Review of Spartacus TV Series: A Journey of Rebellion and Vengeance
Spartacus tells us the story of the defiant Thracian gladiator who rose against the odds to marshal a revolt of slaves against the Roman Republic. The series describes his life from betrayal and slavery as a gladiator, to revolution as he takes on the great Roman Empire. It describes the basic details of ancient warfare and personal enmity, from internal treachery within Roman society, and the bitter fighting around the gladiators.
It features more aspects of revolt, freedom, and social injustice. It’s a story that explores the assertions of power, commitment, and treachery set out in an era in the ancient world. It has intense and dramatic mood, with very often emotional scenes, that stay with the viewer even after the session is over. This is not only an epic of one man’s struggle for personal freedom but also a social parable of people in chains.
Spartacus has a welcoming and talented cast; popular New Zealand actor Andy Whitfield, who plays the title role of Spartacus, and Lucy Lawless, the famous star of Xena, who takes on the role of Lucretia. Whitfield portrays Spartacus in a more complex manner and it is powerful and gritty performance at the same time. Lucy Lawless is simply incredible, portraying sexual strength as well as sensitivity. As disappointing as some of the battles and action scenes are, the supporting characters rarely disappoint and shining leading actors such as the great Manu Bennett as Crixus, and the indestructible Peter Mensah enrich the script and boost the performance with their energetic portrayals. To these directors it is possible to observe that they are quite effective in drawing the viewers to the concrete reality of training grounds for gladiators, and the lavishness of Roman lords. One of the show’s large advantages is their ability to maintain relative continuity in between episodes while simultaneously delivering some of the most gripping action scenes that can be found on television.
The use of a series’ score to convey the grander aspect of the story and the emotions inherent to any given scene cannot be underestimated. Of special note is the use of massed orchestral pieces underscoring tension and drama, though never drawing attention away from the story being told.
Spartacus is stunning visually through highly stylized theatrical camera work including the use of slow motion during fight scenes and the romanticism of violence. The contrast of blood-stained battlefields with rich imagery of Roman upper-class is a perfect example of it.
The movie is well designed in terms of production; it is an accurate depiction of 71 BC Roman culture and the society that was involved in slavery. Each complex stage that has the gladiator arena and Roman villas is depicted with an excessive measure of detail, an excess of luxury and a lack of hope. There is a well-thought effort applied to making blood splatter and battle injuries adding depth to the series’ fight scenes. The effects team successfully heighten the action while not compromising on the graphic nature of such base subject matter.
Cutting is very tight and keeps pace with nature of the conflict of the episodes. These smooth changes in the scenes depict the continuity of conflict narratives in events unfolding in the life of Spartacus; thus, it does not create a scene of confusion among the audience as it is consistent in all episodes of the series.
The pacing of the series is very good, full of episodes which are filled with action sequences and relevant developments of character relation in the series Spartacus. This makes a number of audiences emotionally engaged on the seat through drama and suspense stimuli. There is also an excessive amount of violence in the script that even the word itself might seem too powerful, and its intonations might not be very appealing to everybody. It may at times be dominantly graphic in depicting violence and sexuality, though it serves the realism of the time regardless of at the cost of losing the actual feeling behind the story.|Spartacus is one of those shows that is rather interesting to watch, the action being entwined with the drama. This captures a range of feelings and poses questions about the powers that be and subversion. It tries to be more of an epic; the disillusionment, complexities of history and character relationships, and strong allegorical themes have a lasting impact. Very suggested as a recommended inspirational, violent cry of the old oppressed prepared for revolution against all odds.
