Why Do They All Say 'I'm Spartacus'? Meaning Of The Movie Line

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Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas in 'Spartacus.' Source: IMDB

“I’m Spartacus!” was more than a famous movie line from Spartacus, the 1960 historical epic starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis, but symbolism for something much deeper happening in politics at the time. The film’s screenwriter Dalton Trumbo had experienced the wrath of America for identifying as a Communist, an act that seemed to have ruined his career. However, his fame was reinstated with Spartacus and the famous movie line helped viewers sympathize with Trumbo when they realized what it truly represented.