Starring: John Gavin, Charlton Heston, Nina Foch, David Hemmings, Douglas Wilmer, Peter Ustinov, Andrew Cruickshank, Silvana Mangano, Sophia Loren, Harry Andrews, Woody Strode, Herbert Lom, Djimon Hounsou, Laurence Olivier, Tomas Arana, Jean Simmons, Connie Nielsen, Valentina Cortese, Charles Laughton, Michael Hordern, Massimo Serato, Tony Curtis, Vittorio Gassman, Hurd Hatfield, John Fraser, Frank Thring, Katy Jurado, Ernest Borgnine, Joaquin Phoenix, Arthur Kennedy, John Dall, John Ireland, Michael Gwynn, Genevieve Page, Derek Jacobi, Jack Palance, Gary Raymond, Russell Crowe, Raf Vallone, Anthony Quinn, Richard Harris, Kirk Douglas, Tommy Flanagan, Oliver Reed, David Schofield, Charles McGraw

Directed by: Ridley Scott, Anthony Mann, Richard Fleischer, Stanley Kubrick

Four classic 'sword-and-sandal' epics. 'Barabbas' (1962) imagines the later life of the biblical character Barabbas (Anthony Quinn). Released from prison when the crowd chose his freedom over that of Jesus, Barrabas quickly returns to his life of crime. A subsequent arrest gets him sentenced to a lifetime's work in the silver mines, but fate grants him the chance to become a gladiator and the opportunity to regain his freedom. Meanwhile, throughout these adventures he becomes increasingly troubled by the knowledge that an innocent man died in his place. Anthony Mann's Oscar-winning epic 'El Cid' (1961) stars Charlton Heston as the legendary 11th-century Spanish patriot who fights to drive invading Moors from Spain. Sophia Loren co-stars as his seductive but duplicitous lover Chimene. However, their love is tested to its limits when he kills her father, she vows vengeance and he sets out on a crusade to rid Spain of its aggressors. Stanley Kubrick's star-studded historical epic 'Spartacus' (1960) concerns the efforts of the slave-gladiator Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) to lead the slaves of the Roman Empire in a rebellion against their masters. The ranks quickly swell as the slave army makes its way across Italy towards the coast. But the despotic Roman senator Crassus (Laurence Olivier) determines to quell the revolt for his own selfish ends, and the stage is thus set for a tremendous battle. Drawing its inspiration from such earlier films, Ridley Scott's later take on the Roman epic, 'Gladiator' (2000) lavishes the genre with computer-generated effects technology. After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) betrays the Emperor's beloved General Maximus (Russell Crowe) and takes the throne for himself. Maximus is sold as a slave and then trained as a gladiator, keeping himself strong with thoughts of revenge. Eventually he is taken to the Colosseum, where he prepares to fight in a contest presided over by the corrupt Commodus. Will he suffer the ultimate humiliation and die for the entertainment of his enemy or will he survive the rigors of the arena and find a way of exacting his revenge?

DVD EXTRAS

Interactive menus

Soundtrack Languages

 Dolby Mono: English

Technical Details

Certification: 15
Duration: 639 mins
Format: DVD
Region: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1:1.33 (4:3) Standard
Sound: Dolby Mono
Cat. No: 8248101(UCA CATALOGUE)