Spartacus by M Winkler & Big Screen Rome by M S Cyrino

[Viventius]

Don't know if anyone's interested, but I've just come across these two publications:

Spartacus: Film and History
Edited by: MARTIN M WINKLER (George Mason University Virginia)
Introduction: Martin M. Winkler (George Mason University)
1. Who Killed the Legend of Spartacus? Production, Censorship, and Reconstruction of Stanley Kubrick's Epic Film: Duncan L. Cooper (Independent scholar)
2. Dalton Trumbo vs. Stanley Kubrick: The Historical Meaning of Spartacus
Duncan L. Cooper (Independent scholar)
3. Spartacus, Exodus, and Dalton Trumbo: Managing Ideologies of War: Frederick Ahl (Cornell University)
4. Spartacus: History and Histrionics: Allen M. Ward (University of Connecticut)
5. Spartacus, Rebel Against Rome: C. A. Robinson, Jr.
6. Training + Tactics = Roman Battle Success: From Spartacus: The Illustrated Story of the Motion Picture Production
7. The Character of Marcus Licinius Crassus: W. Jeffrey Tatum (Florida State University)
8. Roman Slavery and the Class Divide: Why Spartacus Lost: Michael Parenti
9. The Holy Cause of Freedom: American Ideals in Spartacus: Martin M. Winkler (George Mason University)
10. The Stoic Idea of Death in Spartacus: Francisco Javier Tovar Paz (University of Extremadura)
11. "Culturally Significant and Not Just Simple Entertainment": History and the Marketing of Spartacus: Martin M. Winkler (George Mason University)
12. The Principal Ancient Sources on Spartacus
Furrther details: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book ... 1405131802


Big Screen Rome
By: MONICA SILVEIRA CYRINO (University of New Mexico)
Introduction
Quo Vadis (1951)
The Robe (1953)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Spartacus (1960)
Cleopatra (1963)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
History of the World, Part I: Roman Empire sequence (1981)
Gladiator (2000)
Further details: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book ... 38&site=1_

Sounds really good :!: I'm hoping to get review copies ...

[Narukami]

Greetings Viventius!

These books do look interesting, particularly the one on Spartacus.

Thanks for the link and the heads up.

) )

Narukami

[Viventius]

You're welcome, Narukami

I think films play a very important role in drawing new people to appreciate the Romans, and indeed different eras of history, no matter how inaccurate the movie :lol:

The Spartacus book really looks like it's attempting to put Spartacus into context on all fronts. Should be a fascinating read. And I'm chuffed A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum & Monty Python's Life of Brian are included in the analsyses of Big Screen Rome

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

Salve Sandra,

I think films play a very important role in drawing new people to appreciate the Romans, and indeed different eras of history, no matter how inaccurate the movie :lol:

This is more or less exactly what happened to me. At least the movie "Gladiator" triggered to delve further in the history of Ancient Rome. I wouldn't have watched the film in the first place if I hadn't had an interest in Ancient Rome already. Even though it is inaccurate esp. the gladiator scenes I still like it.

I know that Marcus Junkelmann also published a book about Hollywood movies called

Hollywoods Traum von Rom. Und die Tradition des Monumentalfilms.
(Hollywood's dream of Rome. And the tradition of monumental movies.)

Unfortunately - as usual - only available in German and that at a very high price Anyhow, for those of you who speak German here's the link to amazon.de

http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/3 ... 52-4851740

[Narukami]

Indeed, although Hollywood and History mix like oil and water, films do inspire quite a few people to dig deeper and discover for themselves what really happened.

In fact I am currently watching "I Claudius" yet again and enjoying it just as much.

Too bad Junkelmann's book is only available in German. (I have a tough enough time with English let alone German or Japanese, both of which I have studied and in neither of which was I an outstanding student.)

There are several other books listed on Amazon about Hollywood's Rome though I have not yet read them.

I can recommend "Past Imperfect History According To Hollywood" (ISBN 0805037608) It deals with more than just Rome, though it does include the films Julius Caesar and Spartacus, with some very insightful and often amusing essays by some excellent historians.

If you have not read this book you might want to seek it out -- you will not be disappointed.

:wink:

Narukami