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Best Performance - Laughton? Olivier? Ustinov?

posted 13 years ago by JazzyBee04
49 replies | jump to latest

The general consenus on this board, and with critics, tends to be that these three actors gave the films best three performances.
I was just wondering what everybody else thought??
Having re-watched Spartacus yesterday with my family, we were completely split on who we thought was the best:
My father - Ustinov, My mother - Laughton, Myself - Olivier.
I just believed that Sir Laurence's acting gave Crassus many different layers and allowed the character to elevate beyond the stereotypical 'villain' title.
Having said that, Ustinov and Laughton were wonderful also.
Any thoughts??

"The essence of all art is giving pleasure in order to recieve it" - Mikhail Baryshnikov.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] IndianaMcClane 12 years ago

Great question, and it's a really tough one. My gut is telling me to go with Olivier, but I'm going to have to think further on it.

[–] Jamal-Nazreddin 12 years ago

You can't separate the actors from the characters.

The question can only be answered if Kubrick did footage of the 3 actors attempting each other's parts.

And I really think Kubrick was uninterested in such things.

[–] gridoon 12 years ago

Kirk Douglas!

[–] kenny-164 11 years ago

For the most part the acting was great. Kirk Douglas I think tends to be underrated today, probably because he is always quite obviously Kirk Douglas. But in this film his characterization I think was no less effective than the three mentioned by the OP.

[–] csu16387 11 years ago

Probably Olivier, but Ustinov and Laughton were superb as well.

I must say, I've always preferred the performances you've listed to Kirk's in this film. I know Spartacus is Kirk's most iconic role, but when discussing his best performances, this one doesn't immediately come to mind.

"I think we've out-sophisticated ourselves out of some of the pleasures of movies."

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] WaterlooBridge 10 years ago

Olivier by far.

[–] irishm 10 years ago

I really enjoy Ustinov but here I felt his humor was misplaced and overdone. I think for me it's a tie between Laughton and Olivier (and I agree with the poster who mentions Herbert Lom, who also did a great job).

[–] marga73 10 years ago

The three steal the whole movie. After having seen the movie several times I'm not really interested in Spartacus but in these three Romans.
Ustinov has a very gratifying role but my vote will always go to L.Olivier. Nobody has portrayed a Roman Patrician like him, so classy, so vengeful...

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[–] 9 years ago

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