Stars: Goran Visnjic, Sir Alan Bates, Angus Macfadyen, Rhona Mitra, Ian McNeice, James Frain, Henry Simmons, Ross Kemp, and Ben Cross

Writer: Robert Schenkkan

Based on the book by: Howard Fast

Director: Robert Dornhelm

Executive Producers: Adam Shapiro, Robert Schenkkan, and Angela Mancuso

Total Running Time: 171 minutes without commercials

Media: USA Network Original Television Miniseries (NTSC DVD Screener)

Premiere: Part One: Sunday, April 18, 2004, at 8pm (ET/PT)

Premiere: Part Two: Monday, April 19, 2004, at 8pm (ET/PT)

Network: USA Network (Check your local cable/satellite listings for channel)

TV Rating: Not Available At The Time Of This Review

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

The hardest thing to do while watching this 2004 miniseries remake of "Spartacus" is to not compare it to the classic 1960 feature film directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring such heavyweight Hollywood stars as Kirk Douglas, Sir Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, and Tony Curtis. So the best thing to keep in mind for those who have seen the original theatrical adaptation is that this is a different dramatization told more the forty years after the original and simply not to expect the exact same thing.

In that respect the new TV miniseries version of "Spartacus" gets away with more scenes of brutality and some very brief though tastefully handled nudity. The scenes where the gladiators witness people being burned alive for the bloodlust of the crowd or a man [gladiator David played by James Frain] forced to bare himself in front of several Roman nobles because the female Roman aristocrat is curious about what a circumcised penis looks like actually helps to add to the building tension that leads to the fictitious slave revolt that comes to ahead after Spartacus (Goran Visnjic) witnesses the cruel death of the Nubian gladiator at the feet of the maniacal Crassus (Angus Macfadyen.) Ian McNeice adds fuel to the fire as the slave owner Batiatus, who beats and rapes the soon to be love interest of Spartacus played by Rhona Mitra. These combined atrocities have to take place so that the viewer can then feel the butchery and barbarism that comes with the ever increasing though politically fragmented slave revolt lead by Spartacus to be justified.

The subplot regarding the political manipulations of Agrippa (the late Sir Alan Bates) and Crassus against each other on the floor of the Roman Senate adds to the intrigue as we witness the waning days of the Roman Republic. Though this is a TV miniseries remake, there is enough of a difference in the action to make it worth watching and as far as TV miniseries go, I'd say this is definitely one of the better ones and surprisingly the CGI scenes are kept at a minimum so when you see the Romans fill the screen, you are seeing real men and not computer generated extras.

The soul of the story is kept intact and in some ways there is an added dramatic effect to certain instances that the original film did not have and of course there are differences where it is clear the feature film had a greater emotional impact over he miniseries. These sorts of things happen all the time when it comes to remakes, but it seems like the filmmakers had their hearts in the right place. The miniseries is dedicated to the memories of the late Sir Alan Bates and the late Author Howard Fast, whose book provided the inspiration for the 1960 feature film and this 2004 remake. The TV miniseries version was shot and should be presented in a letterboxed (1.78:1) aspect ratio when it airs in mid April. Overall, "Spartacus" on its own merits is a good USA original miniseries worth checking out when it debuts with the first part airing on Sunday, April 18, 2004, at 8pm (ET/PT) and the conclusion airing on Monday, April 19, 2004, at 8pm (ET/PT). Please check your local cable and satellite listings for additional information and encore telecasts.

© Copyright 2004 By Mark A. Rivera All Rights Reserved.

WOULD YOU ADAM AND EVE IT, PHIL.. THAT BLEEDIN' SPARTACUS DONE ME IN

Apr 20 2004

By John Dingwall

TELLY tough guy Ross Kemp comes to a sticky end in new sword and sandals epic Spartacus. The ex-EastEnders star is stabbed in the stomach by ER hunk Goran Visnjic.

And his Albert Square brother Phil Mitchell isn't around to avenge his death as Spartacus leads a slave revolt in the TV mini series.

