The theme of the series has always been considered in comparison with ordinary films. From my experience, I still would not compare them, but noted that the history and development of characters in the format of the series is always an order of magnitude higher, due to the banal longer time for the development of the action. This series used to the maximum the advantages of its format, as a result, we have a superbly worked out and comprehensive work, with its own world and rules.
Let's start with the actors. The selection became so successful that it turned into a cult. Many actors have become the real historical personification of their characters. The series gave fame to many previously unknown actors and still the roles in it are the best in their careers. Kingdom of Heaven to Andy Whitfield, a man who could generally bypass acting, and eventually became a real Spartacus, which has no and can not be analogues. Hannah as Batiatus is simply inimitable. In my opinion, this role is one of the most difficult in the series, and John, who previously did not actually have serious roles, coped with a hurrah. Everyone is really in their place.
The universe and the world in this series are brutal and believable. And that's no exaggeration. The whole essence of man, his soul, strength, weaknesses and vices are turned inside out. The story is about the strength of the spirit, about the existence of man in conditions where everyone is for himself and everyone is against everyone. Where the world is cruel and indifferent, where you, virtually tearing yourself from your mother’s breast, dive into an uncompromising struggle for a place in the sun. Of course, in such a world there can be only the strongest, smartest and treacherous people, the rest will not survive. The realities of ancient Rome lie perfectly today, only the cover has changed and we are fighting on the modern version of the same arena.
The best deserve the best, the worst deserve nothing. I was lucky enough to get acquainted with this work of art at a relatively early age and I was lucky because the series had the right effect on me. Of course, I did not understand the whole point at once, I reviewed it five times in my life, but still I was able to catch the essence. To this day, this work is an inspiring beacon for me to be a strong, real man, not to lose honor and dignity, be able to be friends and love and never give up. If the world doesn't care about you, you shouldn't care about it either. There is only you, your loved ones and your goal.
A real masterpiece, which may no longer be seen by the light, there are no analogues at the moment.
9 out of 10
The cherry on the cake of the series: it has become really larger, even computer graphics have improved, more Romans appear from famous historical figures and just Romans, Roman soldiers. The insurrection, the insurrection also expanded. Sex, violence, blood - as always, there is something unconventional.
At the same time, the series is still the same studio, on the nature of the shooting is not really noticed. But the influence of Game of Thrones is clearly noticeable: a slightly more successful series about dragons clearly influenced many moments in our series.
The series talks more and more about intrigue, cunning, undercover struggle and all that. There is violence against women, of course, with the implication of denying such acts. The series says a lot about the strategy of military operations, tactics in real combat. The rebels are assembling an almost full-fledged army, to which Rome responds with similar actions. Everyone wants each other to die bloody. At the same time, the heads of the warring "clans" still respect each other and try not to underestimate the enemy, which is a very non-trivial story for us.
Gladiatorial battles have finally disappeared into oblivion, although rare combat cheers and executions remained. All right. It doesn’t really matter who’s fighting for it, I think. Any warrior comes to a point where people begin to forget what it all started with... no one really wants to delve into history. It is enough to see two opponents in red and blue underpants in the ring and bet on one or the other. In modern times, too, nothing has changed, as it was in the past, and everything remains: the strong wins, the weak will be defeated, unless the Invisible commands fate to dispose of victory and defeat otherwise.
Even in the series actively use bullet time (the technique of combined shooting, which is used to create on the screen the illusion of “freeze” – Wikipedia), although short along with the traditional longer slow-mo.
Hello there. I am not a brake, I am a slow gas.
Finally got to the TV series “Spartacus”, which “Blood and Sand” and so on.
Brief conclusion: very, very, very hum. Everything that should be there: pathos, battle-blood, dynamics, drama-love and all that. With sex, though, too much is what I recently wrote about: why so much slurred (compared to porn) eroticism in an adult film? But come on, by season three, the habit stopped even rewinding. But in general, the series, of course, fire, and, uncharacteristically for Americans, not even much crooked against the story. In general, the canvas is observed, although, of course, a whole bunch of unnecessary things have been screwed up on the real story, but the norms look good, and fine.
The style, by the way, strongly resembled Zach Snyder: gray filters, a bunch of slowo, exaggerated fountains of blood, etc. That is why the statement of one friend that, they say, watch "Spartacus" and forget that the coolest series about Ancient Rome - actually "Rome", I consider untenable. These are different genres at all: “Rome” is quite real, there is no fantastic note, as in “Spartacus”.
In general, the verdict is mandatory.
PS. Very sorry for the actor Andy Whitfield (photo 1), who played the main role in the first season already being at death (cancer). He was much more suitable for Spartacus, in my opinion, than his replacement Liam McIntyre (photo 2): he was more aristocratic, and Liam was so... the collective farm appeared at first sight. Then, of course, the habit, like nothing, but still Andy was better.
A great series with great acting and a great script. If these two components are present, the work will be successful.
What kind of character is Spartacus? Who is he? How? Why rebel? After watching the series, you will get answers, somewhere primitive and standard, and somewhere very bold and interesting. The creators did more than combine all the known information about Spartacus. They came up with interesting characters of a large number of characters, and it turned out amazing. But that's not enough. The task was that the series was watched not only by geeks, but also by other viewers. The creators came up with an interesting solution. They crossed Rome with Zack Snyder's 300 Spartans. The success of this cocktail was assured.
To be interesting to watch this story, it was endowed with modern exaggerated depravity. In the series, they constantly show "tits and pussy", without end, someone with whom they copulate, in general, everything is tied up and connected with the male genital organ. To me, it all looks cheerful, interesting and funny. In addition, all this is accompanied by a permanent mat. The series was diluted with LGBT as part of the opportunity. I can say that only in this product of cinema there are characters of this orientation, which I sincerely experienced. The reason is simple, they're gay, they act like men. It all looked, again, funny and funny. There's a lot of pathos in the show! He clearly migrated from the movie "300 Spartans." Brutal pumped men, one another more beautiful sexy girls, unrealistic fights with a lot of blood, unrealistic graphics, heavy soundtrack – all these are the main components of this series. How will the modern mass viewer look without this? Right, no way.
From all this we can conclude that this is a historical action movie, but this is not all. I have already written above about interesting characters, and if they are interesting then it is not just an action movie. There are no ordinary characters like, “I’m good because I’m good and I’m bad because I’m bad.” Everyone has a rich story, written by very smart writers to me. So smart that I forgive all the nonsense in the series, which was a lot. The rubbish, of course, is mainly historical certainty. No matter how the creators claim that the series is historically accurate, it is not. All this, again, so that you are more immersed in this world and begin to worry more about the main characters. You should understand that almost all filmmakers think in images and try to make everything beautiful on the screen. I don’t care how it looks, the main thing is that it is beautiful. Personally, I’m not a supporter of this kind of thinking, but, again, because of the script and the most powerful drama, and I didn’t care.
For those who are familiar with this historical figure, don’t rush to say that you know everything perfectly well, and you don’t need to watch it. This series will convince you of the opposite, without abandoning the canon. Again, because of the script. They were able to create a real tragedy!
10 out of 10
While watching each episode of this series does not leave the feeling of longing and the impression that all its characters are cursed. Starting with Spartacus, who seems to do everything very intelligently and correctly, but always, one way or another, suffers and even when he becomes famous, and then completely wins the long-awaited freedom, the desire to be in his place for the viewer will definitely not arise, because in the next episode he is waiting for a new tragedy and so on until the bitter end of all this drama. Batiata and his wife, too, the tongue will not turn to be called successful people, because no matter what they do, no matter how hard they try and no matter how it seems that their plan is just perfect, no one will be happy in this story. Incredibly, the curse of this series spread even beyond the set and struck the actor who played the role of Spartacus himself - Andy Utfield (who was suddenly diagnosed with cancer immediately after filming the first season).
