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Julius Caesar [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC)


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

An examination of the relationship between political power and personal conscience, Joseph Mankiewicz's Julius Caesar is a solidly acted spectacle presented in classical, traditional form. Julius Caesar reveals its characters to be divided, complex, and contradictory--and therefore all the more human. The acting here is a veritable masterclass for aspiring thesps. As the opportunistic Marc Antony, Marlon Brando delivers the famous funeral speech with pure conviction, elsewhere casting an intense physicality that recalls his work as Stan in A Streetcar Named Desire. James Mason suggests a latent Hamlet in his turn as the honourable Brutus, while John Gielgud is positively serpentine as the lean, hungry Cassius. Louis Calhern invests Caesar with intelligence and edgy noir echoes carried over from his performance in The Asphalt Jungle (1950). Director Mankiewicz astutely balances the Renaissance view of Caesar as a power-obsessed, corrupt tyrant destined for punishment with modern suggestions that his murder may have been ill-advised. With its dark alleyways and complex hues of grey, this Julius Caesar at times owes more to Double Indemnity than Laurence Olivier. The director's scrupulous, pellucid pacing---supported in no small measure by Miklos Rozsa's stunning score--is the perfect complement for the screenplay's sophisticated, frieze-like structure. At film's end, power itself is without a master, and the spirit of Caesar has been left unrevived: and to Mankiewicz's credit, the latter is revealed to be the true tragedy of Julius Caesar.--Kevin Mulhall


The spirit of the play brought to life
Review date: 2005-04-13 Rating: 10 out of 10

I have been raised on this play and saw many versions. I have had the real story pointed out to me and meaning behind many of the words explained. However it is this adaptation that brought it to life not just intellectually but emotionally.

One of the first things you notice is the setting is a balance between stage and reality. This film being in black and white may have contributed to the atmosphere.

The actors are not just popular names but are able to bring the characters to life. I was impressed with everyone's ability to the point that it took time to realize that Mark Antony is Marlon Brando; he among others is able to make the words real and meaningful, not just a bunch of Shakespearian phrases.

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 implorer. 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).

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Reviews


Shakespearean text and the best 20th century�s actors
Review date: 2001-10-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

Julius Caesar is one of my favourite plays and this film is one of my best-loved screen-versions of Shakespeare. The original text is brilliant and it sounds even more so in the film. Marlon Brundo is a perfect Marc Antony. He really looks like a Roman nobleman. I absolutely adore the scene, after Caesar's death, when Brutus and then Antony make their famous speeches. Both of them are so convincing and impressive. The reaction of the crowd is very well shown too. John Gielgud does his best as Cassius. In scenes of Cassius's arguments and dialogues with Brutus and other conspirators he maintains the highest standards of Shakespearean performances. I've seen the film about a dozen of times and I would recommend it to every one.

What a version of the play to see at the theatre...
Review date: 2001-01-16 Rating: 8 out of 10

James Mason as Brutus, Gielgud as Cassius, Brando - yes, he can act - as Mark Anthony. The text is Shakespeare's, and the only catch is that the cuts of the play to fit it into the film make it a little disjointed.

Mason - did he ever make a bad movie? - is excellent, and the movie is his.

Epically accurate pictorial delight
Review date: 2000-03-11 Rating: 8 out of 10

With Marlon Brando in one of his best roles as Marc Anthony and James Mason tackling Brutus's role with relish, this version of Julius Caesar is a triumph. Rarely has Brando filled a role with such aplomb in a part that could have been written for him. Mason is awesome as the patriot too muddled in his own mind to be able to make a rational decision. Perhaps the one area of weakness is the cinematography but if you consider the age of the film, allowance must be made. Of course the focal point of the film is Marc Anthony's stirring speech to the Plebians, as rousing an oration as you will find (nicely imitated in 'that carry on film').

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
James Mason
Marlon Brando
Edmond O'Brien
Louis Calhern
John Gielgud

Creators:
Marlon Brando (Primary Contributor)
James Mason (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 0012569659186
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, NTSC,
Release date: 2006-11-07
Universal product code (UPC): 012569659186
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 121 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1953-06-04
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: French (Dubbed)

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