Kemp is Chinna, who trains gladiator hero Spartacus Visnjic in the re-make of the Kirk Douglas classic.The 39-year-old was not surprised to be offered another tough guy part.

He said: 'It will come as no surprise to learn I'm not a eunuch or the camp owner of a bunch of slaves. 'I'd love to be cast completely against type, like Richard Burton was when he played a homosexual hairdresser in the movie Staircase. 'Humphrey Bogart played virtually the same part all the time, so did James Cagney and John Wayne, and it didn't do them any harm. 'Not that I'm comparing myself to them. They are my heroes.'

The film also features British actors Angus MacFadyen, James Frain and Rhona Mitra.

By LINDA STASI

April 16, 2004

-- WHO in their right mind would ever remake "Spartacus" - possibly the greatest gladiator movie of all time - into a TV miniseries? I'm glad you asked.

Turns out that USA Network has not only remade the great 1960 Kirk Douglas flick, but actually did a pretty damned good job of it.

I know, I know, why bother remaking something great when there are so many stinkers that shuda/cudda/wudda been great with the right cast, crew, directors and writers.

Like "Bonfire of the Vanities," which was a great book that ended up as such a bad movie that all the copies should have been burned on a bonfire. And then there was "The Prince of Tides," which was so dopey it should have been titled "The Prince of Low Tide."

So it was with a laugh in my heart that I popped "Spartacus" into the DVD player - and then immediately stopped laughing. Why? Because they were smart enough to cast Goran Visnjic as Spartacus.

Visnjic is the doc on "ER" who is so handsome I've been thinking of getting myself run over. And if you think he looks good in scrubs, wait 'til you see him in a loincloth! Dear God!

Aside from Visnjic, there's Henry "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" Simmons ("NYPD Blue") as Draba, Spartacus' reluctant ally in the gladiator school. It's like a cheesecake fest for women. Despite their good looks, both men happen to be fantastic in their respective parts. (No pun intended, I swear!)

Turns out that the TV remake is a very good, very riveting interpretation of the Spartacus story and legend, based on Howard Fast's novel. The story of Spartacus, as interpreted in the book and the movies, begins around 72 B.C. when the slave was bought by gladiator school owner, Batiatus, who wants to train him. The man Batiatus purchased, it turned out, single handedly began a slave revolt against the richest, most powerful men in the world, which resulted in a rebellion that forever altered the whole of the Roman Empire. Since the story is based on the Howard Fast novel rather than the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, Spartacus' history in the movies is that of a man taken as a slave as a young boy after seeing his father murdered. Many historians write, however, that he really was an army deserter who got nailed. (OK, bad choice of words considering the times.) The new version is much more brutal than the original. For example, cruxifictions, which seem to be this year's favorite blood sport, are more realistically filmed than when Kirk Douglas hung on a cross looking quite tidy. There's also a scene where Crassus has Draba done in that will curl your toenails - it wouldn't have made it out of the editing room in another era.

The rest of the cast is as good as Visnjic and Simmons. Rhona Mitra ("The Practice") shines as Varinia, Spartacus' wife; the late Alan Bates makes a, er, gripping Agrippa; Angus Macfadyen is wonderful as the rotten Crassus; James Frain clicks as Spartacus' No. 2 guy, David; and the wonderful Ian McNeice is just terrific as Batiatus, the owner of the gladiator school. This part in particular is a tough act to follow considering that McNeice is filling the shoes left by Peter Ustinov, who played the same part in the original movie. All in all, this is a good remake, and the screenplay by Robert Schenkkan is very well written. So why not four stars? I can't do that to Kirk Douglas and the original, that's why. I mean, I think Spartacus was the second video rental I showed my daughter when she was about 4 years old. The first? You're kidding - right? Bette Davis in "Mr. Skeffington" of course. And they better not try to remake that one.

Indianapolis Star
By Jacqueline Cutler
Zap2it
April 18, 2004

Why tamper with a classic movie such as "Spartacus," Stanley Kubrick's 1960 epic that starred Kirk Douglas and Sir Laurence Olivier, and turn it into a TV movie?

