Julius Caesar

I shall not cavil: Julius Caesar is my favourite Shakespearean play and i can bore anyone to tears by reciting great chunks of it. My dear wife may love Hamlet, but for me it is Caesar; I have loved this play since I was in elementary school, and had the great joy of seeing it in 1966 at Stratford Ontario with a brilliant young Bruno Gerussi as Antony: there was a lively Antony to make Brando's look somnambulant. Given my love for the play, I await the day that some computer genius releases this version having excised poor Jason Robarts and inserted James Mason from the Brando movie. According to some reports, Robarts (and actor whom I admired tremendously) was very simply drunk out of his mind for the filming of this motion picture. He does an excellent job for someone sloshed; sad, because as we see from his other work, he could have been a fine Brutus, though perhaps a better Cassius. But it is Heston who shines as Antony. Where Brando methodically plays Antony as Brando (with hints of his future Fletcher Christian), Heston *is* Antony, fearlessly playing the manipulative, self-serving (anti-)hero. Just listen to his dismissive "So is my horse, Octavius" to hear a true master at work. A flawed but faithful Julius Caesar.

By now in his late forties and sporting an obvious, bright red hairpiece, Charlton Heston seemed an odd Antony when first seen. But Heston remained fit all through his long career. While he does not as much look the part, his Marc Antony provides a sturdy center for this second filming of the Shakespeare tragedy. Also, Charlton Heston had a scholarly side unusual for a Hollywood actor. He clearly gave much thought to this portrayal which on the whole is better than the misplaced Method emoting of Marlon Brando's Antony, some seventeen years earlier.

Featuring a mixed cast of British and American actors, the result is mainly predictable but some surprises and disappointments also feature. One disappointment is Gielgud as Caesar. Sir John was a veteran Shakespearian by 1970 with a fine voice and tons of dignity. Yet at sixty-six he was a touch too old for the part. More to the point, the effete Gielgud lacked the masculine force to play this virile ex-general whose battlefield victories were said to be matched only by his conquests in the bedroom.

One surprise is the subtle portrayal of the conspirator Casca by American Robert Vaughan. "Sour" Casca, the cynical observer, is a minor character but sharply drawn and Vaughan makes him come alive during his few minutes on stage. Jill Bennet is sympathetic as the prophetic wife of Caesar but in the role of Brutus' wife the well-born Portia, Diana Rigg at age thirty-two looks luscious and is simply superb--Shakespeare in the finest style. Another veteran Shakespearian, Richard Johnson, is nearly as good as the jealous, manipulative Cassius.

Jason Robards plays Brutus like a wooden Indian for the first two acts. In the third act however--that is, after Brutus and Cassius have fled Rome--he seems to grow in the part and his acting gains conviction.

The importance of the plebeians to the play was understood by this director, who cast the roles carefully.

This good rendition of the Shakespeare playwright talks about tragedy , ambition , politics , corruption and wars . The film starts in battle of Munda where Julius Caesar (100-40 b.c.) vanquished Pompeyo and terminates in the famous battle of Filipos where the second triumvirate (Mark Anthony , Lepidus and Octavius Augustus : Richard Chamberlain) vanquished Brutus and Cassius . Aristocrat party prepares a conspiracy and on March 15, 44 B. C -Idus of March- Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Roman senate . It remains surprisingly true to Shakespeare's adaptation and working directly from the original , unlike many other historical movies at the same era . Caesar's killing is originally staged , including unexpected frames of the murderous washing their hands in the blood of Julius and below the Pompeyo sculpture.

There's magnificent acting from a memorable Charlton Heston as Marco Antonio , an electrifying John Gielgud as Caesar , a sneaky Robert Vaughn as Casca and a splendid Richard Johnson as Cassius , among them . Performances result to be attractive enough and extending right down to the minor characters , wealthy of expert character-drawing , as Christopher Lee , Diana Rigg and Andre Morell as Ciceron . Directed with imagination and professionalism by Stuart Burge and well produced by Peter Snell that followed a sequel , also little known , titled : 'Marco Antonio and Cleopatra' starred and directed by Charlton Heston . This gripping flick will appeal to Shakespeare devotees , as the deep spirit is intact , in spite of taking some liberties . It's hard to believe this underrated film did not have success , today is much better deemed than the past , containing brilliance of dialogue perfectly played by all-stars . Despite this great cast , it turns out to be inferior than classic film 'Julius Caesar (1953)' considered definitely the best version available , being competently directed by Joseph L Mankiewicz and starred by top-American players as Marlon Brando (similar role Charlton Heston-Marco Antonio) , Louis Calhern (John Gielgud-Caesar) , Greer Garson (Jill Bennet-Calpurnia) , James Mason (Jason Robards-Brutus) , Edmond O'Brien (Robert Vaughn-Casca role) , among others.

I've seen plenty bum Shakespeare, but Jason Robards as Brutus he takes me the cake. He resembled nothing so much as a barrel with a head on top. The rest of the cast was pretty good, however, especially Richard Johnson as Cassius (why wasn't HE Brutus), Diana Rigg as Portia and Charlton Heston as Antony. John Gielgud as Caesar does his lines beautifully, as always, but does not quite convey the menace and power of Caesar. (He was better as Cassius in the 1953 version.) Interesting here is the contrast in line delivery between Johnson and Robards; it makes you wonder why Cassius isn't the leader and hope of the conspiracy. Production values are sometimes dubious; but battle scenes are better than the cowboys-and-Indians fight in the 1953 version. Of course, the text is shortened, but all essential scenes are kept.

One of the things that I always thought about Julius Caesar is that in the life of one of the great movers and shakers of the ancient world, he's merely a figure in which all kinds of people at the end are busy weaving their schemes around, be it his death or his conferred immortality.

Antony and Brutus are each worried about their place in Caesar's affections and Brutus figures he's lost out to Antony. It makes him an easy mark for Cassius's plots. After the dirty deed of assassination is done, it's Antony and Octavius though they are teaming up against the conspirators, you can tell both in this version and in the better Fifties version that MGM put out that they will soon be at odds.

Charlton Heston is a strong Antony here, but unfortunately for the play to succeed you need an equally strong Brutus. That's not what you get in Jason Robards, Jr. For a man who in his time was considered the greatest interpreter of Eugene O'Neill, when it comes to Shakespeare the man was out of his league. No reflection on him, everyone has casting limitations.

A real good interpreter of the Bard who played Cassius back in 1954 plays Caesar here. John Gielgud is equally fine in both versions. And Richard Johnson and Robert Vaughn are superb as conspirators Cassius and Casca. And Richard Chamberlain who was trying very hard to shed his Dr. Kildare image is fine as the cunning Octavian who Antony ultimately underestimates.

Charlton Heston in his memoirs takes blame for casting Robards and Robards himself realized he was miscast. Oddly enough in that earlier version James Mason as Brutus was the best one in the film.