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Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #374 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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View Spartacus film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

An enslaved gladiator leads a revolt against the power of the Roman Republic.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Enslaved Thracian Spartacus is purchased for Lentulus Batiatus's gladiator school, where brutal training and a staged fight provoke revolt. Escaped fighters gather other enslaved people and move across Italy while Roman leaders organize competing responses.

Why it belongs

Stanley Kubrick gives the slave revolt epic scale through massed bodies, landscape, political interiors, and Douglas's direct conscience-bound force.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Gladiator drills, wide military formations, practical crowds, contrasting Roman chambers, and Alex North's score separate collective rebellion from elite maneuvering—Kirk Douglas's physical legibility keeps the epic centered on human freedom.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Academy Awards4 wins1961 · official ceremony record ↗
Actor in a Supporting Role1961 · Peter Ustinovofficial ceremony record ↗

Plus 3 additional wins

Golden Globes1 win1961 · official film record ↗
Best Motion Picture - Drama1961 · Spartacusofficial film record ↗

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Film Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound—IMDb Top 250—AFI 10081
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness8.6
Engagement8.9
Ease8.4

English · Not Rated
Narrative Feature
Mood: Absorbing & Reflective