February 04, 2005
Spartacus and Antoninus
Just watched the Criterion edition of Spartacus. What struck me was the comparison of the relationship between Crassus and Antoninus (played by Tony Curtis) and Spartacus and Antoninus.
When Crassus first chooses Antoninus to be his slave, Antoninus is a weak and effiminate poet. Crassus takes him as his body servant, but then comes onto him telling Antoninus that he likes both "snails and oysters." Antoninus rejects this and flees in order to join Spartacus and the rebel slaves. Spartacus then takes him as his body servant but treats him as a man and a friend, and at the end of the film as their friendship deepens so does Antoninus' masculinity. By the end of the film there is no trace of weakness or femininity discernable in him.
And finally there is the touching scene at the end after Spartacus is forced to kill Antoninus and Antoninus tells Spartacus that he loves him like a father and Spartacus confesses to him that he loves him like a son. This father-son relationship was what the young confused Antoninus needed to help him mature as a man. Brilliant.
Posted by Fr. Bryce Sibley at 06:31 PM | Comments (24) | TrackBack