AGAINST SLAVERY AND APPRESSION IN STAN LEY KUBRICK’S SPARTACUS : A MARXIST APPROACH

Martini, Palupi (2008)
Abstract
This research paper is mainly intended to analyze the movie based on its structural elements and to analyze the class struggle of major character based on Marxist perspective. The researcher employs qualitative method. In this method, the researcher uses two data sources, namely primary and secondary data sources. The primary data sources are taken from attitude, dialogue and all statement in the text of the movie which are relevant with the research. The secondary data sources are taken from the literature on theory of Marxism, review, public responses, and director’s biography that are relevant with the research. The method of data collection is library research which data are based on non human sources and the technique of data collection is descriptive qualitative analysis. Based on the analysis, the result of this study is as follows. Firstly, the structural elements and technical elements in Spartacus movie can support the theme. The director wants to deliver the theme that freedom is not given but must be struggled for. Secondly, this movie contains values that represent Marxist principles, especially on the dialectical materialism, historical materialism, alienation, class struggle, revolution and ideology.

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Spartacus is an historical Epic Movie. It is based on the 1951 historical
novel of the same name by Howard Fast. The movie is directed by Stanley
Kubrick and produced by Kirk Douglas. Douglass is not only producer but
also the actor as Spartacus. It is distributed by Universal. Moreover, Spartacus
begins shooting on 27 January 1959 and release on 6 October 1960. It takes
place in Italy but it is filmed in different place out of Italy. For example, the
beginnings of the movie with salt mine in California’s Death Valley National
Park and the battle Scenes in Spain. According to Cineaste who states in
internet that it spends an expensive production about $12 million that take 167
days to film. It premieres in New York City on 6th October 1960 with run time
184 minutes and re-release in 1967 with run time 161 minutes and again rerelease
in 1991 with run time 198 minutes. Spartacus is the name of major
character in Spartacus movie and he is a slave that revolt against slavery and
oppression in the year 71 B.C.
The film begins with slaves working in the Roman Province of Libya
where a Roman soldier whips and tells to Thracian slave named Spartacus to
go back to work. Before that, he helps a man that has fallen down. Because of
Callous treatment, he attacks and bites one of Roman soldier’s ankle. For this,
he is tied up and sentenced to death by starvation. Meanwhile, Lentulus
Batiatus (The owner of gladiatorial games) arrives to looking for recruits
Glardiator. He inspects the teeth of several slaves before finally select on
Spartacus. Spartacus is selected because he is recognized with his unbroken
spirit along his good health and physical condition. Batiatus brings Spartacus
and other slaves to Capua whereby his Gladiatoral training camp is located.
Once upon a time, Crassus with some friends visits Batiatus. He wants
two pairs of private gladiators fighting to the death. Spartacus, Crixus, Galino
and Draba are selected to entertain them. The first fighting are Crixus and
Galino, in which Crixus is win. Next, Spartacus versus Draba but Spartacus
loses. However, Draba refuses to kill him instead he throws his trident to the
audience and leaping to attack the Romans. Unfortunately, he is killed before
succeed to kill one of the Roman. As he leaves, he buys a pretty slave woman
named Varinia whom Batiatus has paired to Spartacus and they love each
other.
Spartacus sees Varinia is brought by Soldier. Mercellus said to
Spartacus that Varinia have been sold to Crassus then Spartacus shouts that
“Varinia is sold”. Meanwhile, Marcellus whips Spartacus mouth and shout
that “Slaves don’t speak in the kitchen!”. In broken heart at his loss of Varinia
and Callous treatment, Spartacus and the other slave rebel and escape from
Batiatus house. They seize Capua and rob Romans property than go to
Vulvius Mountain. Spartacus’ plan is going to by sea and he cooperates with
Cicilian pirates with pays them with slaves’ plunder.
Along their way, Spartacus and the slaves looking for the people who
want to join with them. Beside that, Spartacus meets Varinia and they life
together till Varinia pregnant.
When slaves arrive in the coast, they don’t find one of Cicilian ship
because they have been bought by Crassus. He knows Spartacus’ plan from
disgusted Ceasar who leak Ghraccus’ secret that he helps Spartacus in order to
Crassus loses opportunity in public election.
The climatic battle begins with Spartacus leading thousands slaves
against Garrison of Rome that lead by Crassus. During the fighting, the slaves
enjoy some success, but later, the slave forces are to be weak because of the
arrival of the armies of Pompey and Lucullus. The battle result is the defeat of
the rebellious slaves. Roman Soldiers catch some survivors, including
Spartacus and Antonius.
After the battle, Crassus promises to spare Rebel slave if they can
show where Spartacus is. Spartacus and Antonius stand up, at the same time,
but before Spartacus admit who is he, Antonius shouts “I’m Spartacus!”.
