Spartacus: Blood & Sand (Season 1)
5 out of 5
Never have I laid eyes on a spectacle more mentally gratifying than, Spartacus: Blood & Sand. No Hollywood film comes to mind that might compare to the boundary-breaking compassion sewn into the barbarous storytelling. Even a household name such as Sam Raimi, responsible for successes such as the Evil Dead & Spiderman Trilogies, lent his undying talents toward this eye-opening masterpiece. This television series was an original production made only possible by the Starz channel. It is extremely rare that a show of its type is deemed worthy by me because my tastes are very particular. I was impressed by the movie 300, but this spectacular tale of gladiators topples its reign, in my charts. A work of art woven with equal precision of these dramatized elements: lust, love, vengeance, murder, sacrifice, bloodshed, blackmail, corruption, deception, money, and power. Adorned with vulgar language, constant sexual references, limitless nudity, and heart-pounding special effects, only the most action-demanding, gorehounds will be fully enthralled by the pleasing efforts made. All of these ingredients pepper the stew with such overpowering results. Inspirational characters help showcase the pumping heart behind this monstrous tale.
It is a tale of a slave who fights as a gladiator in desperate hopes to see his wife. Challenged by a plethora of unmatched obstacles in the arena, he slowly transcends from a man into a bloodthirsty animal. From his cell, he dreams of a world of freedom outside the walls of his captivity. While his master remains occupied in political affairs, Spartacus is granted enough opportunity to press for truth. In the favor of the Gods’, he is blessed with one loyal friend, and cursed with a worthy rival. Spartacus takes every risk imaginable to escape his inevitable fate.
In the final episode of the season, I felt ecstatically satisfied with the avenger’s way of vengeance. I caught myself hysterically laughing at some of the heart-racing events. I’ve yet to witness a show that could strike all of the nails that Spartacus: Blood & Sand, hit on the head. There were no loose ends to the story, every detail was tied in a perfect knot. Ample amounts of elements that I love and enjoy are absent in many Hollywood films of today, they are ALL present in this television series. I’m now patiently awaiting to watch season 2 of Spartacus: Blood & Sand. I sit and wonder what beautiful madness that the creators could come up with, this time. Starz is planning to do prequel episodes, until Andy Whitfield (Spartacus) can fully return as main focus. (Side Note: He is battling with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.) When he recovers, Starz is planning to continue the Spartacus story where it left off.