Of course, many viewers will say that this drama is the highlight of the series and partly will be right, but I believe that without many particularly cruel and unnecessary moments, the show would not have been worse and it is rather bad work of writers and others who decided that it is better to simply amaze the viewer than think than to fill the airtime - just like the Roman nobility, who preferred to entertain people with low-level spectacles, simplifying the tasks of the board and the show did not get average ratings just because the actors compensated for many gaps and shortcomings with their beautiful performance.
- There's a lot of illogical stuff in it. Fans of elaborated plots and heroes should periodically be furious with stupidity;
- To the real story of the uprising, the series has a very remote relation. Do you want historical authenticity? Watch the series “Rome”, you are clearly not here;
- The sea of pathetic speeches to the place and not to the place;
- The role of actors-rockers in places is extremely doubtful;
- After the first season of the main character plays another actor. Yes, with some reservations, he looks like a face, but his body is far from the original. Especially when watching the second season, I was constantly wondering, “How can this hulk carry everyone left and right?” This thing greatly spoiled the impression, since in the first season the original actor was good and perfectly fit into the role.
The graphics in the first two seasons are such that you want to gouge your eyes out. It’s like 300 Spartans, but the difference is huge. Sometimes things are so bad that you want to laugh in your voice.
- I am not homophobic, but gay sex scenes are too much for everyone.
Pros:
- A lot, a lot of blood and fights with a fairly good staging;
- Lots of beautiful eroticism;
- The plot moves very cheerfully, there is always something happening and it is incredibly interesting. “This is a turn” is enough and half of them are not so easy to read in advance.
Mmm. Everything.
Most likely, through the eyes of critics and people with a delicate nature, this series is terrible, and in principle, the series is far from ideal. But I've watched it three times exactly. Maybe more. These “plebeian” advantages forced me to close my eyes to all the “intellectual” disadvantages. So turn off your brain and enjoy the spectacle.
10 out of 10
Roman idiots, gladiators, slaves and a clever one-legged Syrian.
I watched season 1 and can say that this is not a story about Spartacus, the leader of the gladiator slaves and a fighter for the great idea of freedom and equality in the Roman Republic, but a story about a gladiator-degenerate with the intelligence of a child and the same children’s values and beliefs! The whole series is stuffed with some non-historical Hollywood comedy about a mentally retarded homeless man from the Thracian tribe, who all season thinks about his wife and love, like all gladiators in the series. Occasionally, the fake effigy of historical Spartacus, having eaten mushrooms and getting high, begins to see the dead wife and his friend. Even the only gladiator, Crixus, who at first seems to be the most adequate of all and has the main purpose and value of fame and prestige in the amphitheater, by the end of the series turns into a weak-willed drooling dog, who suddenly finds himself fighting and winning for one slave-servant and all his will depends on her!! The most serious and holistic characters are the gladiator trainer, the owner of the gladiator school and the Syrian servant with one leg. Only in these characters is there any logic and less significant motives and goals of their actions. The rest of the characters are simply not able to be complete personalities, they all think with a fifth point and emotions. In general, the series is completely built on female intrigue, sex, “love” and all-consuming illogical idiocy. Blood and graphics in the series is not just a lot, by the middle of the season, it already sucks. Watch the series if you are interested in the life of ancient Rome, the arrangement of the life of the nobility and slaves. The series is also very colorful.
Spartak is the 2nd major role of my favorite actress Lucy Lawless, shown on the Russian screen after Xena. The role of Lucretia is the opposite of that of Xena. Lucrezia is a bitch who, in order to achieve the goal, will go if not all, then much. But she also has positive qualities. She is very fond of her husband, to marry whom she gave up her family and suffered humiliation all her life because Batiatus' family was rich and she was not. She exasperates any disrespect for her husband, and most of all, the inability to give her husband an heir and successor of the family. She loves her friend very much, the disappearance, which plunged her into depression.
Now, why did I not like the series?
When it came out, all of Lucy's male fans were thrilled to see what couldn't be shown in Xen, namely the nude scenes performed by Lucy. Erotic scenes in the film are good Lucy showed that she had nothing to be ashamed of in her years.
But from my point of view, there are too many sex scenes almost every minute of someone. It seemed that in Rome at that time there were only 2 things: spend time in the arena and have sex, or watch others do it.
The second reason I didn’t like the series was the abundance of special effects, which gave the film a fantasy character rather than a historical one. Well, a person, especially as frail as an actor who plays Spartacus, can not jump 5 times higher than his head.
In general, Spartacus is kind of sluggish and certainly does not attract the famous leader of the uprising. This can be attributed to the feelings of the death of his wife, which, of course, is his fault. Or maybe it was a terrible disease with which the actor fought and lost. But anyway, I was more interested in watching Crixus. And the boy and the slave love line are pumped up on him. Slaves are also loved, but their happiness is fleeting and entirely curled with the favor of the owners and it is a pity that this happened, a beautiful couple. And "registered" the character of Crix is much better, that's who the Leader would come out of.
Now, "rebellion." Rebellion, it didn't seem like much. No organization, no training, no training, everything happens lightning fast in a matter of seconds and more like the actions of a gang of thugs, the purpose of which is to rob and kill for their own profit. But the series was declared as historical and for all fans and connoisseurs of history, I think it was interesting to see not special effects and not bed scenes, but the life of that time, and of course the uprising liberation of Rome, and then the whole country. Unfortunately, this is not shown in the series. No, I understand that the series will not show everything, but personally I have an unpleasant residue from what the creators of the series called Spartacus reduced the story.
Negro gladiator Enomaj: “Your blood will look down on the sand of the Arena!”
Basically, this quote from Season 1 contains... as the Romans would say, the “quintessence” of what people with brains need to know about this series. And people without a brain have written quite a lot of “green” reviews, and it is too late to explain to them the monstrous absurdity of this phrase.
In principle, the 1st season is a fascinating sight, if you look at the rewind. The director – a true innovator! – invented a win-win cinematic technique: 50% of all action is shown in slow-mo. Not wanting to be known as a retrograde, I also want to be innovators and modernists and suggest for the next series an even more avant-garde move: to shoot everything in slo-mo in general, including dialogue.
Although the first season is interesting in that the greatest sympathy in it is caused by the only (including subsequent seasons) character with the most drawn character: not Spartacus, but working on the verge of ruin businessman Lentullah Batiat. Bravo, John Hanna! Here is a person who is really trying to work and fit his business into the system of the Roman Republic (also nonsense, of course, but will think that in the series ALL characters are fictionalized by withdrawal writers), and does not dance under the ceiling in slo-mo, does not shout “SPARTAA!!!!” (pardon, this is from another opera, in the series just shout “AAA!”).
Spartacus is not lucky at all: the novel by Giovanjoli has not been filmed, Stanley Kubrick - purely on "fuck" - helped to shoot a western based on the weak and biased on the American realities of the 50s novel by American Howard Fast, and in this series all the sympathies are on the side of the only man, and not the hero of the comics: the vile lanista Batiatus.
From the second and third seasons begins such a thrash of the brain: the son of Crassus, who in real history learned and brought Caesar to brilliant officers, this very Caesar is raped by the back and homosexually (thus choreographing his career in RI), and the battles finally slide into the battles of the ninjuks of the Ukushuists (rebels) and a weakly strong team in cardboard armor (legionaries).
So: the story in the series there is no word at all, fights resemble cheap animeshki (simply put, “multi-pulti”), there is no sense either.