Meanwhile, one by one, each surviving slaves stands and claims to be
Spartacus with shouting out “I’m Spartacus!”. For that, Crassus asks to the
soldier to crucify survivor along Appian Way. In addition, he wants Antonius
who his ex-servant and Spartacus who he is still remember face and name in
Capua as Spartacus to be crucified for the last and they must fight in gladiator
arena. Crassus takes Varinia to his house in order that she will be his mine. In
other hand, Varinia brakes Crassus’ heart. For that, Crassus is very impatient
waiting for next day when Antonius and Spartacus is crucified for the last. He
insists them to fighting as Gladiator and declares that the winner will be
crucified. So, between Spartacus and Antonius try to kill each other, in order
to spare his companion a slow and agonizing death on the cross. Spartacus
wins the battle and crucified for the last time.
Before Gracchus commits suicide, he asks Batiatus to steal Varinia
from Crassus, and then he gives freedom for her. Batiatus and Varinia leave
for Gaul via Appian way and find Spartacus hanging on the last cross in not
quite dead. Varinia shows their newborn son; vowing she and their son will be
grow up as a freeman; and promises to tell who is his father his dream of free
from slavery and oppression. With one last breath, Spartacus’ head bent of and
Varinia gets back to the Chart and rides on.
Spartacus’ responses are many pro and contras. Some of the audiences
have different comment about this movie, but most of them praise this movie.
For instance Sonatine states in internet, the appeal point of Spartacus movie is
that the story very dramatics, so that the movie makes she sheds a tear. She
argues that ” it is not often I shed a tears at the movies but after the final battle
scene, the victories Crassus wants to know who Spartacus is amongst the
walking wounded. One by one they stand up and declare “I’m Spartacus!”
while Douglas looked on, the tears rolling down my face”.
According to Tom Rito who argues in internet, the interesting point is
in the cast and director; he is attracted with the actor and Kubricks’ brilliant
idea in making Spartacus movie. The character that he plays can touch him
and add the movies soul. He states “it has great acting and more soul as a film.
I would not change a thing. Kubrick is at his best making us feel everything on
a human level while giving us a visual masterpiece”.
Spartacus is a successful box office. Spartacus budget is $12 million
and is the most expensive picture have ever made. It can give abundance gross
income to box office as follows. The theatrical performance total in United
States is $ 30 million, International gross is $30 million, worldwide gross is $
60 mllion, and cumulative Box Office is $1,659,554, placing third on the list
of the top money making films of 1960.
Spartacus is nominated for six Academy Awards and wins four Oscars
and again wins in Golden Globe 1960. At 1960, Spartacus wins Oscar in the
Best Art Direction-set Decoration category by Russel A. Gausman, Julia
Heron, Eric W. Orbom, and Alexander Golitzen. For the best Cinematography
category, Spartacus movie is won by Russell L. Metty. The best costume
design by Irene vales and Bill Thomas and also winning the best supporting
Actor category by Peter Ustinov. Moreover, Spartacus wins Golden Globe for
Best Picture-Drama.
Spartacus is interesting to be analyzed because it has so several appeal
points that come from the character, props, casting, cinematography, plot, and
theme. The characters are terrific because they are able to make the audience
feel for them and make the audiences feel like involve there. The character as
if jumped off the screen that makes the audience cheer at their victories and
cry at their defeats.
The property can raise appropriate audiences’ imagery in 71 B.C
although it doesn’t make in Rome, the audiences can feel an ancient
atmosphere of Rome when they are watching. The building and the props
create in detail. In addition, make a movie at past era is more difficult than
present era because filmmaker must analyze on historical in its society and
create the props in order to the theme of the movie can be delivered.
In addition, the actor in Spartacus is an action movie and the actor
should have good stamina because it presents a lot of extreme scene such like
war scene, falling, running, dragging and the place of action is in the hot
place. Moreover, the actor is suitable with the character that they play. Beside
that, Spartacus presents more than 500 figurative characters.
The cinematography is awesome and it can be proved Spartacus wins
an Oscar in cinematography at 1960. The image has used panchromatic, so the
image is very sharp. In take the image is well expose, it means the image is
not too dark or not too bright. Moreover, between sound and image is
synchronic. It shows wide background and forward. The uses of make up, set
dressing, costume can contribute a profound character.
The plot is very dramatic rare slow but in every second is worthed and
exciting. There is a lot of conflict as a favor of the movie that can raise the
curiosity and waiting for what happen next. The end of plot makes the
audience satisfied realize a breath even move to tears.
The most interesting in Spartacus movie is the theme. The director’s
idea on Spartacus is that freedom is not given but has to struggle for. The
interesting point, Spartacus is to be slave before his thirteenth years old. Yet,
he is a freeman before the Roman takes him in Thrace to be worker in stone
mining. He wants to get his former freedom with rebellion against the Roman.
The director also wants to share his idea that freedom is expensive; it is
reflected in many scenes which the slaves should sacrifice their body, soul and
property in order to reach their freedom.
