Souls is a spectacular film from Erle C. Kenton that features a tremendous performance from Charles Laughton. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, top-notch makeup work, and a chilling premise of playing God. It’s a film that doesn’t play by the convention of horrors and suspense in order to study a man’s attempt to create his own idea of humanity through animals. In the end, Island of Lost Souls is a sensational film from Erle C. Kenton.
Related: The Island of Dr. Moreau - Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the play by Harold Brighouse, Hobson’s Choice is the story of a boot shop owner in Victorian England who copes with his eldest daughter’s decision to live her own life and marry his boot smith. Directed by David Lean and screenplay by Lean, Wynyard Browne, and Norman Spencer, the film is an exploration of a man coping with changes as he tries to maintain his own ideas while his daughters would rebel against the old rules. Starring Charles Laughton, Brenda De Banzie, Daphne Anderson, Prunella Scales, Richard Wattis, Derek Blomfield, and John Mills. Hobson’s Choice is a riveting and delightful film from David Lean.
Set in the late 1800s at Lancashire, the film revolves a boot shop owner whose life is about to change when his eldest daughter decides to marry his best boot smith and start her own business after hearing that she is considered too old to be married. It’s a film that play into this man who is quite pompous and often quite selfish as he pays more attention in going to a pub to drink rather than give his daughters the freedom to make something of themselves. Even as his best boot smith is feeling unappreciated for his work when a posh customer commends his work but still gets underpaid. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the ideals of Henry Hobson (Charles Laughton) but also someone that wants to operate everything from his business to his life at home a certain way. Even as he wants his two youngest daughters to be married but with men of his choice rather than their own choice while his eldest daughter Maggie (Brenda De Banzie) is thirty-years-old as he think she’s too old to get married and would rather have her run the business and household which she’s good at.
When Maggie hears what her father has said about her to his friends at the local pub, she realizes that she has to do something for her own independence where she forces her father’s best boot smith in Willie Mossop (John Mills) to marry him and take part in a partnership where he would make the boots and she would sell them and run the business. It’s a move that shocks her father who tries to move on without her but both Alice (Daphne Anderson) and Vicky (Prunella Scales) have a hard time trying to run the household and the business. One of the unique aspects of the script is the developing relationship between Maggie and Willie where even though it’s the former that is doing all of the decision-making. It’s Willie who would become much smarter and more confident as he starts off as someone with little ambition but through Maggie’s patience in educating him and learning bits about the business.
Willie would come into his own while Maggie finds an equal in her life which would inspire Alice and Vicky to find men that they want to marry in their own terms. It’s something that Hobson would struggle with but also his own negligence towards his daughters and the fact that he’s an alcoholic. Hobson is a very unique character who is either oblivious in his selfishness or stubborn in his refusal to accept the changes around him. Especially at one point where he goes to the pub because the dinner Alice and Vicky made for him wasn’t satisfactory to his liking as it would play into the fact that times are changing and all of his bad vices and behaviors is catching up with him.
David Lean’s direction is definitely mesmerizing not just for its sense of theatricality since much of the film is shot in soundstages with some of it exteriors shot in old areas in Manchester where the film is partially set. While there are some wide shots to establish some of the locations, Lean would go for something that is more intimate in its visuals in the way he captures life at the shop as well as the raucous world of the pubs. The direction also has Lean create some moments that are quite surreal as it relates to Hobson’s alcoholic state late in the film such as a scene early in the second half where he sees the moon reflected on puddles and tries to stomp them out. The direction also has a theatricality in some of the wide shots such as the very first time one of Maggie’s sisters sees Maggie with Willie as well as the day of their wedding dinner where Maggie’s sisters are with the men they want to marry.
