This is a film built entirely for fans of Shakespeare. Julius Caesar is a 1970 British independent film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name, directed by Stuart Burge from a screenplay by Robert Furnival. The movie did have a raw, shoestring vigor and a bit more. And then there's the matter of the walla. For all his professionalism, Gielgud's Caesar is just an old shrewdie who yields to his ego. Christopher Lee – Here Are His Ten Best Roles. Julius Caesar, 1970. GusF. Julius Caesar (1970) - … Cassius (Richard Johnson) persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony (Charlton Heston). Aging cowboy Will Penny gets a line camp job on a large cattle spread and finds his isolated cabin is already occupied by a husbandless woman and her young son. Use the HTML below. The intertwined lives of two kindred souls with ambition begins when Captain Whip Hoxworth discovers that Nyuk Tsin has been smuggled aboard as part of cargo on The Carthaginian, which he ... See full summary », The growing ambition of Julius Caesar (Sir John Gielgud) is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus (Jason Robards, Jr.). This 1970 film, JULIUS CAESAR, is fairly well cast in all its parts but the key one--Jason Robards as Brutus. The film begins when Caesar John Gielgud is at the height of his power after conquering Pompey "the Great" in … Plot Summary. The story of Cat Catlan (Heston), a washed up quarterback who turns to drink and women to solve his problems. If you want a truly cinematic version, try the Brando version. Mankiewicz. Dramaturgically, the blueprint adheres to the Hollywood version back in 1953. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar, but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony. Director: Stuart Burge. That isn’t to say their absence is felt, but it feels like a tease, and the film’s keystone actor isn’t bland John Gielgud as the doomed leader nor first-billed Charlton Hest as Marc Antony (who really does nothing until Caesar’s death), but Jason Robards, giving a strangely monotone performance as back-stabber Brutus. [1] It is the first film version of the play made in color. Was this review helpful to you? Critic Roger Ebert gives it only one star. It's Shakespeare all right, at least in dialogue. The film stars Charlton Heston, Jason Robards, John Gielgud, Robert Vaughn, Richard Chamberlain, Diana Rigg, and Jill Bennett. The film stars Marlon Brando as Mark Antony, James Mason as Brutus, John Gielgud as Cassius, Louis Calhern as Julius Caesar, Edmond O'Brien as Casca, Greer Garson as … When we get close-ups of the conspirators, they're arranged like mannequins in a department store window, and so rigid is the staging that sometimes they actually have to talk over their shoulders to each other. This develops into real love and slowly leads to a war with the other possible successor: Octavius. If you want Hollywood-type entertainment, go for the earlier but flashier Brando version. When the crowds gather for Mark Antony's funeral oration, they group themselves like refugees from a particularly orderly Renaissance painting. Two actors with very minor parts are noteworthy for their skills--Lawrence Harrington as the Carpenter and Ron Pembler as the Cobbler--at the opening of the play. Jason Robards! Dame Diana Rigg Dies, Bond, The Avengers and Game of Thrones Star Was 82, Robert Vaughn, Suave 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.,' Is Dead at 83, R.I.P. It sounds as if it were composed on a synthetic electronic device of some sort; it doesn't sound human. We begin to suspect, along toward Robards' big speech over Caesar's body, that Robards' mind has been captured by a computer from another planet and that the movie is an alien plot to drain the soul from mighty Shakespeare. Julius Caesar. In Sir John's former Cassius slot, Johnson looks anything but "lean and hungry," with a bearded sneer, contrasting Robert Vaughn's bland, eye-rolling Casca. G | 1h 57min | Drama, History, War | 21 February 1970 (Japan) The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Best Shakespeare movie adaptation (with original dialogue)? He stares vacantly into the camera and recites Shakespeare's words as if he'd memorized them seconds before, or maybe was reading from idiot cards. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar, but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony. ... Charlton Heston had wanted Orson Welles to play Brutus. Julius Caesar (1970) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. [5] Upon its 2013 Blu-ray disc release, it met with a more positive review from the website DVD Talk, although Jason Robards' performance was still soundly panned. ", Title: She seduces his probable successor Mark Antony. The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) - Best Roman Epic? Two actors with very minor parts are noteworthy for their skills--Lawrence Harrington as the Carpenter and Ron Pembler as the Cobbler--at the opening of the play. Julius Caesar (1970) Trivia (22) ... Heston posing proudly in Roman uniform in front of a ruined temple, and the curious caption "Charlton Heston stars as Julius Caesar--General, Statesman and Historian of Ancient Rome." Julius Caesar is a 1970 theatrical adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same title produced by Commonwealth United Entertainment and directed by Stuart Burge. In fact, Heston does not play Caesar, but Mark Antony. