Spartacus: Gladiator War 2005

Directed by Dan Oliver

It began with a breakout from a prison kitchen; it became a civil war. Based on the latest research, this dramatised documentary reveals how around 70 men armed themselves with kitchen knives and roasting spits, and chose a man called Spartacus as their leader. People came to join them in their thousands, and within a matter of months, the fugitive band was an army 100,000 strong. Strong enough to threaten the destruction of Rome. This film tells the story of a modern, dirty war of propaganda, psychological warfare and guerrilla tactics fought two thousand years ago. And it reveals the true character of Spartacus, a ruthless and charismatic leader very different to the figure created by two thousand years of myth-making.