Luke
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Tash Jayasinghe
CibbuanoJulius Caesar
April 13th 2007 05:59
Julius Caesar (1953)
I hated Shakespeare in school. I wasn't known for having a short attention span, but I had trouble not dozing off during all the doth's and thee's. In recent years however, I have come to nurse a infantile respect for the bard's plays. This isn't through any sense of growing maturity or appreciation for his work, it comes via my appreciation of certain actors. The thing I do like about Shakespeare is that his plays lend themselves to all kinds of different interpretations, in terms of setting, stage direction and how a role can be played. It's through this that I've come to like Shakespeare's works, I enjoy seeing actors perform his words and seeing what new thing they might bring to such oft-seen roles... a good actor can keep me awake through what would have sent me to sleep back in school. And I guess that brings us to this review, I came to the 50s film of 'Julius Caesar' via my high appreciation of Marlon Brando and my compulsive need to see all his films.
I wasn't familiar with 'Julius Caesar' the play before seeing this film, so it was all (mostly) new to me. Obviously, there were certain things I was aware of, ala the 'et tu Brutus' quote, just because they've become so famous and are a part of our culture now. Anyway, it's a good play... I read that it came via an era in England's history when the people of England were worried about civil war breaking out after Queen Elizabeth's death, seeing as she had no natural successor, nor had she named one. In 'Julius Caesar', Caesar has been made dictator for life... he has been elevated to the status of a living God, and his senators - in particular, Brutus (James Mason) - are anxious about the fate of Rome in the hands of someone who has been granted such power. Brutus is cajoled by a fellow senator, Cassius (John Gielguld), into a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Cassius and the other senators wish to see Caesar dead because they fear and envy his power... Brutus amongst them is the only man who enters into the conspiracy because he cares about Rome itself. Much of the play centres on Brutus' conflicting emotions regarding the matter... he loves Caesar dearly, but he loves Rome more. He alone of the conspirators is the 'honourable man', and we meditate alongside him on themes of flattery, ambition and the ends justifying the means.
This is a lavish production. I was expecting a stodgy and static 50s BBC-styled interpretation of the play, but instead I got this lively and epic production. Ancient Rome is borught to life with spectacular crowd scenes, and even the soliloquising comes alive, especially in one scene where Cassius expouses his feelings whilst marching along through the streets of Rome, the camera following him all the way. Add to this a distinguished cast of both British and American first-rate stars and you have the makings of a definitive film version of 'Julius Caesar'. James Mason and John Gielguld are of course perfectly suited to Shakespeare and are old hands at these works but the real surprise is Marlon Brando’s easy and naturalistic integration into their company as Marc Antony, and the vitality and modern life he brings to his role. Antony might not be the main character of this play, but in the one scene where he takes centre-stage... wow. Brando gives an emotional and sincere performance, the anger and the sarcasm of the famous 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen' speech is brough to the fore as he enflames the broiling crowd before him. It's a magical moment, watching the method meet the bard, and it's easy to see why this one scene won Brando his third Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
I enjoyed this film a lot, and I'd recommend it to Brando fans. I think I'll moving on to some of Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare films soon.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
My fave Shakespearean Adaptations:
1. Polanski's Macbeth
2. Kurosawa's Throne of Blood or Kurosawa's RAN
2. Julie Taymor's Titus
3. Richard Locrane's Richard III
4. Elia Kazan's Julius Caesar
5. Oliver Parker's Othello
I also love Rozencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead, if that counts?
The Laurence Olivier versions are theatrically astounding, but cinematically dull.
Comment by Luke
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I got myself mixed up because Ive been reading about Kazan recently...it was Joseph L Mankewicz (All About Eve) who Directed Caesar. Stupid mistake.
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