Spartacus by Stanley Kubick In the 1960 film Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick, the character called Spartacus is depicted as a revolutionary who leads an army of slaves against the oppressive forces of Rome during the century BC Although the overall story is true and most of the main characters are real, the presentation of their characters is entirely fictional. Spartacus and the other characters have been divided into groups embodying good and evil, and the story itself has been largely romanticized. This essay will address the ways in which the story deviates from reality and ultimately show how Kubrick and those before him used such interpretations as a valuable tool for social change..