Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar is very much a play for our times. One could imagine a similar play about Jack Kennedy's death if the heresy ever came into anyone's head that perhaps that particular political assassination, like Caesar's, was the result of complex motivations and machinations that couldn't be reduced easily to cozy confrontations between good and evil (as we've done).

This film version is excellent--one of the great adaptations of Shakespeare. It's a beautiful production and the cast is superb and often surprisingly so. The scruffy Americans stand up well against the Brits (We always seem to assume they alone are genetically designed for Shakespeare). The play should really be titled "The Tragedy of Brutus" (Brutus is the central character) and by a double irony, Brando who plays Mark Antony gets top billing over James Mason (who does an amazing job with Brutus). Brutus loses again but this time to some Hollywood dictators (rather than Roman or Elizabethan) along with (perhaps) the dictatorial position of American Culture in the post-war era. The play can be seen as a commentary on its own future handling. Mr. Brando did a fine job but-be warned-this is not a Brando flick. The box art and presentation are misleading.

Dang! Why isn't this on DVD yet?


They Made Movies before I was born?   November 21, 2003
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Being a product of my times, it's fairly rare when I like a movie that's made more than ten years before my birth. That being said, one could assume that I'd dislike the 1953 film adaptation of Julius Caesar. However, this assumption wouldn't be entirely correct. While I did find the film somewhat boring and long, I enjoyed several things a lot. First, I thought the production value was pretty astonishing. The massive sets and beautiful buildings that were created for this movie were simply amazing. While they were simple, they definitely gave the entire production a very Roman feel. Also, the groups of coordinated extras required for many of the scenes put many modern movies to shame - using computers to simulate crowds (and orc armies) seems a little like cheating after watching this film.

Other than the extras and the sets, I also enjoyed the acting quite a bit. The actors playing Cassius and Brutus really seemed to play the parts well. They both seemed to represent the emotions that pour out of the play - especially in the argument scene between Cassius and Brutus. I was very impressed by that scene and after watching it, I think I see more than ever how poorly I portrayed Cassius in class. While it was strange to see such a young Marlon Brando, I thought his portrayal of Marc Antony was great - especially the funeral speech. After discussing the speech in class and then seeing it performed by Brando, I think my understanding and comprehension of the speech is far greater than it had been through simply reading the text. The power of Antony's words and the effect it had on the crowd was very evident in this film and it was great to see the shifting emotions in the crowd.

I'm not sure I would have watched this film on my own for fun, but I'm glad I saw it and I'm pretty sure it enriched my cultural aptitude.


gielgud as i'd never seen him before   June 27, 2003
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

this is an excellent adaptation of the bard's play. the casting is spot on and the acting, for the most part, is faultless. gielgud especially is very good as cassius, the disgruntled and envious senator. i've only seen him once before, in 'richard ii' as john of gaunt, father to henry iv and the lancaster line of english kings. it's a treat to see gielgud in his prime. brando and mason are also very good, mason especially as the noble, but naive, brutus. i read this play a long time ago in high school, but it was only after seeing this film that i really understood this play. a must see for fans of the bard.


KES Evenstar   March 10, 2003
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

A wonderful adaptation of Shakespeare's book. The actors had a powerful performance. It is shone through Brutus' perspective. It showed the true spirit of Brutus' grief and inner struggles. He stops eating and sleeping. Just like Frodo! So, anyway, It shows the fiery spirit that Shakespeare put into his plays. A splendid and entertaining movie.