Stimulated by all of fact clarified above, this research aims at
describing the slaves to rebels against Roman emperor to get the freedom from
slavery and oppression. Moreover, the researcher is interested in employs
Marxist approach. The writer chooses the title “AGAINST SLAVERY AND
OPPRESSION IN STANLEY KUBRICK’S SPARTACUS: MARXIST
APPROACH”.
B. Literature Review
The analysis of Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus movie has been studied.
The researcher finds two articles in internet that studied on it. The first
researcher is William J. Felchner entitled Spartacus movie classic 1960 in
2008, he focuses on how spectacular of Spartacus movie. He concludes that
Spartacus is based on novel by Howard Fast that involve more than 76,000
people and it cost is $12 million and it is successful box office that gross $11,1
million at the box office and placing the third on the list of the top money
making.
The second researcher is Cineaste entitled who kill Spartacus? In
1990, he focuses on the reason why the director name Stanley Kubrick makes
the Spartacus movie. He concludes that the director wants to intrigue the
Spartacus character who he just a slave but almost destroy the Roma and make
them ashamed.
Different from two previous researches, this research focuses on
against to slavery and oppression employs Marxist approach. The researcher
also analyzes the structural elements of movie and related it with the Marxist
theory.
C. Problem Statement
Based on the background, the researcher proposes problem how
Spartacus and slaves rebel against slavery and oppression as reflected in
Stainley Kubrick’s Spartacus. In addition, the explanation on slavery and
oppression will be described as follows:
Slavery is forced labor condition where a person is compelled to work
to the master or the slave owner. They lost their freedom if they are sold to the
master and the unlawfulness of slavery make slave to resist the oppression of
their masters. Slave can not leave an owner, they must have a passport to
leaving the owner and they will be returned to the owner if they escape.
Slavery is a violation of sacred rights, the infliction of a great wrong which are
universally adopted through the civilized world (Channing: 59).
Oppression is treated as though its scope includes any and all human
experience of limitation or suffering. Oppression means the cruel rule of
bourgeoisie to marginal group that economically and culturally marginalized
groups endure suffering. The oppression of the working classes, economic
exploitation is the fundamental oppression in society. The condition is the
owner oppress working person, the working persons who must obey the
master. Moreover, oppression is lack of respect for members of the oppressed
group (Frye, 1997: 34-35).
D. Objective of the Study
The researcher proposes some objectives of the study as follow:
1. To analyze the movie based on its structural elements.
2. To analyze the movie based on Marxist approach.
E. Limitation of the Study
The researcher limits the study on the struggle against slavery and
oppression in Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus movie by using Marxist Approach.
F. Benefit of the Study
The benefits expected from this research as follows
1. Theoretical Benefit
To give some information which can be used by the other
researcher who are interested in analyzing this literary work.
2. Practical Benefit
To give deeper understanding in literary field as the reference to
the other researcher and to enrich the literary study on Marxist issues in
Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus film.
G. Research Method
1. Type of Study
The researcher uses qualitative or library research which data are
based on non human sources.
2. Object of the Study
The object of the research is against slavery and oppression in
Stanley Kubrick’s in Spartacus film.
3. Type of Data and the Data Source
In this research, the researcher uses two data sources that are
primary and secondary data sources as follows:
a. Primary Data Sources
The data is taken from Spartacus movie by Stanley Kubrick and
it is taken from attitude, dialogue and all statement in the text of the
movie which relevant with the research.
b. Secondary Data Sources
The data is taken from the literature on theory of Marxism,
review, public responses, and director’s biography that relevant with
the research.
4. Technique of the Data Collection
The data are collected from film and articles related the topic. To
make the data more complete the writer is doing some steps. The steps as
follows:
a. Watching the film and reading the articles that connected to the
research repeatedly.
b. Finding the important data.
c. Arranging the data into several parts and classifying it.
d. Developing the data that are provided.
5. Technique of the Data Analysis
The data are analyzed by using descriptive qualitative analysis.
This is an interpretation of the content analysis to get characteristics of the
data for Marxist analysis of Karl Marx’s theory at the Spartacus film.
H. Paper Organization
The paper consists of six chapters. The first chapter is introduction,
which explains the background of the study, literary review, problem
statement, objective of the study, limitation of the study, benefit of the study,
research method and paper organization. The second chapter is underlying
theory that consists of notion Marxist approach, major principles of Marxist,
structural elements of the movie and technical elements of the movie. The
third chapter is American social background in the middle of twentieth
century. The fourth chapter is structural analysis of the movie which is divided
into structural elements and technical elements of the movie. Structural
elements involve character and characterization, setting, point of view, plot,
and theme. Furthermore, technical elements consists of two namely
cinematography and mise en scene. Cinematography involves perspective of
shot, framing of shot and duration of image; in addition, mise en scene
consists of setting, set dressing, costume and props, dressing and make up.
The fifth chapter is Marxist analysis that consists of dialectical materialism,
historical materialism, alienation, class struggle, revolution and ideology.
Furthermore, the last chapter is conclusion and suggestion.