The direction also has Lean create moments that are quite humorous but in a very low-key way as it relates to Willie and the situation he’s forced into. Yet, even as he is developed into a more educated man with ideas of his own. There is still aspects of him that is quite simple where Lean would create a simple shot as it has something that is also very enjoyable. Notably the sequence of the wedding night where it’s about Willie trying to figure what to do while Maggie is in the other room. The film’s climax isn’t just about what Maggie and Willie had achieved but also a fall of sorts for Hobson who is forced to face reality about himself and the situation he’s in as it relates to his business. Overall, Lean crafts a witty yet whimsical film about a boot shop owner trying to deal with changing times and his own faults.
Cinematographer Jack Hildyard does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the gorgeous exterior shots in the park and in the day to some of the interior scenes at night including at the home/shop that Maggie and Willie live/work at. Editor Peter Taylor does superb work with editing as it is largely straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s surreal moments. Art director Wilfred Shingleton does brilliant work with the art direction from the look of Hobson’s boot shop and the basement where the boots are made to the pub where Hobson frequents at.
Costume designer John Armstrong does fantastic work with the period costumes as well as the design of the boots that are made and the ragged suit of Hobson. The sound work of John Cox is terrific for the simplicity of the sound as well as the raucous atmosphere of the pubs. The film’s music by Malcolm Arnold is wonderful for its low-key yet playful orchestral music while music director Muir Matheson provide a soundtrack filled with the traditional pub songs of the times.
The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from John Laurie as Dr. MacFarlane, Dorothy Gordon as Willie’s original fiancée, Julien Mitchell as the pub owner, Gibb McLaughlin and Philip Stainton as a couple of pub regulars who are friends of Hobson, Jack Howarth as another boot maker at Hobson’s shop, and Helen Haye as the posh customer who appreciates Willie’s work as she would play an integral part in Willie and Maggie’s new business. Derek Blomfield and Richard Wattis are superb in their respective roles as the corn merchant Freddy Beenstock and the solicitor Albert Prosser as the two men whom Vicky and Alice, respectively, want to marry while they would also be involved with Maggie and Willie’s business.
Prunella Scales is excellent as the youngest daughter Vicky who often does the cleaning as she also tries to cook for her father while Daphne Anderson is fantastic as the middle daughter Alice who knows how to run and manage the business but is aware that it’s not enough for her father. John Mills is brilliant as Willie Mossop as a boot smith who is good at what he does while he finds himself being in a business venture with Maggie where he realizes that he has a lot more to offer. Brenda De Banzie is amazing as Maggie Hobson as a 30-year old woman who decides to go into business by herself with Willie as she is someone with a lot of brains while realizing there’s more to Willie as she falls for him. Finally, there’s Charles Laughton in a phenomenal performance as Henry Hobson as a boot shop owner who prides himself in being the best at what he does but is often very selfish and often drinks himself unaware that he’s done a lot to hurt his family as well as be a fool to himself.
Hobson’s Choice is a sensational film from David Lean that features tremendous performances from Charles Laughton, Brenda De Banzie, and John Mills. It’s a film that has a lot of wit but also a compelling story about changing times and a man’s selfish refusal to accept it. In the end, Hobson’s Choice is a spectacular film from David Lean.
David Lean Films: In Which We Serve - This Happy Breed - Blithe Spirit - Brief Encounter - Great Expectations (1946 film) - Oliver Twist (1948 film) - The Passionate Friends - Madeleine (1950 film) - The Sound Barrier - Summertime (1955 film) - The Bridge on the River Kwai - Lawrence of Arabia - Doctor Zhivago - Ryan's Daughter - (Lost and Found: The Story of Cook’s Anchor) - A Passage to India - (The Auteurs #74: David Lean)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter is the story of a reverend who has become a serial killer as he woos a widow and her two children in an attempt to steal money that the children had been hiding as it was stolen by their late father. Directed by Charles Laughton and written by Laughton and James Agee, the film is based on the real life story of Harry Powers who would do a similar crime and later be hanged to death in 1932. Starring Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, and Lillian Gish. The Night of the Hunter is a gripping and astonishing film from Charles Laughton.