The answer is that some stories are so important, they deserve to be told again. Four-plus decades after the original, USA Network's miniseries, "Spartacus," today and Monday, revisits the true story of a slave revolt that shook the Roman Empire.

"The slave rebellion under Spartacus was one of the biggest events in history," says Goran Visnjic ("ER"), who plays the title character. "The slave rebellion was so special in so many different ways. How big it was, how long they could defy the Roman army, and the fact that the Romans never took any enemies. . . . For slaves to do that, it was extraordinary."

An era of atrocities
The first century before Christ was an extraordinary time, as Rome was wallowing in its excesses of unchecked aggression and acquisition.Soldiers invaded towns and took what they wanted, which was often people, and forced them into slavery.

Spartacus was a Thracian who as a boy watched as his father was crucified. Sold into slavery, he was picked to become a gladiator because of his physical prowess. It was during a match that Spartacus' life changed, according to Howard Fast's novel "Spartacus," upon which the movie is based.

Pitted against Draba (Henry Simmons, "NYPD Blue"), Spartacus lost. According to gladiator rules, Draba must kill Spartacus, but he refuses, and guards brutally slay Draba. Realizing that he, too, would rather die a free man than live as a slave, Spartacus snaps, and the rebellion is born.

Spartacus and his troops move up and down the Apennines, freeing other slaves. The revolt he leads through the countryside sets Rome reeling. The senators, amid their usual conniving, dispatch Crassus (Angus Macfadyen) to quell the revolt. The film does a good job of showing the horrors of slavery and why a rebellion was bound to happen. Made in Bulgaria in stifling heat, it is exquisitely shot. The sets, particularly the Roman Senate, are excellent.

Though it relies on a cliche of a woman telling a story to a boy, this device works because it shows the characters before and after slavery. A major difference between this version and the original is the expanded role of Varinia, Spartacus' wife. "You really get the sense that she is his fulcrum and springboard, and gives him the foresight and encouragement to embrace his talent," Rhona Mitra says of her character. "She is this wonderful strength of feminine power . . . He embraces that, and they have such a true partnership."

At the film's outset, Varinia is seen frolicking on the grass, until soldiers seize her and sell her into slavery. Spartacus is plucked from the gold mines to become a gladiator. Potential owners inspect them the way farmers examine livestock. Are the teeth good? Does she have good hips for childbearing?

Spartacus, however, never loses his dignity and outrage. Visnjic is perfect as an angry man who evolves into a reluctant leader, but who assumes that mantle with grace and a ferocious spirit.

"There are very few men who are men," Mitra says of Visnjic. "He has humility and an innocence about him, everything that is required of Spartacus. You really need to see that balance of masculine power. He holds his ground and really works his socks off. . . . He was out there weapons training every day with all the lads."

Simmons also put in plenty of work. "Regardless of all the physical exercise I put myself through, nothing can prepare you for having a trident and a net you swing over your head," he says. "You are out there fighting. You try to put yourself in the mind frame that you are fighting for your life. After five minutes, you are extremely tired. And the mindset I had, the only thing I have pushing me is I want to live."

Swordplay is serious
Visnjic does his own stunts and takes swordplay seriously. "In the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Croatia, I had three years of sword fighting," he says. Even after fulfilling his requirements, Visnjic kept learning. The proof is in this movie, as he adroitly wields ancient weapons. Initially, Visnjic worked with an aluminum sword, "but I wanted something heavier," he says. "So they made me a steel sword, sharp on the edges. Once you have it in your arm, you use each muscle." Visnjic says he worked out three hours a day, six days a week for 45 days to get in shape for this role.

In his final performance, the late Sir Alan Bates shines as the scheming Agrippa. The only unbelievable moments involve Macfadyen in such an unctuous, over-the-top performance it is hard not to long for Olivier.

