Spartacus Vladimir Vasiliev, Maris Liepa and Natalia Bessmertnova with the Bolshoi Ballet Choreography by Yuri Grigorovich Music by Khachaturian "Vasiliev, as the slave who leads an unsuccessful revolt against the Romans, dances and acts on a heroic level that is the performance of a lifetime. Maris Liepa matches him on every point magnificently as the villain, the Roman general Crassus…the film takes its chances. It is also one of the best dance films ever made.” —Anna Kisselgoff, New York Times