Set in 1930s West Virginia, the film revolves a devious preacher who kills as he learns that his cellmate, who is to be hanged for theft, has hidden the stolen money with his children prompting the preacher to marry the man’s widow and terrorize the children into giving him the stolen money. It is a film that plays into the world of sin and temptation as it’s all driven by this preacher named Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) who believes he is doing God’s work as he marries lonely women and then kill them so he can collect their money. When he meets the widow Willa Harper (Shelley Winters), he charms and marries her so he can be close to her and his family. While the people in their small town think Harry is a nice man as does Willa’s young daughter Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce), only Willa’s son John (Billy Chapin) isn’t so sure about Powell where he and Pearl eventually learn the truth as they would do whatever it takes to hide from him.
James Agee’s screenplay, which featured re-writes by Charles Laughton, definitely plays into this idea of sin and doing what is right as the man driving these ideas is Reverend Powell who would get Willa to see sin in herself. Especially as she feels guilty for the death of her husband Ben (Peter Graves) who killed two men and stole $10,000 where he would be hanged for his crimes. Powell is an intriguing individual where he dresses up like a preacher and acts like a preacher while his right hand would have “love” tattooed on his fingers while the word “hate” is on his left hand. It’s an interesting duality that he brings yet it is one that is full of hate as he would bring terror to John and Pearl who would eventually flee from his clutches where they would eventually find the safety in an unlikely person in a woman named Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish) who is this no-nonsense person that can see through everything.
Laughton’s direction is definitely quite stylish as he definitely goes for an expressionistic style in the way he tells the story. Some of which involves some unique wide shots where it has elements of style while mostly focusing on medium shots and close-ups with some very stylish camera angles. Especially as it plays into the air of suspense and drama where Laughton’s framing is among the key moments in the film. He would infuse a lot of images into the frame such Billy telling Pearl a story where the shadowy image of Powell would suddenly come in as a sense of foreshadowing of what is to come. Even as Laughton would create moments in the film that are quite startling but also filled with such beauty in the images as it plays into the sense of duality of love and hate.
The direction would also feature expressionistic images set in the Ohio River as Laughton would create something that is quite somber to explore a world that is very dangerous and also unforgiving at times. When the film’s third act would introduce Rachel Cooper, there is that sense of the unknown at first yet Laughton would change the tone a bit since it adds a glimmer of hope to John and Pearl in their plight. Especially as the confrontation between Powell and Cooper come ahead as both would recite the words of God but it would play into who really stands for what is right and wrong. Overall, Laughton crafts a very chilling yet evocative film about a murderous preacher who kills for profit as he terrorizes two innocent children.
Cinematographer Stanley Cortez does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography with its use of shadows, distorted images, and lighting schemes to play out the film‘s expressionistic style as well as set an eerie mood for the suspense. Editor Robert Golden does excellent work with the editing to convey the slow-burn of the film‘s suspense as well as bringing some unique rhythmic cuts to bring in some bite for some of these moments. Art director Hilyard Brown and set decorator Alfred E. Spencer do amazing work with the set pieces from the home of Willa as well as the farm exterior where John and Pearl briefly hid at. The sound work of Stanford Houghton is fantastic for the way some of Powell‘s singing is heard throughout as it acts as a voice of terror while some of the sound effects help add to the film‘s suspense. The film’s music by Walter Schumann is superb for its chilling orchestral themes as well as some somber moments such as it plays into the plight and innocence of John and Pearl.
The casting by Mille Gusse is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Peter Graves as Willa’s late husband Ben, Gloria Castillo as Rebecca’s adopted daughter Ruby who is often a victim of temptation, Don Beddoe and Evelyn Varden as a couple of local shopkeepers who are friends of Willa and the children, and James Gleason as a river man that John is friends with as he would make a very chilling discovery. Sally Jane Bruce is wonderful as Pearl as this young girl who exudes innocence as she is confused by the presence of Powell. Billy Chapin is superb as John Harper as this young boy who is suspicious about Powell as well as the questions about the money as he knows about its whereabouts while dealing with the world of good and evil.