Watch for fans of anime and super-ninja - in combat" the series is somewhat similar to "House of Flying Daggers", but this film does not reach.
Watch for lovers of thrash.
And also for lovers of alternative (Strongly alternative) history: moments to slap yourself on the forehead and yell: "Yet you can mock history!!" - you will have enough:
“Vikings” and “Game of Thrones” will remain in the gold fund of the series, they will be reviewed many times... perhaps in a hundred years they will decide to rewrite on new 4D media, and this stuff – so, turn on anywhere, freak out, rust and turn off.
Behind a thick layer of media serial space sometimes hides exceptional examples of an excellent example of how to present material. While viewers are waiting for the next season of “Game of Thrones” and “Rick and Morty”, and in theaters there is a continuous kitsch, such a beautiful series is found on the back of the Starz channel. Valor and honor, loyalty and loyalty are instantly mixed with vice and betrayal, pride and recklessness. No, it doesn't knock the story off the ground or lead to illogicality. On the contrary, series after series is fueled by a heated interest in each character. You begin to love someone and hate others. And, perhaps, Spartacus: Blood and Sand copes with this in the best way. All 13 episodes pull you for all the available emotional threads, making series after series love the series more and more.
But all the virtues do not end there. When the battles in the gladiator arena come into play, nothing will stop. And although at first due to a modest budget, we see very clumsy effects, where blood simply layers on people's faces in a terrible way, it does not lose much effect from this. In addition, the creators subsequently strained with this, experimenting series after series with the staging of fights, the effect of slow-motion, the camera angle, giving the series the best and best quality. Of course, without missing the most juicy scenes. At times, people's blood is pouring out of a bucket, severed limbs and released guts - yes, eerie, but believable. If there's violence, there's nudity somewhere nearby. And not just naked, but the most naked sex. The creators of the series go much further, because their goal is not to entertain the viewer with naked actresses, that is, just to show porn, no. Their goal is to show the dirty Rome in all its glory, to show human vices and lust in the most believable way.
Rome itself is very authentic. All the attributes are present. Slaves, gladiators, nobles, rich palaces and costumes - everything instantly plunges into the great Rome - a city ruled by the gods themselves. The only thing I can do is complain about it. It's a bit of a cut in the eye. Gods are loved and honored here. They worship and fight in their honor. The Colosseum is really good: people begging for bread and circuses, gladiators going to death for fun, courage and honor. It is in the center of the Colosseum that the whole plot is mainly concentrated. In a place where the most important and responsible deeds of the nobility are solved, in a place where the life of a simple slave can change overnight.
The actors are great. They are simply bathing in the material. That Andy Whitfield, who played Spartacus, that John Hanna, who played Batiatus Lintoul, are phenomenal. The characters are well written. You always empathize with one and hate the other. Incredible imagery. The role that one, the other absolutely sits as infused. The constant emotional heat from them and blows, burning everything in its path. The music is very organic. The atmosphere of blood, sweat and sand just burns the ear. Throughout all 13 episodes there are no obvious saggings. The series correctly prioritizes entertainment and drama, character development and sex. The script is brilliant, you can't say anything. Absolutely perfect example of a powerful and intelligent spectacle. Earth to you, Andy Whitfield, you were a wonderful actor.
1. History! In this case, the story of the legendary uprising of the gladiator Spartacus and a huge army of slaves under his command in ancient Rome.
2. To refuse the film and to shoot the series, this decision allows you to more reveal the characters and the story itself.
3. Since we have a series based on real events, we need more historical personalities!
4. Choose an excellent cast, a great composer and experienced directors, because almost everything depends on them.
5. The rest depends on the work of costumers, editors, operators and other people who play an important role.
6. A script that will cling to the soul, which will make you attach to the characters and worry for them in difficult moments of their journey.
And since I have listed these points, it is not difficult to guess that all these elements are present in the TV series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand".
The actors are good, many of their cast became popular after the release of the series and quickly dispersed to other projects. In a few seasons, you get very attached to them. Someone causes sympathy by doing justice, someone is just damn charismatic, someone is a selfish scoundrel, played by a beautiful actor.
The main thing that attracted me was the historical authenticity. It so happened that my knowledge allows me to accurately say how much the series follows the historical chronology of that event. It's so commonplace that projects are rarely identical with the real story, sometimes just because writers are idiots, but sometimes for quite objective reasons. If every movement of Spartacus was just licked and thrown on the screen (hello to Zack Snyder), it would be uninteresting for those who know history. In the series there are almost all historical figures, the movement of the army of Spartacus is recreated decently, but other moments are pleasing. For example, if a conditional moat in real events was dug in such and such a place, then in the series it will also be, but under different conditions. Such nice things writers do repeatedly and in these moments you realize, here it is, a miracle! Thank you.
In order to show the world before the birth of Christ, it took a rating of 18+, which allowed to reveal all the worthlessness of human life, all the dirt they had to use. A large number of pornographic scenes, to be more precise, it is very large, they are here in each series. Here we have homosexuality and various kinds of sadomia, rape and other strange things.
I would also like to focus on operator work. The guys worked hard, especially in season 3. The effect in which everything freezes and the camera makes a 360-degree rotation seems simple, but how it organically fits into what is happening on the battlefield.
On the way out we get one of the best series in its genre!
This series can be doused with dirt as much as you want and as you like. It’s just like being admired and admired. Yes, the work is done so to speak on modern views, tastes and effects of influence on the viewer: musical accompaniment, external indicators of actors and actresses, frank scenes of love, sex, violence, dialogues and statements, battle scenes, etc. All this is worked out clearly, to every detail of the modern aesthetics of the look. And here, and there are two options for feeling from watching the series, or the viewer has aversion to everything he saw: How can you look at all this?! There's only sex and liters of blood! Where's the story?! One fake and special effects! and so on. Or the viewer has a feeling of a worthy series of the present time. And so we can say about most works, where the audience is divided into "far from each other extremes." Here I think a well-known phrase is appropriate – how many people there are so many opinions. And then these opinions are grouped in extremes.
As far as I'm concerned, it's positive, and I'll tell you why. This series is about the largest rebellion in the history of the Roman Empire, a performance led by the Thracian Spartacus, which lasted almost three years. These events went down in history as the rebellion of Spartacus, the third largest slave uprising in Rome after the first and second Sicilian uprisings. About the production, plot and acting, directing, camera work, you can read "green" reviews, where the audience, in which I agree, highlight a very good work. I want to say something else, namely the idea at the beginning of the review that the directors made the series in a modern way.
Everyone knows that the modern world has not reached its “maximum” of development, but has reached a very high level. Modern technology, modern industry, the development of all areas and profiles, people can lie on the couch, doing a bunch of actions in parallel through a high-tech device, people can be for some hours of flight in different parts of the world, see, hear and talk from thousands of kilometers with each other, have the opportunity to learn everything they want to know. We see all this now. That's who we are.
So, living in this modern world, we see repetitive, as some cyclical phenomenon, certain actions and actions of people. Turn on the TV and the same because in the 90s watched the First channel that now, only here the places change, and there are in the same place. There is a war for power, people are killed there, drug addiction is planted there, alcoholism is there, there is a revolution, there is a pogrom, there is corruption, there are processions of sexual minorities and many other “out there” are happening. The television was not invented.
So concluding parallels with the series and shown time of the Roman Empire, the history of which lasted 16 centuries. According to well-known facts, ancient Rome was one of the most powerful civilizations in the history of mankind. There is so much that is happening and happening then. Corruption of power at all levels, slavery (at this time I believe that material slavery is taking place), political strife, wars for the throne, for inheritance, for land, poverty, injustice, prisons, non-traditional orientation of people. We can go on forever. People have always had and will always have qualities, habits and will remain regardless of time: a feeling and a thirst for power, profit, the life of wealth, the desire for a goal in spite of conscience, honor, prudence, humanity.
