Spartacus (1960) Queer Film (B)

DIRECTOR: Stanley Kubrick

The restored Oysters and Snails scene where General Crassus (Laurence Olivier) gently informs his boyish new slave Antoninus (played by Curtis), a singer of songs, that he likes both and will, therefore, be vigorously screwing him for the duration of his “employment”. As Crassus exits his bath, this news is enough to make Antoninus run for the hills and join the growing ranks of Spartacus’ army.

And taste is not the same as appetite and, therefore, not a question of morals

Crassus to his boy slave Antoninus, a singer of songs, in “Spartacus”

This scene figured prominently in Amy Heckerling’s Clueless when Cher discovers that her dreamboat Christian is gay.

The film was adapted by the formerly blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo from Howard Fast’s novel, and, although Olivier, Charles Laughton and Peter Ustinov (Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) keep you watching, the film itself, although based on truth, comes across as one hoary cliche after another with poor Jean Simmons having to suffer many insults to both her person and her craft as Kirk Douglas chews the scenery in the title role. It’s no surprise that after the film’s completion, director Stanley Kubrick left Hollywood for good, relocating to England, where he went on to create a series of masterpieces.

Cinematography: Russell Metty

Universal

STREAMING: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+, YOUTUBE

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