Shelley Winters is excellent as Willa Harper as this widow who is consumed with guilt over her husband’s death as she marries Powell unaware of his intentions as she later learns that there’s something about him that makes her uncomfortable. Lillian Gish is phenomenal in a small but memorable performance as Rachel Cooper as this old woman who adopts lost children as she is this stern figure that not only keeps John and Pearl in check but also knows a lot about the ways of the world as she is someone not to be trifled with. Finally, there’s Robert Mitchum in an absolutely magnificent performance as Reverend Harry Powell as Mitchum brings this dark charm to the role that makes him so engaging but it is balanced by this brooding presence that just sends chills as his character is, without question, one of the greatest villains in cinema as he is the epitome of absolute evil.
The Night of the Hunter is a tremendously haunting yet visceral film from Charles Laughton. Featuring an outstanding performance from Robert Mitchum as well as a strong supporting performance from Lillian Gish, exquisite cinematography, and a chilling score. The film stands as one of the key films of the film noir genre as well as an exploration into the idea of good and evil. In the end, The Night of the Hunter is a remarkable film from Charles Laughton.
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by Howard Fast, Spartacus is the story of a slave who leads a revolt against the Romans during first century B.C. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, with additional work by Anthony Mann, and screenplay by Douglas Trumbo, the film is an epic about a man who becomes a gladiator and the voice to slaves as he fights off against his oppressors. Starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Tony Curtis, Peter Ustinov, and John Gavin. Spartacus is a grand yet adventurous epic from Stanley Kubrick.
After being a slave for all of his life, Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) is sold to Roman businessman Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) where he’s to be trained as a gladiator to fight against others in the arena. Despite dealing with abuse of trainer Marcellus (Charles McGraw), Spartacus is able to make friends with a few slaves while falling for a serving woman named Varinia (Jean Simmons). When Roman senator Marcus Licinius Crassus (Laurence Olivier) arrives for a visit, he asks to see what Batiatus has to offer where he has four gladiators fight to the death. Spartacus pairs up with the African Draba (Woody Strode) where the two have a good fight but Spartacus is nearly killed by Draba only for Draba to do something that would unfortunately lead to his own death. After learning that Varinia is being sold to Crassus, Spartacus revolts against Batiatus and Marcellus where he and the slaves decide to fight for their own freedom.
With Spartacus gathering an army to lead his revolt, the Romans including Gracchus (Charles Laughton) are aware of what Spartacus is doing as he decides to have Julius Caesar (John Gavin) to control the Roman army. Spartacus manages to gain more numbers including Varinia who had fled Batiatus while they also gain a young slave named Antoninus (Tony Curtis) who had just been a slave for Crassus. After defeating an army led by Marcus Glabrus (John Dall), Glabrus returns to Rome to unveil what happened to him. A power struggle happens in the Senate where Caesar learns about Gracchus’ bribery on the Cilicians to get Spartacus and the slaves out of Italy. Caesar reveals Spartacus’ plans to Crassus who would make a move on his own as Spartacus finds out from Cilician envoy Tigranes Levantus (Herbert Lom).
Realizing that they’re trapped and nowhere to go, Spartacus reveals to the slaves that the Romans are coming and there’s no choice to fight them all the way to Rome. A battle finally ensues where the results fall in favor of Crassus as Batiatus is also there to identify Spartacus. Unable to find him, they were able to find Varinia and her newborn baby where Crassus decides to take her for his own to the disgust of Batiatus. With Crassus having full control and Caesar joining Crassus, Gracchus realizes what Rome is becoming as he starts to lose control of his power. In a final act of defiance against Crassus, Gracchus organizes a plan to retrieve Varinia and her son from Crassus and take her to freedom with Batiatus to accompany her. Spartacus faces Crassus for the first time as he becomes fully aware of his fate while he begins to ponder if there was any good that came out of his rebellion against Rome.