Returning to the “modern view”, there is nothing modern in the actions of a person in the series, there is only a modern so-called trend, action, which is amenable to criticism. Yes, colors and effects prevail, which stand out brightly, all kinds of current “labels” are imposed. But then the reality of the human being is shown.
No one wants to be a slave, to be imprisoned, to be dependent on the master, to be in fear, not to have freedom of choice, to live in endless humiliation. Spartacus became the image of freedom. Spartacus inspired millions of people who fought for equality and justice. He has always left a mark on the history of mankind.
The series is not for everyone it is clear, but if the series after watching will leave a strong impression and emotions, the series you like me.
Three years have passed since I watched the last series of this, in my opinion, masterpiece. It has been so long, but I still watch this series at least once a year, and I do not stop watching it. How many discussions and simple arguments have I had about whether this series is bad or good, and in every discussion or argument I have participated as obsessed with proving the absolute superiority of Spartacus over other creations of cinema. But in the end, any idea to convince those who disagreed with me came to no. Why? Because for myself, I understood one simple thing – people who believe that “Spartacus” is a set of stupid cliches, clichés, that it is a collection of pornographic videos, a stupid “mesilov” with a sea of blood and historical inconsistencies just need to either find fault with something, or these people are really connoisseurs of high art, preferring to watch the next “blockbuster” to visit the theater and watch how the scene unfolds not just “action”, but a true drama that allows you to demonstrate a deep acting game that is not distracted by “action”. Now I don't argue with the dissenters, but smile and say, "It's just not for you." I chose the first season for review for the simple reason that it was the beginning of my exciting journey of four seasons.
I’ll give up thinking about plot interweaving, fighting scenes and drama, because on this topic I can write, without exaggeration, a dissertation, that’s how I was struck by these components of the picture, because if you say that they are delightful, it’s not to say “b” anything.
This series is not just about sword battles and bed scenes, it is a series about boundless honor, about love that knows no limits, about boundless courage, about endless human vices, about indomitable will and vile cowardice. At the end of the day, this series is about not dividing things in the world into good and evil, because certain characters clearly show it and if at a certain point you think: What a beast!, then after a few episodes you even begin to sympathize with this character.
I have absolutely no complaints about acting!Why? Yes, because what is happening on the screen makes you believe what is happening, makes you feel what is happening, makes you either splash your hands with indignation or delight, or cry bloodthirsty, or shed tears.
A few words about the actors playing Spartacus himself. I was very, very saddened by the fact that Andy Whitfield left the project for all known reasons, as his Spartacus was flawless in every aspect. And I was very skeptical about the new cast member, Liam McIntair. But it is worth crediting that Spartacus McIntair is no less flawless. Andy and Liam played two different Spartans, and you can’t compare them at all. Whitfield played an unbending man who survived all the blows of fate. A man who, despite his losses and unbearable pain, became a hero and a legend. Andy Whitfield showed us the real drama. Liam showed us another Spartacus, he showed us a warrior, commander and leader who inspires terror to enemies and inspires hope in his people. So both Spartacus are absolute in their own way.
“Spartacus” will forever remain in my heart and I am convinced that I will always say that this masterpiece is my favorite series.
Do I recommend watching it? Of course I do, but remember one thing: It may just not be for you... If you know what I mean.
Spoilers in the prologue for a long time discouraged my desire to review the first season and watch the next, but ultimately, the desire to familiarize with the expanded version took its toll. I will immediately suggest that we are talking about a version that is released only on discs (and, most likely, never released in our country), you can find it in the translation of LostFilm (forced subtitles for extended scenes). And yes, the “Gods of the Arena” is worth watching first, because the spoiler in them is purely historical (I think everyone knows that Spartacus rebelled?), and after them the story of the first season is much more interesting.
The main advantage of the series is that Spartacus is a great gladiator, a legend. The historicity here may not be perfect, but at key points it is very worthy. In principle, I would call it an artistic adaptation of real events, since the so-called "artistic adaptation of real events". The legends of the arena and Theocles, of course, are not realistic, but they are just background characters that do not affect the main plot of the series. True, the plot itself is also not always logical (for example, how can you confuse naked Spartacus and Crixus?), and the blood is too computerized, but for this I will lose two points, no more, since it practically does not affect the pleasure of viewing.
Otherwise, the idea rests on two elements: sex and violence. In fact, they are subject to the entire narrative – from the selection of actors to dramatic scenes. Some may say that this is mediocre and designed for anxious teenagers, but this is not true, since anxious teenagers do not need to watch any series in the age of absolutely affordable pornography for every taste.
I believe that the series is designed for those (and they will like it) who want to see sexual slavery, sex with gladiators, and so on. Not for the sake of sex per se, but because power-hungry people with virtually unlimited power over other people cannot help but use them for their own satisfaction. Similarly with blood, gladiator fights are a place where cutting off an opponent’s head, putting it on a sword, and showing the crowd is the norm, not the age rating. It turned out that I got exactly what I expected from this era. Plus the story of her legendary personality as a basis, which is a priori cool!
8 out of 10
The first two parts (' Gods of the Arena', 'Blood and Sand') I still liked. Intrigue, tension, bright characters. Small historical inconsistencies could be ignored.
But ' Revenge' spoiled the whole impression. The new actor could not replace Andy Whitfield. He created a bright image, McIntyre has a stilted comic book hero, of all acting skills only the ability to make a meaningful facial expression when he carries a pathetic blizzard.
In terms of credibility, I'm just lying on facepalm from series to series. It's not Rome at all, it's not history at all, it's some kind of cheap 'heroic' vanilla for teenagers. The Romans are depicted caricatured, no penumbras and additional images, each gladiator is a legendary hero who will probably destroy the legion alone. And whatever they do, it works. Destroy a dozen mines, find a slave among thousands? No problem. Attack with the same ten or two on the fortified city, burn the arena and leave with prisoners - no question. It is good that Bruce Willis was not put on the role of Spartacus - it would have destroyed Rome at the end of the season.
This is not Spartacus, this is a comic book about Superman, placed in ancient times. I don’t even want to start watching next season.
It is good that there is a cinema that shows us certain events of the past years, illuminating history in a modern wrapper. And this is the series about the famous Spartacus Rebellion, where there is everything that was then and still is in human souls: betrayal, violence, love, cruelty, kindness, friendship, courage, valor, etc. At first, I thought it was a typical head-cutting urinary, where action is first and last, but after the first series, the series begins to simply absorb all free time and each series is well thought out.
The directors very qualitatively presented us Antiquity with all the inherent cruelty, where slaves were not people, but were a thing or emptiness. Where among the weaving intrigues of the masters there is a place for true friendship, love, and faith. Making love plays an important role in this series, because it reflects only the exhilarating blood of battle and combat, and with each new season, sex becomes even more, but this is not a melodrama, but a brutal male movie. In all this beautiful wrapper there is a bit of corruption in the form of graphics, especially blood, which sometimes looks unrealistic, as if each person is not 4-7 liters of blood, but as much as 15-20, since the abundance of flowing blood looks even ridiculous. But this is a minor disadvantage, because the plot is very exciting and the situation is so shocking that sometimes you forget about blood. And yes, do not wait for documentation in Spartacus.
Actors.