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? John Gielgud! With Richard Pasco, Charles Gray, Keith Michell, David Collings. Julius Caesar is a 1970 British independent film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name, directed by Stuart Burge from a screenplay by Robert Furnival. Which Shakespeare Play Has the Best Film Adaptations? The growing ambition of Julius Caesar (Sir John Gielgud) is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus (Jason Robards, Jr.). Each word has the same emphasis as the last, and they march out of the screen at us without regard for phrases, sentences or emotional content. Twas not the thrust of Brutus's dagger that was the unkindest cut of all - but rather the inexcusable decision by Lions Gate/Artisan to release, for the second time, a panned-and-scanned DVD of the 1970 Julius Caesar that ruinously cuts huge swaths of picture information from this Filmed-in-Panavision production. Overall, this movie was neither as good as the source material or cast would imply, nor … Julius Caesar is available to watch and stream, download, buy on demand at Amazon Prime, FlixFling, Apple TV+, FlixFling VOD, Amazon, iTunes online. — GusF. [11], "On Third 'Julius Caesar' Filming: Et tu, Jason Robards et al! In 11th century Normandy, a Norman duke sends one of his knights to build a defensive fortress in order to guard the borders against Frisian raiders. Written by It's a neat trick. JULIUS CAESAR (1970) Yep, the poster has it right: Julius Caesar can rightly boast a stellar cast! All-star cast glamorizes this lavish 1970 remake of the classic William Shakespeare play, which portrays the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, and the resulting war between the faction led by the assassins and the faction led by Mark Anthony. John Gielgud in his second Julius Caesar film role, this time as Caesar himself, is studied and brilliant. Add the first question. Julius Caesar had its world premiere in Tokyo on 20 February 1970[4] and was released in the UK on 4 June 1970. However, Diana Rigg and Richard Chamberlain, as Portia and Octavius Caesar, are briefly excellent in their quicksliver precision and feeling. That solid, intelligent treatment may have lacked majesty but it did have two fire-and-ice performances by John Gielgud as Cassius and Marlon Brando as Mark Antony. Heston supplies laconic bite and delivers a good, ferocious funeral oration. The assassination of the would be ruler of Rome at the hands of Brutus and company has tragic consequences for Brutus and the republic. [6] Its previous DVD release, which was pan-and-scanned rather than letterboxed, had been harshly criticized, and several other DVD reviewers also disparaged the film. (1970). Now Julius Caesar looks left out all night.[2]. Except for the omission of several passages in the original play, this 1970 adaptation of Julius Caesar faithfully retells Shakespeare's account of events surrounding the assassination of Caesar in 44 B.C. The film was shot at studios in the UK and on locations in Spain. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. So there's poor Robards trying to remember his lines, and all this synthetic walla curling around him, and then Charlton Heston leaps in with his Mark Antony speech. Think of it: Charlton Heston! The film begins when Caesar John Gielgud is at the height of his power after conquering Pompey "the Great" in … The film was released on DVD on 11 May 2004 initially and then 1 February 2005, 25 July 2006, and 19 February 2013 afterwards. 35. The assassination of the would be ruler of Rome at the hands of Brutus and company has tragic consequences for Brutus and the republic. As the year comes to a close, we present the top TV shows of 2020, including "Money Heist" and "The Mandalorian. All star cast heads up this 1970 remake of the William Shakespeare classic tale of the betrayal of the the Roman senate against their emperor, the plotting and scheming that led up to the assassination of the title charecter, and all of Romes' fickleness towards the events. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony. Marlon Brando's version of this classic in the movie made in 1953 is well remembered for all good reasons. Brutus plays off of Antony well as the weaker of the generals. OK, maybe we're stretching things now, but one can't argue with the impressive collection of actors rounded up for this stab at Shakespeare (no pun intended). Twenty-year-old Julius Caeser flees Rome for his life during the reign of Sulla, but through skill and ambition rises four decades later to become Rome's supreme dictator. Prime Video has you covered this holiday season with movies for the family. Directed by Herbert Wise. An all-star, large scale epic movie that chronicles the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. In this third go-round, Willie and Julius, both, really get the business. But it's hopeless. In big crowd scenes, sound departments always put in a lot of walla. As the center of the whole thing, Robards is incredibly dull and wooden as Brutus, the "noblest Roman of them all." The film stars Charlton Heston, Jason Robards, John Gielgud, Robert Vaughn, Richard Chamberlain, Diana Rigg, and Jill Bennett. The film stars Charlton Heston, Jason Robards, John Gielgud, Robert Vaughn, Richard Chamberlain, Diana Rigg, and Jill Bennett. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Ivlivs Ceasar) is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599. [1] It is the first film version of the play made in color. Diana Rigg! After the murder of her lover Caesar, Egypt's queen Cleopatra needs a new ally. