Spartacus: Vicious v Virtuous

Philosopher Barry Lam joins Heather for a chat about Spartacus (Kubrick, 1960). Spartacus is remembered as a massive Hollywood epic, but its most dangerous idea has little to do with gladiator battles. This conversation reveals why Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 film is really about human dignity, political power, freedom, and something Roman elites can never understand. Starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, and Woody Strode, Dalton Trumbo’s screenplay emerged from the Hollywood blacklist. This might be why the slave rebellion represents more than political resistance, and the film contrasts Roman power with family, tenderness, art, education, and community. The discussion also considers Stanley Kubrick’s relationship to the film, the legacy of classic Hollywood epics, the politics of the Roman Empire, and why Spartacus still speaks to modern culture wars. Barry Lam is a professor of philosophy at UC Riverside and the Host/Producer of Slate's Hi-Phi Nation podcast.