William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

Last updated
Julius Caesar
Julius caesar.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Screenplay byJoseph L. Mankiewicz
Based on Julius Caesar
1599 play
by William Shakespeare
Produced by John Houseman
Starring
Cinematography Joseph Ruttenberg, A.S.C.
Edited by John Dunning, A.C.E.
Music by Miklos Rozsa
Production
company
Distributed by Loew's, Inc.
Release date
  • June 3, 1953 (1953-06-03)
Running time
121 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2,070,000 [1]
Box office$3,920,000 [1]

Julius Caesar (billed on-screen as William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar) is a 1953 American film adaptation of the Shakespearean play, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by John Houseman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It stars Marlon Brando as Mark Antony, James Mason as Brutus, Louis Calhern as Caesar, John Gielgud as Cassius, Edmond O'Brien as Casca, Greer Garson as Calpurnia, and Deborah Kerr as Portia.

Contents

The film opened to positive reviews, and was nominated in five categories at the 26th Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Actor for Brando), winning Best Art Direction - Black-and-White. Brando and Gielgud both won BAFTA Awards, Brando for Best Foreign Actor and Gielgud for Best British Actor.

Plot

Upon Caesar's return to Rome, after defeating Pompey in the civil war, his countrymen chose him a fourth time consul and then dictator for life. . . thus he became odious to moderate men through the extravagance of the titles and powers that were heaped upon him.

—  Plutarch's Lives

The film is a largely-faithful adaptation of Shakespeare's play, with no significant cuts or alterations to the original text. The only notable exception is the Messenger's text recounting the Battle of Philippi, which is substituted with a visual depiction of the battle.

Cast

and Senators, Citizens and Soldiers of Rome

Cast as listed in end credits

           Dramatis personae

in the order of their appearance

and as citizens of Rome

Production

Producer John Houseman says the film was made because Laurence Olivier's 1944 production of Henry V had been a success. MGM's head of production Dore Schary offered the project to Houseman, who said he wanted Joseph L. Mankiewicz to direct because he thought he and William Wyler were "probably the two best dialogue directors in the business" and that Mankiewicz was "younger and more flexible." [2]

Houseman did not want to use an all-British cast. "I'd done a lot of Shakespeare in America," he said. "If it was going to be cast all-English, it should be an English picture, made in England and we might as well forget about it." [2]

Houseman says MGM wanted to make the film in color but he and Mankiewicz refused, "partly because we wanted people to relate to the newsreels, to the Fascist movements in Europe, which were still relevant" and also because they would be "using a lot of the Quo Vadis sets, and it seemed idiotic to invite comparison with Quo Vadis." [2]

Though Houseman originally intended to shoot the film in Italy, production ultimately took place in Los Angeles instead. Many of the sets and costumes were repurposed from Quo Vadis (1951), with several setpieces deconstructed, flown from Rome to California, and rebuilt on MGM's Culver City studio backlot.

Houseman says they "decided to do it as a small production, not a spectacle; to do it for what it really is—the drama of a political power play." [2]

Casting

Marlon Brando in the film's trailer. Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar trailer.jpg
Marlon Brando in the film's trailer.

Many actors in this film had experience in the play. John Gielgud had played Mark Antony at the Old Vic Theatre in 1930 and Cassius at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1950, James Mason had played Brutus at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in the 1940s, and John Hoyt, who plays Decius Brutus, also played him in the Mercury Theatre's 1937 stage version. Gielgud later played the title role in the 1970 film with Charlton Heston, Jason Robards and Richard Johnson (as Cassius) and in a stage production directed by John Schlesinger at the Royal National Theatre. John Houseman, who had produced the famous 1937 Broadway version of the play starring Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre, also produced the MGM film. By this time, however, Welles and Houseman had had a falling out, and Welles had nothing to do with the 1953 film. P. M. Pasinetti, Italian-American writer, scholar, and teacher at UCLA served as a technical advisor.

James Mason in the film's trailer. James Mason in Julius Caesar trailer.jpg
James Mason in the film's trailer.

Brando's casting was met with some skepticism when it was announced, as he had acquired the nickname of "The Mumbler" following his performance in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). [3] Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz even considered Paul Scofield for the role of Mark Antony if Brando's screen test was unsuccessful. [4] Brando asked John Gielgud for advice in declaiming Shakespeare, and adopted all of Gielgud's recommendations. [5] Brando's performance turned out so well that the New York Times' Bosley Crowther stated in his review of the film: “Happily, Mr. Brando's diction, which has been guttural and slurred in previous films, is clear and precise in this instance. In him a major talent has emerged.” [6] Brando was so dedicated in his performance during shooting that Gielgud offered to direct him in a stage production of Hamlet, a proposition that Brando seriously considered but ultimately turned down. [7] During filming, James Mason became concerned that Brando was stealing the audience's sympathy away from him and his character, Brutus, so Mason appealed to Mankiewicz, with whom he had bonded earlier while making the film 5 Fingers , requesting that the director stop Brando from dominating the film and "put the focus back where it belongs. Namely on me!" [8] The subsequent shift in directorial attention didn't escape Brando, who threatened to walk off the film if Mankiewicz "threw one more scene to Mason", alleging a ménage à trois among Mankiewicz, Mason and his wife Pamela Mason. [8] Despite the feuding, production continued with only minimal disruption, thanks to what Gielgud called, "Mankiewicz's consummate tact that kept us together as a working unit." [9]

O. Z. Whitehead is listed on the Internet Movie Database as having played Cinna the Poet in the film and not receiving screen credit, but his one scene was deleted before release, and it is not included in any DVD or video releases of the film. (However, Cinna the Conspirator does appear — he is played by actor William Cottrell.)

