Spartacus

Freedom is very much the theme in Kubrick's epic (Shornbare's eyes were watering after 3 hours). Freedom, and the knowledge that freedom brings. In a scene set at night, as Spartacus' army rests in its march across Italy, Spartacus talks to his lover Varinia.

Varinia:	What are you thinking about?
Spartacus:	I'm free. And what do I know? I don't even know how to read.
Varinia:	You know things that can't be taught.
Spartacus:	I know nothing. Nothing! And I want to know. I want to... I want to know.
Varinia:	Know what?
Spartacus:	Everything. Why a star falls and a bird doesn't. Where the sun goes at night. Why the moon changes shape. I want to know where the wind comes from.

The dialogue brought to mind a scene in the Wim Wenders' film Wings of Desire, where two angels reflect on what it must be like to be human. It also recalled the ending of Burn After Reading which asks what was learned from the action of the film (answer: nothing).

 

November 2010