All the actors played well and believe what is happening, everyone gave their all. I want to pay special attention to the deceased actor Andy Whitfield (Spartacus), who played very well. The mimics of his play, the staging of the fight dance, the whole experience is inherent in a real warrior and a free man who would give battle to a famous actor, but fate turned out differently and he died of cancer, but fought like a gladiator, and Liam McIntyre came to replace him, who played quite well. Negative characters played great, because the contempt with each series grew and grew, so the effect produced by the actors resulted in hatred of these characters. Mann Bennett played a strong and brutal mighty Gall, whom you sympathize with no less than Spartacus. And, of course, Dustin Claire (Guy Gannick), who was the main figure of the series “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena”, along with Batiatus. He imagines as a mad gladiator hungry for battle, who carelessly rushes into battle.
Results.
Spartacus is a brutal picture that reflects the life and life of Ancient Rome, with an abundance of cruelty and with a bit of good drama. The series is like a comic book, which is as colorful and bright as the movie “300 Spartans” and at the same time with a bit of drama, as in the film “Gladiator”, where in the end it all casts a good entertainment pastime.
The history of high-budget action series , shot knowingly for a wide audience, that is, in order to please the majority, may have begun with "The Amazing Journeys of Hercules" of the 90s, for which everyone is now nostalgic, remembering how in childhood they watched each series in one breath. In 2005, was filmed "Rome" with a fabulous budget, about which they write that it demonstrates not battles, but mainly palace coups, which also cannot but cause admiration - the series received an ultra-high rating, and is considered one of the best series of all time. In contrast to the “wanderings of Hercules”, intended for a viewer of any age, “Rome” can be proud of the mark “adults only”, and the latest high-budget series, shot in the genres of historical (the one that will be discussed); fantasy ( “Game of Thrones”), detective ( “true detective”), thrillers ( “Hannibal”), horror ( “The Walking Dead”), and many others. If these series belong to the genre of television (and since when do the series show in theaters?), these projects can boast high-quality camera work; if historical or fantasy - though cheap, but high-quality and beautiful scenery, as well as merciless action, staged no worse than in theatrical films of these genres! Only less computer graphics, and the landscapes are simpler, but as for "Spartacus", then in it you will observe in each series qualitatively staged gladiatorial fights and battle scenes, the cruelty of which exceeds all norms, justifying the rating of 18+, in addition, you will see the truth of Roman life, namely, unbridled orgies, in which you will be shown all the details of Roman debauchery. Spartacus. “Blood and Sand” earned popular love by the authenticity of the description of events that took place in ancient Rome.
Why did the seemingly old, classic 1960 film Spartacus lose the rating to this new series, which may well be accused of too revealing details? The answer may be the same: the old film, as well as its modern 2004 TV adaptation, featured an alternate story of Spartacus, judging by which this man was originally a slave. According to the plot of the film, he rebelled on the plantations, and when he was beaten by overseers, a slave owner who liked this obstinate slave passed by, and he bought him and made him a gladiator in his estate. The story is beautiful, of course. But it wasn't like that! In the first episode of "Blood and Sand", we see how everything really happened. Spartacus was originally a Roman warrior, and was forced to desert and carry his loyal soldiers with him, for which all were caught and sold into slavery, as was Spartacus' wife, whom he hoped to send to safety. And this is only the first series, ending with the fact that our hero was in the ludus of a certain Batiata, training gladiators, whose wife dreams of getting pregnant, but the husband is infertile, and she makes one of the slaves of her husband her sexual slave, and in the corral for gladiators, homosexuality and bullying flourish.
The first season of “Spartacus” shows in all details the everyday life of Batiatus’ estate, the passion between slaves and masters, periodically slaves have to kill each other for the amusement of the public, even if they are friends with each other, a strong gladiator rapes the weak, taking advantage of the fact that the unconventional lover of the latter died in the arena; and Spartacus wants to see his wife again, but his new cynical master orders to kill Sura simply because he wanted to. This could not continue until all the gladiators were in the arena and replaced by new unfortunates. The second and third seasons of ("Revenge" and "War of the Damned") show, in every detail, as befits the series, the very uprising of Spartacus, the relations in the rebel camp, the relations between the gentlemen who are planning to suppress the uprising. One of the friends of Spartacus goes into battle with his woman, Spartacus himself kills hated Romans with the name of the murdered wife on his lips. Dialogues of the heroes will not disappoint you, in the licensed translation there is not a single mat, but the characters talk about life so that blood boils not only during the merciless bloody action, which surpasses the famous "300 Spartans" in the number of fake blood. Each series looks in one breath, plot twists please with their frequency, and the characters with charisma, especially Crixus and Nevia. Also pleased with the return of Gannik, which appeared in the prequel for the first season (the prequel was called Spartak). The Gods of the Arena", but Spartacus himself was not there, the events in the Batiatus estate that preceded the appearance of Spartacus were shown, and the action took place only in the scenery of the Ludus, these were exclusively gladiatorial fights, and there were no battle scenes there than the prequel and is inferior to the main three seasons. The series will become a favorite among fans of historical films, who appreciate not only action in the cinema of this direction, but also the plot, dialogue and reliability of the description of real events.
10 out of 10
There's a bit of an exclusion movie in it. In any case, there is a feeling that you were fucked for the most anticipated places. Why expected? Because a lot of people like it. Even me. In this stream of nonsense, there are enough worn-out cliches, coupled with emotional and ordinary porn, that the brain enjoys the moment without too much delving into the details. By item.
The historical component kills. It's Roman cranberries. The details here are pathologically wrong, this is not HBO's Rome. Or rather, everything is very cunning: a number of details of Roman life are shown correctly, they catch the eye, but other moments all this is cut at the root. The very storyline of the "rising of Batiatus" - chickens to laugh, nonsense of pure water. In the period of the republic, not every plebeian with a lanista would have contacted, but here magistrates and senators, brr ... well, by the way, I could not understand, if they had such financial difficulties in the plot, why the hell did they maintain such an army of domestic slaves? Only the rich could afford to do that.
Actors.GG, frankly, is catchy. The Warriors' Xena (yes, that's right) is also pretty good, John Hanna is out of the competition. But some actors (read – the rest) were taken because of boobs, muscles and consent to nudity, this is a fact.
Registration. Slow mo, computer blood, etc. in the style of "300" annoying already to the second series. Of course, the effects, sex and blood are meant to dilute the plot void, but it’s too much, seriously. Lust here is almost one of the main characters. Moreover, she has the most interesting storyline, the most screen time and, if you want, a prescribed character – no one doubts the motivation of lust. And the fans are so over the edge.
Plot. Pretty solid. Is there anything else to add? Well, in some places the motivation of the characters is unclear, half of the moves are based on the mentioned lust, the characters abuse meaningless stamped dialogues, but... in general pull. GG even has a relatively well-thought-out background, and in general he is the only living person surrounded by these erogenous Kens. That is, if all this is taken seriously - it is impossible to watch, but if you put on glasses of pofigism and thirst for spectacles, it is not bad.
In general, the series is harmless entertainment. But I put a minus, because from the point of view of art it is slag.
The serial industry is developing in seven-mile steps. And once this genre was more of a launch pad for actors and only a few of them made their way to the big screen, even if their shows were successful. Needless to say, the already famous actors did not "descend" to filming in film soap.
Now it’s the opposite: movie stars no longer shy away from roles in TV series, and aspiring actors based on the results of their work in a particular show often make a successful career in big movies. There are many examples here, and this is certainly a good one.
The series become a wide platform for large-scale implementation of ideas and, in my opinion, even the full meter begins to yield to its younger serial counterpart in potential, quality and depth.
And now about the "culprit" of the review.