The film is an epic story about a slave who rebels against his masters and the rule of Rome where he leads a revolt against slavery in hopes to bring Rome to its knees. Meanwhile, a power struggle occurs inside Rome as two politicians try to out-do one another in how to handle Spartacus’ revolt. One of which wants nothing to do with the revolt knowing that Rome is already in enough trouble with other countries while the other is hoping to maintain control of Rome and put things back in order with more restrictions. Eventually, all of these events would collide where many would question abut everything that had happened where one faces death, another faces an uncertain future, and one rises to power all of which contain an element of ambiguity.
Dalton Trumbo’s screenplay is very multi-layered in the way it establishes a lot of what was happening in Rome as it begins with narration by Vic Perrin to unveil a lot about Spartacus’ early life. This is a man who has only known oppression his entire life as he is aware of the cruelty he faces not just to himself but those around him. When he’s sold to a businessman in Batiatus, Spartacus learns the art of being a gladiator as well as finding someone like Varinia who represents a world that is away from oppression. After a fight where his opponent shows compassion and spirit, it gives Spartacus a lot of reasons to rebel where he leads a revolt. Despite his courage and ability to lead the people, Spartacus is fully aware that he’s also uneducated and wants the freedom to not just live a nice life but also the freedom to learn.
Varinia and Antoninus would be the two people in Spartacus’ life that would provide him not just intelligence but also compassion and to be a man of the people. This would raise the ire of the men of Rome who realize how dangerous Spartacus is to not just the ideals of Rome but also the lifestyle they live in. Crassus and Gracchus are two men with very different ideas of politics who are both aware of the kind of power Spartacus would have. The latter is a man who knows that Spartacus is a threat who just wants freedom where would do things that would undermine the ideas of politics just so that he wouldn’t have to deal with Spartacus as well as the lives of Roman soldiers. Then there’s Crassus who is the main antagonist of Spartacus who wants to maintain the kind of control of Rome as he realizes that without slaves, Rome would fall. Crassus and Gracchus would fight for the control of the Roman Senate and its army through political means where part of this is a young Julius Caesar.
Then there’s the character of Batiatus who is just a man that wants to run a house of gladiators where he would prod and do whatever to break Spartacus’ spirit. Yet, it would cost him everything he would have where he also realizes that whatever information he gives wouldn’t necessarily give him any kind of power. After realizing all of that and the kind of humility that Crassus would bring, he begins to understand what Spartacus is all about as he would team up with Gracchus in order to do something about Crassus’ tyranny. Notably in one of the film’s big moments where many slaves say “I am Spartacus” as an act of defiance as it would carry many allusions to what witch-hunt trials that were happening in the 1950s. Trumbo’s screenplay definitely carries references to a lot of what was happening in the 1950s to parallel what was happening during the age of Rome. Yet, there would be some semblance of hope about how people would do in the face of oppression while defying those who want them to do the wrong thing.
Stanley Kubrick’s direction is definitely vast in terms of the presentation that is created for an epic film. While the film doesn’t feature a lot of the visual trademarks and eerie directing style that Kubrick is known for. It is still engaging for the way he creates scenes on a large canvas to showcase a wide depth of field for many of the film’s locations set in Californian desert, parts of Spain, and bits of it in Death Valley, Nevada. With the exception of the film’s opening sequence that was directed by Anthony Mann who was fired after a week, Kubrick’s direction for the rest of the film carries a lot of the visual attributes of the epic film.
