...in that he fit the Roman "look" as illustrated in many a history book or painting. He embodied what history says of Crassus. His portrayal is one of my favorites in all the 1,625 films I've watched.
shareHis depiction of dignity corrupted is indeed a performance for the ages.
shareI agree. His look and portrayal are absolutely spot on. Refreshing to watch an old film on Rome that doesn't show the excessive sex scenes modern shows and movies seem to think they need to attract a modern audience.
shareHe was not only magnificent in his portrayal of aristocratic arrogance, he was also very very sexy, in a sinister way! Which wasn't just him showing off, it was exactly what the role required, what with him perving on everyone but Charles Laughton. It's also proof that a good filmmaker doesn't need nudity, bad language, or simulated thrusting to show perversity.
And IMHO Olivier, Laughton, and Ustinov were all great, so great that they blew the Americans off the screen, and I couldn't possibly pick a favorite between them.
He should have won the oscar instead of Ustinov.
shareUstinov gave the showier, more "clever" performance. Since he rewrote a lot of his own dialogue, his portrayal stood out from the blandness of much of the rest of the script. Critics and Academy voters tend to notice and remember that stuff more. (I suspect some rewriting was done on Olivier's and Laughton's lines, as well.)
share"Ustinov gave the showier, more "clever" performance. Since he rewrote a lot of his own dialogue, his portrayal stood out from the blandness of much of the rest of the script."
That explains a lot. I love the movie but a lot of the writing was really wooden and stilted. Batiatus was one of the few whose personality really stood out. I chalked this up to Ustinov's performance, but even that didn't seem like an adequate explanation. The fact that he rewrote his own lines fills in the gap.
I agree, he was a great Crassus, very memorable. He looked the part and felt like he fit into Roman history. It's been a few years since I saw the movie last (until I watched it again the other night), and Olivier's performance as Crassus was one of the aspects that really stood out in my memory.
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