The creators of the series are Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, who at one time gave the world the cult "Xena - Queen of Warriors", music, by the way, was written by the same composer - Joseph Lo Duka. These guys definitely know how to make a good movie. In general, in “Spartacus” you can meet many actors from “Zena”, which is only Lucy Lawless!
For me, “Spartacus” is the quintessence of everything that makes a good movie: a combination of a brilliant plot, insanely finely written characters, tooth-bending action and exciting candor.
This is probably the best thing I’ve seen in the series.
And let the haters throw slippers at me, accusing the series of unhistoricality, liters of fake blood and strange physics, I will answer: you don't know anything, Jonysnow=)
“Spartacus” is a perfectly realized historical action movie/drama. It's like Tarantino movies, either you accept the world in which the action takes place or you don't. And it's pointless.
A well-known fact is the change of actor playing the main role, and I could not help writing about it. Andy Whitfield passed away in the prime of his life, and all seasons without him I was constantly comparing Liam McIntyre to him, who got his role. I missed Andy very much, he is a real Spartacus, a bright memory for him. Liam made it, but...
Despite the fact that in “Spartacus” shed liters of blood, the series is not perceived as meat, all the cruelty surprisingly logically fit into the overall paradigm. At the height of special effects and athletics, there are constantly physically developed people on the screen who perform dizzying stunts. Operating work by 11 points out of 10.
Intrigues, plot intricacies and the idea of fighting the oppressors cannot leave the viewer indifferent. In any case, I have remained indifferent three times and plan to revise again, now in the original language.
The morals of the Roman era are shown quite boldly, but nevertheless they cannot be called antihistorical. If you want something quite close to the story, I recommend a very decently shot series “Rome”.
In "Spartacus" the main characters are matchless, the characters are ambiguous and contradictory. Sometimes you can really sympathize with the antagonist and condemn the protagonist. There is no black and white, there is an amazing piercing story and it must be watched to the end.
10 out of 10
This magnificent epic I experienced three times from beginning to end. Every time, with a dying heart. In its grandeur, integrity and fulfillment probably nothing from the cinema pierced my consciousness.
From feelings to facts. It is based on a well-known historical event. A slave revolt led by the rebellious Spartacus. He has two aims: to punish those responsible for his losses and to rebel against Roman principles, against slavery. The first target burns him from the inside, deprives him of sleep. The second is the impulse, the rebellion against the ruthless system. The whirlwind of protest spreads with lightning speed and with the same speed multiplies the group, the army, and then the whole army of Spartacus. Fugitive slaves who dared to make Rome shudder. With this idea, they will go to the end, until the last breath.
The series is divided into 4 seasons. Military action fills the last two. The first two are devoted to the subtleties of ancient realities. We plunge into the depths of court intrigues, cruelty in satisfying personal ambitions and get used to the usual truth for that time / place: the price of everything rests on human life. It is literally a bargaining chip, whether it is a gladiator in the arena, whose purpose is to amuse the people and add points to his master, or absolutely any inconvenient person, secretly killed in the corners of the empire to achieve what he wants. Everything was paid for with life or freedom. Watching it at the same time is difficult, but always fascinating. The whirlpool of endless human games with each other makes us rethink the concept of hypocrisy. And here we get acquainted with the professionals of this business.
The actors and their characters are amazing. They are given to us in packs, managing to show the background of each, reveal from all sides. As a result, I had no choice but to understand everyone, even the most disgusting scoundrel, in my own way.
But there is no way out of balance in the world. The characters of the series do not leave him, and the idea of “paying for everything” is generously demonstrated to us.
Spartacus is a private interpretation of very long-standing events. Someone will find a lot of inconsistencies and pathos. Personally, I see a very high-quality, extremely beautiful, emotional product that does not forget about morality. All the strings of the soul were touched, I experienced admiration, burning anger and resentment, triumph, pain. Not for the heroes of the series, for the real slaves that existed and exist. This is just a dramatization, but she managed to give a clear sense of the prospect of unfreedom. And the desperate zeal of a person for her compresses the heart.
Freedom is normal for us, but it is worth remembering that it is priceless.
10 out of 10
In search of a new to watch the series, quite accidentally came across "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" and only because of the high rating and excellent reviews in the end decided to stay on this series.
In the first thing that instantly catches the eye (it just can not help but rush) is to put it mildly, weak special effects, which instead of proper admiration at first inspired more disgust. All this flying in all directions computer blood, the traces of which disappear in the next frame, various kinds of fooled, all this together seemed somehow strange and unusual. But it was only later that I realized that the whole point of the series lies in this particular style. By the way, when the guys and I were filming our short film, we also had a problem with drawing blood. In the frame it looks, I do not argue beautiful, but in the next one you need to somehow show the consequences of this blood. We did not cope with this at one time, however, as did the authors of Spartacus in some individual moments.
Also for myself, I noted that Spartak is very quickly delaying. Usually the series rock me for a long time and immerse me in their story, here I became interested in what is happening with the series of the second or third. This is a big plus for me.
Another big plus is the story told in the series. For three seasons, you will not be bored. The main characters really become relatives and at every tense moment, you worry about their future fate. Why is this happening? Because Spartacus proved to be a very unpredictable series. The narrative can change dramatically, depriving the life of the hero, who, it would seem, according to the laws of the genre should remain with the viewer until the very end. Secondly, there are really a lot of very hard and intense moments in the movie that don’t always end the way you’d like. The film has a crazy atmosphere and dynamics!
Another point that simply cannot be overlooked. "Spartacus" is a damn frank and cruel series. Violence is splashing over the edge here, and feminine and male virtues shine on every corner. This can be treated in different ways, but it is necessary to admit for the series it is very unusual.
In any case, Spartacus: Blood and Sand is a very bright, unusual, interesting series with an excellent immersion in what is happening on the screen and with a magnificent atmosphere and dynamics.
The first two seasons were “Gods of the Arena” and “Blood and Sand”. And the reason is very simple: a pretty strong plot and great actors. John Hannah was brilliant; we can say that this character pulled the cast of the series to a very high level (lucky with the delightful dubbing of this character performed by Mikhail Tikhonov). The convincing ones were Lucy Lawless and Andy Whitfield. Here the creators paid attention to the execution, because it was necessary to gather the audience.
Sadly, all of that went away in subsequent seasons. Instead of Batiatus, the creators put Ashur and Ilitia at the forefront, although they suited a secondary role, and they did not pull on the main villains. I consider it a big mistake to get rid of John Hannah, after all, the series does not pull on historical authenticity and it could be left, it would add to the film charm. And so, the series lost its big plus, and in return the creators could not present anything. Lucrezia became a passing character in the part of acting, Lucy Lawless just pulled the strap, the creators even bothered with the authenticity of her emotions - and we lost a second strong character. And Andy Whitfield... He played out towards the end of his season and was in his place.
Three characters were lost, and instead 0. A very strong blow to the quality of the series.
And many forget about the character of Spartacus performed by Whitfield. He was driven by his goals, and virtue was not the most important part of it. A negative feature of McIntyre's character is his youth - almost 10 years of difference between the actors. This is very striking. The second, merely revealing difference between the characters, is the suddenly discovered nobility of Spartacus. Where did that come from? They made Spartacus a cardboard character. All these differences repel the new Spartacus.
This is another blow to the last two seasons.
Another - extreme melodramatic plot; superficial, fabulous development of the action; depressing play of actors and the absence of strong characters.
The creators deservedly received the audience and ratings after the first two seasons and began to stamp. It’s good to have it finished in time.
For the brilliant John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Andy Whitfield, for his novelty in terms of building the series in the first two seasons.
