Julius Caesar (1970)

Appalled by the murder of his mentor Julius Caesar Mark Antony declares war on his assassins -- especially Caius Cassius and "the honorable" Brutus who only reluctantly took part in the crime.William Shakespeare's timeless classic is brought to the screen with an all-star cast and a brilliant performance by Gielgud as the ill-fated Caesar.System Requirements:Running Time: 115 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 017153208283 Manufacturer No: 20828 Product Description

I've come to praise Jason's Brutus....

For any version of William Shakespeare's JULIUS CAESAR to be a success, the actor playing Marcus Antonius must give an outstanding "I've come to bury Caesar" soliloquy. Charlton Heston does exactly this-- his emotionally-charged and finely-timed rendition of a most crucial speech is superb and leaves no doubt in the viewer's mind of the underlying message being conveyed to Romans who have lent him their ears. On so many levels, Heston in fact -is- this great Shakespearean anti-hero.

That Jason Robards was miscast as Marcus Junius Brutus is an opinion held even by Mr. Heston himself. Robards' quiet, self-involved portrayal of Brutus may not immediately serve the story's needs, but later, the contrast between an indecisive Brutus and the take-charge Antony is that much better delineated, due entirely to Robards supposedly vague approach. His Brutus, as played against Heston is appropriate; in fact, Robards should be given more credit for a daring interpretation of this complex character.

Excellent Technicolor photography, a nicely unobtrusive score and top notch casting make this "Julius Caesar" an elegant and memorable film.


Also set in Roman times, TITUS, with Anthony Hopkins (as Titus Andronicus), is a startling and superlative adaptation of Shakespeare's darkest play.


Parenthetical number prior to title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film research website.

(6.0) Julius Caesar (UK-1970) - Charlton Heston/Jason Robards/John Gielgud/Richard Johnson/Robert Vaughn/Richard Chamberlain/Diana Rigg/Christopher Lee/Jill Bennett August 13, 2008

What do Moses, Ben-Hur, and Antony have in common?

What do Moses, Ben-Hur, and Antony have in common? Answer: They all look like Charlton Heston.
If somehow you missed the play or the history, basically Julius Caesar let his status go to his head and is about to take on the role of emperor. It is up to a handful of Noble Romans to see that this does not happen. The play is about these individuals, their individual purposes and what happens to them after the attempt to stop him. The focus is on Caesar's right arm (Mark Antony).

This is a 1970 rendition of Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" that is well adapted for the screen. Hence the characters are well known contemporaries. You will notice the major players and might miss some of the others such as Preston Lockwood (Trebonius) who played the Judge in "Strong Poison" ASIN: B000062XDY. With many movies the actor out shine the character and totally changes the emphasis of the story. However this version is well done with maybe the exception of Jason Robards (Brutus) who sometimes seems like Jason Robards playing Brutus at other times he is quite exceptional. Diana Rigg (Portia) who looks like a little girl is the only person that sounds like she is speaking in meter. Everyone speaks clearly and pauses long enough for you to think before moving on. Facial expressions are important to the story and they do not look like they are yelling at you (except in speeches).

You will notice that the back ground music is also of 70's vantage and is used to emphasize certain scenes. However the volume is not so high that you can not hear the clear pronunciation of the lines. Also the costumes made with satin are distracting. At one point Antony looks like Carol Burnett when she was wearing a curtain and left the rod in.

As the play proceeds you will be so wrapped up in it that you will not care about the little differences in form and be totally absorbed in the film. There may be better versions and/or more favorite versions but that doe not make this version any less worth having.

June 16, 2007

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