In the climactic scene, recaptured slaves are asked to identify Spartacus in exchange for leniency; instead they proclaim themselves to be Spartacus and thus share his fate. The documentary Trumbo[1] suggests that this scene was meant to dramatize the solidarity of those accused of being Communist sympathizers during the
McCarthy Era who refused to implicate others, and thus were blacklisted.
This scene and the repeated line, "I am Spartacus!", are amongst the most memorable in cinema[2][3][4][5] and have been widely referenced and parodied in a range of different media[6][7]:
In several subsequent films, including:
The 1964 Soviet-Cuban film I Am Cuba has a scene in which three captured Cuban guerrillas claim one after another "I am
Fidel!".[8]
The 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian reverses the scene by depicting an entire group undergoing crucifixion all claiming to be Brian who it has just been announced is eligible for release ("I'm Brian" "No, I'm Brian" "I'm Brian and so's my wife.").[6][7]
The 1998 film The Mask of Zorro has a scene in which the prison guards, directed by the antagonist Don Rafael Montero, demand that Zorro reveal himself. Diego De La Vega (the original Zorro) stays silent as many of the prisoners proclaim themselves to be Zorro, to the point of arguing and fighting amongst themselves.[7]
The 1999 film Life, starring Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy, includes a scene where the warden of a prison asks the prisoners who is the father of his daughter's baby one at a time, most of the prisoners claim to be his father.[7][9]
The 2005 film Color Me Kubrick, inspired by the impersonation in real-life of Spartacus director
Stanley Kubrick, pays reference to the 'Spartacus moment' with con man
Alan Conway finally frustrated in his impersonation by fellow inmates of a mental asylum all declaring "I'm Stanley Kubrick".[citation needed]
In several TV shows, including:
The South Park episode "
Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow", in which Stan confesses to accidentally breaking a dam, but the people of the town think he means that everybody's responsible and they all begin to admit "I broke the dam."[7][10][11]
The Fairly OddParents episode "Microphony", in which Timmy is accused of being clandestine radio broadcaster "Double T", and all his friends say "I am Double T!".[citation needed]
In Moving Wallpaper, episode 5 of season 2, after producer Jonathon Pope admits to having deleted a press teaser, members of the production staff individually stand up to claim that they deleted it.[citation needed]
In 2005,
Pepsi aired a
commercial where a Roman general announced that a package (a 12oz can of Pepsi) had arrived for Spartacus, and asked if he was there to claim it. Using the original footage from the Kubrick film, everyone immediately claimed to be Spartacus in an attempt to get the beverage for himself, resulting in the general drinking it himself. The commercial contains licensed footage from the original film.[7]
In May 2007, British soldiers in
Iraq were reported to be wearing t-shirts bearing the statement "I'm Harry!" in reference to the debate over whether
Prince Harry should
serve a tour of duty there.[7][14]
^Cite error: The named reference Trumbo was invoked but never defined (see the
help page).
In the climactic scene, recaptured slaves are asked to identify Spartacus in exchange for leniency; instead they proclaim themselves to be Spartacus and thus share his fate. The documentary Trumbo[1] suggests that this scene was meant to dramatize the solidarity of those accused of being Communist sympathizers during the
McCarthy Era who refused to implicate others, and thus were blacklisted.
This scene and the repeated line, "I am Spartacus!", are amongst the most memorable in cinema[2][3][4][5] and have been widely referenced and parodied in a range of different media[6][7]:
In several subsequent films, including:
The 1964 Soviet-Cuban film I Am Cuba has a scene in which three captured Cuban guerrillas claim one after another "I am
Fidel!".[8]
The 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian reverses the scene by depicting an entire group undergoing crucifixion all claiming to be Brian who it has just been announced is eligible for release ("I'm Brian" "No, I'm Brian" "I'm Brian and so's my wife.").[6][7]
The 1998 film The Mask of Zorro has a scene in which the prison guards, directed by the antagonist Don Rafael Montero, demand that Zorro reveal himself. Diego De La Vega (the original Zorro) stays silent as many of the prisoners proclaim themselves to be Zorro, to the point of arguing and fighting amongst themselves.[7]
The 1999 film Life, starring Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy, includes a scene where the warden of a prison asks the prisoners who is the father of his daughter's baby one at a time, most of the prisoners claim to be his father.[7][9]
The 2005 film Color Me Kubrick, inspired by the impersonation in real-life of Spartacus director
Stanley Kubrick, pays reference to the 'Spartacus moment' with con man
Alan Conway finally frustrated in his impersonation by fellow inmates of a mental asylum all declaring "I'm Stanley Kubrick".[citation needed]
In several TV shows, including:
The South Park episode "
Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow", in which Stan confesses to accidentally breaking a dam, but the people of the town think he means that everybody's responsible and they all begin to admit "I broke the dam."[7][10][11]
The Fairly OddParents episode "Microphony", in which Timmy is accused of being clandestine radio broadcaster "Double T", and all his friends say "I am Double T!".[citation needed]
In Moving Wallpaper, episode 5 of season 2, after producer Jonathon Pope admits to having deleted a press teaser, members of the production staff individually stand up to claim that they deleted it.[citation needed]
In 2005,
Pepsi aired a
commercial where a Roman general announced that a package (a 12oz can of Pepsi) had arrived for Spartacus, and asked if he was there to claim it. Using the original footage from the Kubrick film, everyone immediately claimed to be Spartacus in an attempt to get the beverage for himself, resulting in the general drinking it himself. The commercial contains licensed footage from the original film.[7]
In May 2007, British soldiers in
Iraq were reported to be wearing t-shirts bearing the statement "I'm Harry!" in reference to the debate over whether
Prince Harry should
serve a tour of duty there.[7][14]
^Cite error: The named reference Trumbo was invoked but never defined (see the
help page).