Still, this is a movie worth the time commitment, for it never hurts to be reminded of how wicked men can be. Stories like this are always good to see because we tend to forget certain things," Visnjic says, "We had a lot of bad events happening in human history, and slavery is definitely one of the worst things human beings can do to each other. It was not such a long time ago we had it here in the States. It's always nice to remind people of how bad things can . . . I think everybody will find something in this movie which will be a little disturbing."

on tv 'Spartacus'

8 tonight and Monday on USA.

Why do a remake?

If the original hit the mark creatively, why bother? And if the first one happened to make a cultural impact as well, what's the point?

All questions to ponder while watching Spartacus, the USA Network's four-hour remake of Stanley Kubrick's 1960 classic about the slave who led a revolt against the Roman Empire. It stars Goran Visnjic, best known as Dr. Kovac on ER, in the title role, played in the original by that guy, oh, what's his name, tip of the tongue . . .

Oh yeah. Kirk Douglas. That's a big pair of sandals to fill.

"If you ask my wife, with Goran Visnjic as the star, she would watch a remake of Cabin Boy," said Jeff Wachtel, USA's executive vice president.

But seriously, folks.

"Let me put it this way," Visnjic said, "Kirk Douglas is my father's favorite actor. So when I told my father I'm going to be doing Spartacus and I've made my decision, he was like, 'Better be good.' "

He is, in that smoldering-stare school of acting that marks most of Visnjic's work; his style is so reminiscent of Kovac that at times this plays like ER-ticus. The film is decent, too, a sort of throwback to the days when networks did miniseries during "sweeps" months. But it isn't a dramatic reinterpretation, not one of those projects where they set Hamlet at a sock hop or something. Yet the story is so compelling that it stands up to a retelling. (Full disclosure: I've never seen the original. Also started but did not finish reading Catch-22. Working on it.)

"They're still the same issues," Angela Mancuso, the film's executive producer, said, "the same political issues and social issues now as there were at the time of Spartacus, as there were at the time of the McCarthy era, where personal freedom, segregation, women's rights - these are all issues and I think it's important to recognize that the issues they talk about in this film . . . are still issues we're dealing with today. So I think it's more relevant today, to look at the fact that we haven't maybe progressed as far as we think we have."

Good points, all. So why not just amble down to the video store and rent the original on DVD? There's no single good answer to that question, other than to say that the remake of Spartacus is a decent film in its own right.

"When the offer came to redo it, I was, of course, first very intimidated," said Robert Dornhelm, the remake's director. "But then I revisited the movie, and as much as I adore and respect Kubrick, I do not think that this is one of his better movies, and so my fear left me and I decided . . . there is so much contemporary resonance on the subject matter that I was glad and felt very fortunate to do it."

The fast-moving story follows Spartacus as he is plucked from slave labor to attend a school for gladiators. A comparatively cushy life, except for having to fight, sometimes to the death, for the amusement of others. It's there he meets Varinia (Rhona Mitra), with whom he falls in love. Like many things in the film, it happens out of nowhere, offering no motivation for the characters' actions. You'd think that with four hours there would be time for a little foreplay, as it were. Apparently not.

In what's supposed to be a fight to the death staged for Crassus (Angus MacFadyen), a visiting Roman senator, a fellow slave spares Spartacus. This inspires him to lead a revolt, which frees the slaves. Their ranks grow as other slaves join them, with Spartacus as their leader, and soon they are a large enough group to defeat Roman soldiers.

Back in Rome, Crassus and Agrippa (Alan Bates, in his last role), struggle for power, using the slave revolt as a point of demarcation. Crassus eventually amasses enough manpower to slaughter Spartacus and his comrades, crucifying more than 6,000 men along the Appian Way. But the seeds of freedom have been sown, a point the rather sappy ending drives home.

Which leaves us, again, with the original question: Why?

Mark Wolper is the executive producer of a remake of Stephen King's Salem's Lot, scheduled to air later this year on TNT. He was asked the Only Question That Matters as well.

"What would happen to Hamlet if it were only done the first time in the Globe Theatre?" he said. "You know, the great ability that we have in theater, in television and films is we can reinterpret the material. . . . I think it's part of the adventure that we have as filmmakers, is to try to interpret it in a different way, a way that's more appetizing to the current environment."

