Stanley Kubrick directed a cast of screen legends-including Kirk Douglas as the indomitable gladiator that led a Roman slave revolt-in the sweeping epic that defined a genre and ushered in a new Hollywood era. The assured acting; lush Technicolor cinematography; bold costumes and visceral fight sequences won Spartacus four Oscars?; the blend of politics and sexual suggestion scandalized audiences. Today Kubrick's controversial classic; the first film to openly defy Hollywood's blacklist; remains a landmark of cinematic artistry and history.