''Spartacus'' is a 2004 North American

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

directed by

Robert Dornhelm Robert Dornhelm (born 17 December 1947 in Temesvár, Romania) is an Austrian film and television director. Biography Dornhelm is of Jewish descent. He has worked on numerous television programmes and has also released such movies as ''Echo P ...

and produced by Ted Kurdyla from a teleplay by

Robert Schenkkan Robert Frederic Schenkkan Jr. (born March 19, 1953) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1992 for his play '' The Kentucky Cycle'' and his play '' All the Way'' earned the 2014 Tony Award ...

. It aired over two nights on the

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Mad ...

, and stars Goran Visnjic,

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from the popular children's story '' Whistle Down the Wind'' to the " kitchen sink" dram ...

(in his final television appearance), Angus Macfadyen,

Rhona Mitra Rhona is the name of: * Rhona Adair (1878–1961), British golf champion * Rhona Bennett (born 1976), American singer, actress and model * Rhona Brankin (born 1950), Labour Co-operative politician and Member of the Scottish Parliament * Rhona ...

, Ian McNeice, Ross Kemp and

Ben Cross Harry Bernard Cross (16 December 1947 – 18 August 2020) was an English stage and film actor. He was best known for playing Billy Flynn in the original West End production of the musical ''Chicago'', and his portrayal of the British Oly ...

. It is based on the 1951 novel of the same name by

Howard Fast Howard Melvin Fast (November 11, 1914 – March 12, 2003) was an American novelist and television writer. Fast also wrote under the pen names E.V. Cunningham and Walter Ericson. Biography Early life Fast was born in New York City. His mother, ...

. The plot, setting, and costumes are nearly identical to those of

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

's 1960 version; however, this adaptation follows Howard Fast's novel more closely than does Kubrick's film. (Two of the more noticeable omissions from the new adaptation are the "I am Spartacus!" scene and the reunion of Spartacus and his wife after the battle.) The miniseries is shown as a story a woman narrates to her son, who are later revealed to be Spartacus' wife and son. A notable piece of dramatic license has Spartacus' son born exactly at the moment Spartacus dies in battle. As Marcus Crassus and Pompey Magnus are being proclaimed co-consuls, the announcer calls Rome an Empire, when it was still a Republic at the time. However, in contemporary Latin, the meaning of “Imperium“, empire, just meant area where one exercises power.

Plot

The Gaul woman Varinia (

) and her village are attacked by the Romans. Her entire village is taken into slavery, and she is sold to Lentulus Batiatus ( Ian McNeice).

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprisin ...

( Goran Višnjić), a Thracian slave condemned to the mines, attempts to protect another slave. Spartacus is nearly crucified before Batiatus purchases the man. Spartacus and a handful of other slaves are brought to Batiatus' '' ludus'' to be trained as gladiators. Spartacus and the other slaves are brought to the gladiators to eat, where he meets Nardo ( Chris Jarman), Draba (

Henry Simmons Henry Oswald Simmons (born July 1, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie in the ABC superhero drama series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2014–2020) and Baldwin Jones in the ABC police drama se ...

) and David ( James Frain). Before a fight breaks out between Draba and Gannicus ( Paul Telfer), they are stopped by their trainer Cinna ( Ross Kemp).

Cast

* Goran Višnjić as

as Antonius Agrippa * Angus Macfadyen as Marcus Crassus *

as Varinia, Spartacus' wife * Ian McNeice as Lentulus Batiatus * Paul Kynman as

Crixus Crixus was a Gallic gladiator and military leader in the Third Servile War between the Roman Republic and rebel slaves. Born in Gaul, he was enslaved by the Romans under unknown circumstances and trained as a gladiator in Capua. His name means " ...

* Paul Telfer as Gannicus * James Frain as David *

as Draba * Chris Jarman as Nordo * Ross Kemp as Cinna *

as Titus Glabrus, based on Gaius Claudius Glaber * Niall Refoy as Publius Maximus, based on Publius Varinius * George Calil as Pompey Magnus * Richard Dillane as Julius Caesar

References

External links

* * {{USANetwork Shows 2004 television films 2004 films American biographical films Films set in ancient Rome Films set in classical antiquity Depictions of Spartacus on television USA Network original films Cultural depictions of Marcus Licinius Crassus Gladiatorial combat in fiction Films directed by Robert Dornhelm 2000s English-language films 2000s American films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links