Forget, for a moment, that Wolper seems to be comparing Salem's Lot to Hamlet. Forget also the seeming implication that, by this logic, civilization will one day need a "more appetizing" version of Citizen Kane, or, for that matter, the Mona Lisa or Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Buried in his statement is license to remake at will: Anything is game for reinterpretation, but with conditions: as long as those doing the remake can bring something worthwhile to the table, a reason for a new look. Or, as in the case of Spartacus, the story can support another telling.

The best advice I can offer is this: Don't think of a remake as "instead of." Think of it as "in addition to." Then there's room for everyone. Even a new Spartacus.

author Bill Goodykoontz
The Arizona Republic

By Judith S. Gillies
Washington Post Staff Writer

Sunday, April 18, 2004;

When actor Goran Visnjic told his father he was playing the lead role in "Spartacus," his dad simply said, "Better be good." That's because he was not only playing "one of the most important humans in the whole world history," the actor said, he also was tackling a role made famous by the legendary Kirk Douglas in a 1960 film that has a history of its own.

The new "Spartacus" is a miniseries about the slave who was trained as a gladiator and led a bloody revolt against his Roman masters more than 2,000 years ago. It premieres in two parts on Sunday and Monday from 8 to 10 p.m. on cable's USA Network.

Executive producer Adam Shapiro said he realized he was opening himself up for criticism by remaking a famous movie, "but it occurred to me that so much of the story hadn't been told. By doing a miniseries we would have more time to develop the characters." And the 1960 version, "while a great film, hasn't been seen by a whole generation. I think it's a story worth retelling," Shapiro said.

"The struggle is a true story," he said. "Here is a guy born in a world where slaves are part of the environment for hundreds of years in that society, but something sparked him to set the world on fire, the thought that humans deserve more dignity than this."

Visnjic, who plays Dr. Luka Kovac on NBC's "ER," said he thinks of Spartacus as a human being who had to adapt to survive after being thrown into gladiator school -- where slaves were trained to fight for the amusement of Roman citizens. "To keep alive, he had to kill another human being in the arena. But then there is the turning point in the film, the fight scene with Henry Simmons as [gladiator] Draba. And Spartacus decides to change."

The story is often a violent one. "Still, we hold back a lot. They were much more brutal than we are showing," Shapiro said, and the miniseries is not meant for children younger than 14. The miniseries is a love story as well as an adventure and an epic, Shapiro said. "We were very careful that his wife is telling his story, thereby keeping it alive."

Rhona Mitra plays Varinia, wife of Spartacus and mother of their child. Their story is one of mutual respect, Mitra said, "and a belief in what is fundamentally right and the freedom in belief of who they have the right to be." Spartacus has huge self-doubt, she said, and Varinia has a strength and calm rationale, love, tenderness and reassurance. "She encouraged his heart and soul to believe in an outcome that was positive, that he might not have had because he had been beaten down." Mitra approached the role, not as a warrior princess, she said, but as a woman of quiet inner strength.

The movie benefits from "the grace of Alan Bates," she said. Bates portrays Lentulas Agrippa, a Roman senator who opposes an aristocratic regime being pushed by Crassus, another Roman senator, played by Angus Macfadyen. "What [Bates] brings to the story should resonate with everyone," she said of the knighted actor who died in December. "Spartacus" was his last screen performance.

The miniseries was filmed last year in Bulgaria, only a couple hours drive from the birthplace of the real Spartacus, Shapiro said. "We scouted quite a few locations to get the look of the countryside that is unspoiled" and looked like southern Italy of about 72 B.C. "We built forts and villages -- a lot of the set was of exteriors. We built the gladiator school where they trained and the villa of the owner of the gladiator school," Shapiro said. "We built ancient Rome on a five-acre setting -- and I can tell you, Rome wasn't built in a day!"