Kubrick’s direction definitely has more interesting compositions in some of the film’s more intimate moments involving the Senate meetings and the scenes in some of its interior settings. Largely in where he places the cameras to establish the world of the Romans and how they conduct their lives. Kubrick also uses a lot of close-up and medium shots to help create a mood for some of these scenes while many of the film’s exterior settings do have a lot of amazing imagery. Notably the final scene that features a very hopeful ending despite the ambiguity that it carries. Overall, Kubrick creates a marvelous and exhilarating epic film about oppression and rebellion.
Cinematographer Russell Metty does brilliant work with colorful cinematography to capture the beauty of many of the film‘s daytime exterior locations to the more intimate yet lush lighting schemes for the film‘s interiors including its scenes at night. Editor Robert Lawrence does excellent work with the editing to create rhythmic cuts for some of the action scenes along with more methodical ones in its dramatic moments while utilizing fade-outs for the film‘s transitions. Production designer Alexander Golitzen, along with art director Eric Orbom and set decorators Russell A. Gausman and Julia Heron, does superb work with the set pieces such as the homes of the Romans as well as the Senate room as well as the tents that the slaves live in during their trip towards the sea.
Costume designers Valles and William Ware Theiss do nice work with the costumes from the robes that the Romans wear to the more rugged clothing of the slaves. The sound work of Joe Lapis, Ronald Pierce, Murray Spivack, and Waldon O. Watson is fantastic to capture the intimacy of the Senate meetings as well as the big scenes in the film‘s climatic battle. The film’s music by Alex North is amazing for the bombast that is created in its orchestral presentation as well as more serene and sweeping score pieces to help play out the drama.
The film’s ensemble cast is phenomenal where it features some notable small roles from Woody Strode as the African gladiator Draba, John Ireland as the gladiator Crixus, Herbert Lom as the Cilician envoy Tigranes Levantus, Charles McGraw as the brutish gladiator trainer Marcellus, John Dall as Crassus’ friend and military leader Marcus Glabrus, Nina Foch as Glabrus’ wife Helena, and John Gavin as a young Julius Caesar who tries to deal with the role that he’s set to play. Tony Curtis is brilliant as the young slave Antoninus who provides Spartacus a world outside of violence with stories and songs as he becomes a son of sorts for Spartacus. Peter Ustinov is great as the businessman Batiatus who deals with the rebellion that he unknowingly caused as well as Crassus’ cruelty where he deals with humility but gain something far more valuable.
Charles Laughton is superb as Gracchus who tries to create many political maneuvers to usurp Crassus only to deal with the dark future that lies ahead where he would make moves that would redeem him. Jean Simmons is wonderful as Varinia who would become the woman that would be on Spartacus’ side and broaden his view about a life that could be so much more. Laurence Olivier is fantastic as the villainous Crassus who is cunning in his ambitions but also insecure about the fact that someone like Spartacus could ruin things where Olivier displays a great presence as well as make his character larger than life. Finally, there’s Kirk Douglas in a magnificent performance as the titular character where Douglas displays a lot of charisma to the character as well as something that is larger than life. Douglas also display a sensitivity to the character that balances the kind of man Spartacus is where it’s really one of Douglas’ great performances.
Spartacus is an exquisite yet majestic epic from Stanley Kubrick that features Kirk Douglas in a towering performance as the titular character. Armed with amazing images, Dalton Trumbo’s complex screenplay, thrilling music, and a top-notch supporting cast that includes Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, and Tony Curtis. It’s a film that is definitely carries a lot of strong themes about rebellion and oppression as it is still relevant more than 50 years since it’s release. While it may not be a film that features a lot of visual attributes of Kubrick, it is still a very strong to film to be engrossed by. In the end, Spartacus is an incredible film from Stanley Kubrick.
Stanley Kubrick Films: Fear & Desire - Killer's Kiss - The Killing - Paths of Glory - Lolita - Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb - 2001: A Space Odyssey - A Clockwork Orange - Barry Lyndon - The Shining - Full Metal Jacket - Eyes Wide Shut
Related: Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures - The Auteurs #18: Stanley Kubrick
© thevoid99 2012