8 out of 10
For the lost idea in the remaining seasons
5 out of 10
Spartacus. What about without Spartacus on my list? It's such a guilty pleasure. It is clear that there is no need to look for historical authenticity here, there is not much biological reliability here - ideal bodies, beautiful faces, the heroic power of warriors capable of cutting a person in half, and what about there, sometimes they almost fly here. But sorry, this is the law of the comic book genre (big hello to the City of Sins and 300 Spartans). Believability is not his strongest side. Yes, warriors here are superheroes, women are models, background scenery is not very carefully drawn on the computer, poses are pictures, antagonists are evil and insidious, the protagonists are brave and noble, and how blood splashes fountains and these rapids ... Historians are forbidden to enter here, but connoisseurs of bloody spectacle and dirty erotica - welcome! They fuck a lot. Bodies are luxurious. They fight all the time, and it can turn someone on even more than sex. Well, in parallel, Spartacus goes the well-known way, first falling into slavery and fighting in the arena of gladiators, and then raising a slave revolt. Battles are large-scale and bloody. The intrigues of the nobility are sophisticated and vicious. It’s very interesting to watch.
3 full seasons (Blood and Sand, Revenge, War of the Damned) and the prequel Arena Gods look on the same breath.
Actors are good, too. Sadly, Andy Whitfield, who played Spartacus in the first season, had cancer and died. He was replaced by Leah McIntyre, who had a hard time trying to live up to this pompous role and the expectations of the fans of the series, but I think he managed and finished the story with dignity. I want to note other bright "gladiators" - Manu Bennett and Dustin Claire in the roles of Crixus and Gannicus. Strong roles, bright actors. Antiheroes are brilliant too: John Hannah and ex-Zena warrior queen Lucy Lawless, the cunning and cruel noble Romans Batiatus and Lucretia. Everybody's good!
The series is worth watching, of course, not only for the sake of blood and nudity. Yet this story about the “man who changed everything” changed history, people, about strength of spirit and nobility, about friendship and love.
Such a strong historical figure as Spartacus could not be a source of inspiration for fiction (I, for example, like a compact story in Jan), or an attractive hero for epic adaptations (I can remember Kubrick’s picture with Kirk Douglas, although there are others). Even Moscow football club has this proud name. For many people, Spartacus is the personification of an uncompromising fighter for national equality and freedom, a brave rebel and an experienced warrior. Such ideals will always be relevant and respected. It doesn’t matter if democracy is in fashion or something else. In fact, I firmly believe that a certain number of people will always consider themselves “not free.” They were forced to question their honesty. Everyone wants to be equal and have an equal share in everything. The words of Spartacus in the final series of the project sound very right: There is no justice. Not in this world. And the proud Roman warrior Crassus agrees. Why? Because they're both boiling in the same pot. And although they occupy different sides of the barricades, everyone clearly understands that they are fighting for an idea that cannot be universal and ideal for anyone. There will always be Spartaki, Caesar, Crassus, Batiatus. And everyone can be right and wrong.
This tough and frank series is not good at all with a suspicious abundance of “ketchup” and brutal massacres on the screen, or carefully staged scenes of various love pleasures and carnal feasts, but just another. The film is very confident and clearly drawn, and then, also confidently erased the line between the master class and slaves, who are cheaper than a decent vase. The former have much and everything, the latter nothing. The first bathe in luxury, the second bend the back for a plate of lean porridge. However, the movie shows us that even the most powerful and famous of gentlemen can fall from the prince in the dirt (and in the most shameful and dirty way, saying goodbye to life in a pool of their own shit and blood), and the most doomed of the doomed to rise from the bottom to the top of the social and career ladder. It's a very good core of ideas. And it does not matter how many scenery was enough budget and how realistic some moments of fights. But they are spectacular and impressive in their execution. Especially if you remember that this is the format of a multi-series product, stretched over three seasons. High-quality multi-series product. With good music, creative directing, entertaining camera work and convincing (very often) acting. Not Scott's Gladiator, but still.
Andy Whitfield, who left this world quite early, managed to star in the first (and perhaps best) season of the series. And the Australian Liam McIntyre, who replaced the actor, at first caused unequivocal fears. If the sword he waved also with fire and excitement, then emotionally and mimically clearly lost to Andy, which was striking. Not so hot look, lacked dramatic texture. But after a few episodes, this, in principle, became almost invisible. And Spartacus himself, from a tortured and lost gladiator, as events unfolded, turned into a skillful commander with numerous problems and concerns for other people. The scale grew, the whole war began, and the strategy, from plans to overthrow the House of Batiatus and revenge for the beloved, moved to the level of deliberate and extensive military operations behind enemy lines. Will Spartacus be content to conquer Rome? Will his desire for revenge and war continue? Will he be like the ones he is fighting? Very good question. He rises repeatedly in the film.
By the way, the freedom fighters themselves and their leaders are not shown as perfect glossy heroes stomping and nodding in time. They are not hesitant to beat each other’s faces, defending their own views and the interests of the uprising. The split between Crixus and Spartacus reflects this perfectly. Let brothers and faithful comrades, united by one idea and ready to lay their heads for each other, but each will go his own way. The outcome of this decision, I think, is not a spoiler. There may be people who have not read or heard of Spartacus. But it will be difficult for them to guess the end of this interesting and bloody story. And the ending, by the way, is wonderful. It is atmospheric, picturesque, touching. It's a top flight.
All three seasons of the series look on the same breath. The film is tightly stitched and does not break up into separate puzzles, which you need to then reluctantly pick up and collect a raid. That's an absolute plus. It feels like you’re looking at a whole project. Only sawn because of the inability to place it in a compressed feature film. Bright and charismatic characters, able to easily declare themselves, become for you almost native. And to live with them all the pain, hatred, passion, really, I want. And this can apply not only to positive characters, but also negative ones. For example, the intelligent and purposeful Quint Batiatus, skillfully played by John Hannah. At the same time, in the film a wide variety of different personalities. Even among the great wars, gladiators are quite different. The pessimistic windy Gannicus, who deserved freedom, in general, received for himself a separate well-deserved season of The Arena Gods.
In my personal list, Spartacus pushed even Game of Thrones and took the deserved first place in the top of the series. It is a sight for the eyes, for the soul and the heart. After all, there are moments in the film that take the soul, make you feel the history and sincerely empathize. In those moments, you forget how much the film is a cabbage, and you remember how human and grounded it is. The other dark side of Rome is perfectly illustrated. In addition to admiration for architecture, culture, figures and orators, commanders and politicians, Rome is also disgusted by the thirst for blood, the permissiveness of the rich and their venality, and the base animal depravity. One cannot exist without the other. Just like in Kipelov's song: "What dirt, what power, and how nice to fall into this dirt." The scales swing, human lives are cut short, someone swears the gods, and someone just turned away from them, blood flows like wine from an amphora, but even in such conditions love, friendship, compassion are born. And if for some life extends beyond the borders of the republic, for others it is limited by the walls of the gladiatorial house and arena. But even there, life boils. It's full of suffering. Basically, our whole life is an arena for victories and defeats. But how to act - fight, or bow your head - everyone decides for himself.
When we meet again, I will kill you.
Nope. You can try.
That's what freedom is for.
To severe homophobes or particularly sensitive individuals with a delicate mental organization, please pass by, because in this film do not smooth out the truth.
A few things I would like to say about the series:
Debauchery: At first, I was confused by scenes with too open eroticism, which in the series was not easy to say a lot. But with each episode you watch, you begin to treat it more calmly and calmly, and after that you do not know how this series would look without this highlight. But the director inserted these moments into the plot not because of his depraved nature - he only wanted to show the viewer the real Rome that was before. In that pre-Christian era, people did not know that debauchery was bad, there was no such concept in principle. People lived for their own pleasures, sharing such ethical teachings as hedonism. Of course, the director could smooth out all these moments, but he did not want it, deciding not to veil the truth.