The actors who played the gladiators had to be in good shape physically. "You should have a certain look to portray a gladiator," Visnjic said. Plus they did many of the scenes during the heat of summer while wearing armor and carrying weapons. Every fight scene was choreographed: Experts worked with the horses involved in battle scenes and the stunt coordinator worked with the actors. "We didn't want anyone getting hurt but we wanted [action] that would be interesting," Shapiro said. Visnjic, who was born in Croatia and moved to the United States six years ago, said he had done some fencing and riding, which helped in the role.

Both the 1960 movie and the new mini-series are based on a book written by Howard Fast, who had been blacklisted and worked on "Spartacus" while he spent several months in prison in 1950 for refusing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee.

The 1960 movie, directed by Stanley Kubrick, was nominated for six Oscars and won four, including best color cinematography and costume design.The screenplay was by Dalton Trumbo, who also spent time in prison because he had refused to "name names" of alleged Communists at HUAC hearings. During the '50s, Trumbo -- who also was blacklisted -- had written under pseudonyms. "But Kirk Douglas said no way, give him credit," Shapiro said.

Viewers who have seen the movie will notice that the ending is different in the miniseries, Shapiro said. "The movie has more of a Hollywood ending. For the miniseries, we went back to the book."

Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
Apr. 8, 2004 12:50 PM

The tale of "Spartacus" is back with themes that easily span centuries and continents.

The new version is a miniseries, airing from 8-10 p.m. Sunday and Monday (April 18-19) on the USA Network. Goran Visnjic ("E.R.") leads slaves in rebellion against the Romans.

The original was a 1960 movie, starring Kirk Douglas. It had a global impact.

"It was one of my first movies, as a teenager, that I saw in Romania," says Robert Dornhelm, who directed the miniseries.

Visnjic also saw it in his native Croatia. "Kirk Douglas is my father's favorite actor," he says. "So when I told my father I'm going to be doing 'Spartacus,' ... he says, 'better be good.' "

Whether the miniseries can match the original is a matter of debate. Both, however, focus on some passionate history.

In 73 B.C., Spartacus led a slave revolt. He started with only about 70 other gladiators then added fugitives. In the next two years, they would defeat five Roman armies.

"The story has a continuing and timeless resonance," says Jeff Wachtel, the USA Network's programming chief.

That rang true for novelist Howard Fast, who was enamored with stories of the American Revolution and other uprisings. He joined the Communist Party in 1943, disavowing it in 1957.

But before that, however, he was imprisoned in 1950 after refusing to give names to the House Un-American Activities Committee. He spent three months in jail. "Spartacus" emerged.

"He was imprisoned ... for his beliefs," Wachtel says. "And while he was there, he wrote one of the great allegories about slavery, about repression, about what it means to be free."

Poets have often raved about the old empires - take for instance Edgar Allan Poe who wrote about "the glory that was Greece, and the grandeur that was Rome."

That glory and grandeur, however, was built by forced labor. In one eight-year stretch, the Romans added a half-million slaves.

Now - amid debates about empires and global politics - "Spartacus" takes a new look.

Stanley Kubrick, then a young man working outside his usual style directed the original movie. "As much as I adore and respect Kubrick, I do not think that this is one of his better movies," Dornhelm says.

Visnjic argues that the new format will help. "We had more time to tell the story, because it's a two-night TV film."

Or not. The original - three hours, four minutes - may be longer than the miniseries, once commercials are figured in. The new version must try harder.

Filming was done in Bulgaria, on a massive scale.

"We had a total of 32,000 extras, so I think it's hardly intimate," Dornhelm says. "We have big battle scenes with thousands and thousand people, cavalry of 120 horses, so it is a very big, epic movie."

The actors had to learn ancient arts. For Visnjic - who studied fencing for two years at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb in Croatia - this took some readjustment.

"Swords are shorter," he says of the Roman style. "Combat is much closer ... and it's completely different movement with your legs." More important, perhaps, is the miniseries' broad overview.

Viewers will see the political maneuvering of Crassus (Angus Macfadyen) and Agrippa (the late Sir Alan Bates), with the ambitious Pompey and Caesar looming. They'll also see issues that continue today.