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar, but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Then there was an even earlier Julius Caesar from Chicago, of all places, with a newcomer named Charlton Heston as Antony, which he repeats here. It has received poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.1. Robards would be enough, all by himself, to capsize the movie, but there's more. [10] He would do so yet again, in a 1972 film version of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, which Heston directed. The new movie moves sluggishly, as directed by Stuart Burge. It is the first film version of the play made in color. Julius Caesar is an War, Drama, History movie that was released in 1970 and has a run time of 1 hr 56 min. Here are some of our picks to get you in the spirit. Julius Caesar (John Gielgud) is bestowed with laurels after his rousing victory over Pompey, which ended a civil war -- but danger still lurks among his closest comrades. The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. This FAQ is empty. And the tormented soul of the real hero, Brutus (James Mason), was sufficiently and touchingly bared. Julius Caesar is a 1970 British independent film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name, directed by Stuart Burge from a screenplay by Robert Furnival. [2], Orson Welles was the first choice to portray Brutus, but was passed over for Jason Robards, who had considerable difficulties during production: frequently missing rehearsals, refusing to appear on horseback, and holding up the proceedings due to illness.[3]. Robert Vaughn! [citation needed], Howard Thompson wrote in his review: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, "Ye gods! The film failed at the box office. But he soon discovers that his problems are just beginning. ", Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Julius_Caesar_(1970_film)&oldid=970631224, Cultural depictions of Marcus Junius Brutus, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 August 2020, at 13:35. This version is as true to Shakespeare as any film I have seen. Indeed, several performances are good; especially Robert Vaughn's as a slippery Casca. Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and … The actors race about on sets so flimsy we half expect them to collapse and sweep the entire Senate away with Caesar. Except for the omission of several passages in the original play, this 1970 adaptation of Julius Caesar faithfully retells Shakespeare's account of events surrounding the assassination of Caesar in 44 B.C. Cassius (Richard Johnson) persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony (Charlton Heston). This 1970 film, JULIUS CAESAR, is fairly well cast in all its parts but the key one--Jason Robards as Brutus. The release received major praise and was instrumental in shifting perceptions of Brando’s acting range. understandably bellows Cassius (Richard Johnson) in the last lap of the third filming of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, which opened yesterday at the Kips Bay Theater. But just when Heston gets into high gear, we cut away to a long shot of the crowd and lose all the personal emotion in Heston's face. This big-budget film stars Marlon Brando as Mark Antony, James Mason as Brutus, and John Gielgud as Cassius. Stuart Burges’s Julius Caesar (1970) I’ve explained before how Caesar is a difficult play to like. Crudely defined, walla is the mix of indistinguishable noises a crowd makes when it talks all at once: Walla, walla, walla. Marc Antony was wrong. The biographical story of Michelangelo's troubles while painting the Sistine Chapel at the urging of Pope Julius II. Heston does a fine job. The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. [8], John Gielgud played Cassius in the 1953 film version of Julius Caesar, directed by Joseph L. Surprisingly, Heston plays a brilliant Antony, strong and resilient, as Antony should be played, and showing a serious command of the language and supernatural world of Shakespeare's Caesar. An adventurer searchers for hidden treasure in the Peruvian jungles. Cassius (Richard Johnson) persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony (Charlton Heston). And the director and cinematographer let no opportunity for a cheesy 1970-era visual effect go untouched (Brutus' visitations by Caesar's ghost and Calpurnia's nightmares stand out here.) Julius Caesar dies in Act III, Scene 1, but even before that most of the play is about noble Brutus, the man who would kill Caesar because he loved Rome too much to let it be ruled by a tyrant. In his review, he wrote: There's hardly any way to describe how Jason Robards brings Julius Caesar to its knees, but let me try. View production, box office, & company info. Fearful that Caesar will destroy the republic, Brutus (Jason Robards) and Cassius (Richard Johnson) scheme to rein in his power. Made in England and Spain and in color, with a perfectly viable cast headed by Jason Robards and Charlton Heston, the new picture is generally as flat and juiceless as a dead haddock. [9] Charlton Heston had played Mark Antony once before, in an earlier film version of Julius Caesar, made in Chicago in 1950. Synopsis. Julius Caesar (John Gielgud) is bestowed with laurels after his rousing victory over Pompey, which ended a civil war -- but danger still lurks among his closest comrades. 7 of 9 people found this review helpful. [7], The reviews for this version upon its theatrical release were mostly negative, with Robards especially being criticized for his wooden performance as Brutus. 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