Special effects, details: Pay attention to the incredible sky towering over the house of Batiatus. It always looks very colorful and unusual, even unnatural.
Blood in most cases has a too light shade, does not correspond to the appearance of real blood, but in rare moments (especially in the last series in the last episode) the director decides to pamper us.
Pluses: I want to thank the filmmakers for giving us the opportunity to witness the true story of Spartacus in such a well-made film, thank you for letting some people know about this story for the first time at all.
The soundtracks were also worthwhile, some even added to their collection, if anyone wants to listen, please: Joseph LoDuca — as I know, this composer composed music.
What I liked the most was the incredible fights! There were so many of them, and without exception, they were perfect. For each fight of opponents, you watch closely, eating with your eyes every punch, every turn, parry or block that was shown on the screen. And you admire it.
At first everything seemed very banal, it seemed that you could predict any step of each character, but everything was not so simple: all scenes were built very competently and developed very interestingly, so it was not as easy to predict as it seemed; A couple of times I even gasped from an unexpected turn.
The film is not empty. It has a philosophy. Each hero’s life is full of problems they are desperately trying to fight: someone copes with, someone does not. Someone loses, someone gains. But the main thing: life puts everything in its place, everyone sooner or later gets what he deserves. The boomerang effect works.
P.S. Andy Whitfield, may the earth rest on you. He played a great role!
To be honest, the first season made a big impression on me. I was struck by the reliability of the recreation of the life of the gladiator school. I really liked the fighting. And most importantly, the complexity of the fate of all the heroes of the tape. Even negative ones. It was gratifying to see that the real characters of living people with their strength and weakness arose before you from the darkness of the past, that the division into good and bad was greatly smoothed out, for both are characteristic of performing different actions. I found acting great, realistic. It seemed that the performers of the roles completely reincarnated into those whose images they recreated. Even Enomai-African accepted, although he was, judging by his name Gaul or German, forgave the filmmakers - the language did not turn to call this image secondary.
But...
He alerted me to a number of things. It's "things," otherwise you wouldn't call it.
Well, to what, say at the mercy of the historical (at least on the subject) film so much eroticism on the verge of pornography? For what? Well, trust then his creation "Private"...
Roman society is shown to be excessively cruel. No, it wasn't created by angels. And the Romans were sinners. But not to the same extent! I had the impression that a little more and rushed all the crowd to lap the spilled blood aki vampires. Didn't they have any other interests? I know a movie is not Rome. But so to portray a great people who created a great thousand-year-old state, a powerful, albeit somewhat compilation culture, the right by which we live. It is necessary to have some personal accounts for him like a deuce in childhood in Roman history.
I cannot judge whether Spartacus could have in the end started a rebellion just because of his wife’s rebellion. Who will penetrate into the thoughts and feelings of a man who lived more than two thousand years ago? What if...
But everything collapsed after watching the prequel and the next seasons.
Erotica was annoying, even, forgive me for the prudish definition, shameless. The number of homosexual scenes just went off the charts.
For some reason, the rebels are constantly dirty, ragged. Or they broke free, basically did not wash. Couldn't they get away with it?
The Romans were reduced to a state of degrods, moral and physical. The film insists that there were no mentally normal people among them. And they were warriors, judging by the film, none at all. It is not clear why the rebels, shanking them with such ease, still hid from them. Out of habit? I've seen a lot of nonsense on screens. But to portray some of the best warriors and, perhaps, the best army in the history of mankind. You have to be completely ignorant. And it is sacred to believe that a donkey can be kicked without fear by a dead lion.
If the battles in the arena are done perfectly, then the battles are worse than the most primitive computer game. As they say, you can’t do it, don’t do it.
Spartacus, in a sense, in the cinema is very unlucky. Kubrick's film is revered as cult, but did not show rebellion. Just lofty talk. His sequel to the 90s is bitter. I remember two episodes:
- when two rebels dispersed on horses, a log on ropes broke (!) the formation of the Roman legionnaires (!!!);
- like in the final battle dressed one torn tunic (!) a Negro rebel (again? Political correctness-s!!!) dispersed armored and heavily armed legionnaires (and who would you think? Only them - cowardly and inept - something like a mop with a metal fan tied to it. Don't you? Look at this.
And now this masterpiece. Dirt, half-porn, sadism, mockery of reason.
Eh, Spartacus, Spartacus... you should know... Wouldn't he have been able to stand up then?
Only in memory of the individual strengths of the first film
2 out of 10
Who knows what about Spartacus? “The general who became a slave. A slave turned gladiator. “The Gladiator Who Challenged the Empire,” reads the slogan in Ridley Scott’s film. That’s what I (I’m sure most) know about this character. Therefore, I did not think about any chronology and documentation when watching the series. The first thing that comes to mind is the pompous characteristic of “Cinema with high testosterone levels”. Of course there is something. But later you lay it out on the shelves and you understand: the claims to Gladiator, the graphic performance of 300 and the glamorous aesthetic of Alexander, then what is the merit of the creators of Blood and Sand? Generalize, recycle and properly decorate. The result was a teleproduct tasty for a vast audience of middle managers, passionately dreaming of valor and women, just passionately dreaming.
Again, this project does not take away a certain aesthetic. Vicious, glossy. The new Spartacus is not Russell Crowe, he’s kind of from the cover of Men Health, looks right at the camera, hastily gets rid of the curls that do not make him sexual and fully meets the requirements of modernity. Marginal intercourse, palace coups, a large number of male bodies, periodic flickering of members in the frame, notes of homosexuality and an abundance of blood designed to cause maximum emotions among viewers deprived of these sensations in everyday life. Here will watch this series the average woman sighs that the knights have now moved under the barrel to a fattening husband, whose valiant successes only in online games - in principle, live on.
But to summarize, I can say that my feelings are positive. Firstly, it is impossible not to bow to the professionalism of the project marketers, who accurately caught the current mood. Secondly, I am not the most sophisticated viewer, and I can easily turn off my skepticism, it does not matter that I have already observed what is happening many times, sometimes I just want to relax. The intrigues of the house of Batiatus, although sometimes annoying with their bloatedness, still did not take much attention. Lucy Lawless is an erotic experience of my childhood, who is, damn it, forty-five and she is still cake. This series easily gets lost in the annals of cinema, but with its help you can have a good time.
Female cinema, which will also appreciate hipsters and managers who dream of valor on the way to their workplace.
I got involved in this series from the first series like never before. Having visited aliens while I was watching Spartacus, I would still keep watching. He delayed not only mega-interesting plot, stunning atmosphere and beautiful shooting. Seeing him, I had a strange feeling as if I were Spartacus. All his emotions, I felt like I shared with him. Most likely, the reason for this is the hypermegaspace game of Andy Whitfield. I think if you do a casting where all of humanity is tested, there's no actor better suited to play Spartacus than Andy. All the feelings the series conceived and more, I got. It’s a great show, but!
Andy Whitfield did not have time to shoot in all seasons, only in the first. In the first season, he took me to the maximum, and not just me. The great last episode of the first season, the last scene of the first season, she made us cry. We won't see him again. That thought never left me. The other seasons were like an ordinary, interesting series, still more interesting than all the others, and the first one was something more.
It's my favorite show. Is it better for me than Game of Thrones, Rome, the Vikings and so on and so forth? During these series you are just very interested. While watching Spartacus, you are immersed in an incredible atmosphere. The first season of the series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” is the best season of all the series that were and will be!
10 out of 10