"Personal freedom, segregation, women's rights - these are all issues ... in this film," says producer Angela Mancuso.

The miniseries has the Romans offering contempt for Africans, Jews and slaves in general. It also has a strong role for Rhona Mitra ("Gideon's Crossing," "The Practice") as Varinia, Spartacus' mate and conscience.

"I think the characters (are) so appealing," Mitra says. "They're also dynamic."

She has a final scene with Bates, who became an art-film favorite with "King of Hearts" in 1966 and "Women in Love" in 1969. "I've never come across a professional or human being (or) contributor to life (like) that man," Mitra says.

Bates, who was knighted in 2003, died of cancer at 69 in December, shortly after filming.

In his scene with Mitra, he talks of "the final gesture of a foolish old man." It was the final film of a grand old actor.

The Associated Press
Updated: 3:43 p.m. ET April 14, 2004

LOS ANGELES - Best known as Detective Baldwin Jones on ABC's "NYPD Blue," Henry Simmons exchanges his badge and gun for a net and spear to play gladiator slave Draba in USA Network's version of "Spartacus."

"Henry is extremely believable. He was the big surprise to me how well he melted into that old world," says Robert Dornhelm, who directed this adaptation of Howard Fast's novel about a slave revolution against the Roman empire.

"Draba ignites the revolution by his sacrifice," Dornhelm explains. "Being able to kill Spartacus but deciding not to - knowing that it means his own death - is the ultimate spark.

"The title role of the revolutionary leader is played by Goran Visnjic, born in Croatia, not too far distant from Thrace, birthplace of the real Spartacus."

Goran has that sad, suffering expression, quite useful for a man who has idealism on his side ... but knows it's a no-win situation," says Dornhelm, whose four-hour miniseries airs Sunday and Monday (8 p.m. ET).

Visnjic is most familiar to audiences wearing a white coat and stethoscope as Dr. Luka Kovac on NBC's medical drama "ER."

Here he wears far less and carries a sword and shield.

"I wish I had the sword. He had the easier time," laughs Simmons, who adds it was difficult learning to throw his net without getting it tangled around himself rather than Visnjic.

After rehearsing their climactic fight sequence, Simmons discovered "there is a certain rhythm, a dance to it. It became so much fun after a while. It was like I was a child in makeup and play gear.

"He was less at ease with his costume. When he first joined "NYPD Blue" in 2000, the actor was called on to take "more than my shirt off" in love scenes. But those sequences were brief and filmed "in some kind of security on a closed set." On "Spartacus," he was "out there in this skimpy outfit fighting in front of hundreds of people.

Production not as melodramatic as classic film? Shot in Bulgaria, the lavishly produced miniseries features throngs of extras and co-stars Rhona Mitra as Spartacus' love interest, Varinia, and the late Alan Bates - in his final role - as the world- weary and wise Roman senator Agrippa.

Stanley Kubrick first brought "Spartacus" to the screen in 1960, with Kirk Douglas in the title role. But Dornhelm says his production is more "in the spirit" of author Fast than Kubrick's "quite melodramatic" interpretation.

"It hits the nerve ... of greed, exploiting your fellow neighbor in order to have a nicer house or whatever," says Dornhelm, whose TV movie credits include "Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story," "RFK," and "Anne Frank: The Whole Story.

"In Kubrick's movie, Woody Strode played Draba. Simmons didn't watch that film, but read extracts from Fast's book and histories of slaves and gladiators in the Roman era.

He says Draba is someone "with a strong spiritual belief, yet someone weary of life who had lost hope of ever seeing his family again and was ready to lay down his life for a cause.

"He also tried to "my character a tremendous amount of dignity and hold to that sense of pride - although I am a slave, I am someone who will be respected.

"Simmons, 33, thinks his love of acting stems from classic films starring actors such as James Stewart and Gary Cooper that his father encouraged him to watch as a child.

And he recalls acting in a school play about the founding fathers: "I think I was Thomas Jefferson or someone like that, but I was so nervous I just froze and the kid playing George Washington had to whisper my lines to me."