Spartacus (1960)

The one detour on the route, best taken straight after Paths of Glory because Kirk Douglas links them: as producer and star, he brought Kubrick in to replace Anthony Mann after shooting had begun, when the production was already set. That makes this the least personal film here, a big-studio epic with Kubrick working inside someone else's machine, and seeing it now makes the independence of everything that follows easier to appreciate. It is still a handsome, rousing spectacle, and it won four Oscars, including Peter Ustinov's for supporting actor and one for its color cinematography.