Release

The film premiered at the Booth Theatre in New York City on June 3, 1953. [10] [11]

Reception

Critical response

The film received highly favorable reviews. [12] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called it "a stirring and memorable film," [13] while Variety wrote: "A triumphant achievement in film-making, it will be rated one of the great pictures of Hollywood." [14] Harrison's Reports raved, "Excellent! Sumptuously produced, expertly directed and brilliantly acted, 'Julius Caesar' is an artistic triumph that ranks with the best of the Shakespearean plays that have been put on film." [15] John McCarten of The New Yorker called the film "a very chilly exercise" and opined that Brando "plainly shows he needs a bit of speech training before he can graduate into an acting league where the spoken word is a trifle more significant than the flexed biceps and the fixed eye," but praised Mason and Gielgud as "a pleasure to watch and listen to." [16] The Monthly Film Bulletin called it "an excellent film, excellent cinema, excellent entertainment, and pretty respectable art." [17]

In the second volume of his book The Story of Cinema, author David Shipman pointed to Gielgud "negotiating the verse as in no other Shakespeare film to date except Olivier's". [18] On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 95% based on reviews from 22 critics. [19]

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Box office

According to MGM records, the film earned $2,021,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $1,899,000 in other markets, resulting in a profit of $116,000. [1]

In 1976, Houseman said "It's still shown a lot—in theaters and schools and on TV. I suspect it finally made more money than any other picture I made." [2]

Awards and nominations

The film won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno, Edwin B. Willis, Hugh Hunt), and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture and Best Picture. [21] Brando's nomination was his third consecutive for Best Actor, following 1951's A Streetcar Named Desire and 1952's Viva Zapata! . He would win the following year for On the Waterfront .

Julius Caesar won BAFTA awards for Best British Actor (John Gielgud) and Best Foreign Actor (Marlon Brando), and was also nominated for Best Film. It was Brando's second of three consecutive BAFTA Best Actor awards, for Viva Zapata! (1952), Julius Caesar (1953), and On the Waterfront (1954).

The National Board of Review awarded Julius Caesar Best Film and Best Actor (James Mason), and it also won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival. [22]

Soundtrack

Intrada Records released an album featuring a 1995 re-recording of Miklós Rózsa’s film score. The re-recording was performed by the Sinfonia of London and conducted by Bruce Broughton. [23]

Intrada Album
No.TitleLength
1."Julius Caesar Overture"3:15
2."Praeludium"3:38
3."Caesar's Procession"2:45
4."Flavius Arrested"0:18
5."Feast of Lupercal"0:44
6."Caesar and His Train"0:51
7."The Scolding Winds"2:42
8."Brutus' Soliloquy"6:34
9."Brutus' Secret"2:11
10."They Murder Caesar"1:08
11."The Ides of March"4:36
12."Black Sentence"3:55
13."Brutus' Camp"1:31
14."Heavy Eyes"1:47
15."Gentle Knave"2:07
16."Ghost of Caesar"1:42
17."Most Noble Brutus"1:10
18."Battle at Philippi"1:28
19."Titinius Enclosed"0:40
20."Caesar Now Be Still!"8:54
21."Finale"1:10

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Julius Caesar</i> (play) Play by William Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Ivlivs Cæsar), often abbreviated as Julius Caesar, is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Calhern</span> American actor (1895–1956)

Carl Henry Vogt, known professionally as Louis Calhern, was an American stage and screen actor. Well known to fans of film noir for his role as Alonzo Emmerich, the pivotal villain in 1950's The Asphalt Jungle, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying Oliver Wendell Holmes in the film The Magnificent Yankee later that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph L. Mankiewicz</span> American film director, screenwriter, and producer (1909–1993)

Joseph Leo Mankiewicz was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in consecutive years for A Letter to Three Wives (1949) and All About Eve (1950), the latter of which was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won six.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Publius Servilius Casca</span> Roman senator and assassin of Julius Caesar

Publius Servilius Casca Longus was one of the assassins of Julius Caesar. He and several other senators conspired to kill him, a plan which they carried out on 15 March 44 BC. Afterward, Casca fought with the liberators during the Liberators' civil war. He is believed to have died by suicide after their defeat at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC.

<i>The Teahouse of the August Moon</i> (film) 1956 film by Daniel Mann

The Teahouse of the August Moon is a 1956 American comedy film directed by Daniel Mann and starring Marlon Brando. It satirizes the U.S. occupation and Americanization of the island of Okinawa following the end of World War II in 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Theatre</span> Former independent repertory theatre company in New York City

The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury also released promptbooks and phonographic recordings of four Shakespeare works for use in schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tillius Cimber</span>

Lucius Tillius Cimber was a Roman senator. He was one of the assassins of Julius Caesar, creating the diversion that enabled the conspirators to attack.

<i>Julius Caesar</i> (miniseries) 2003 American miniseries

Julius Caesar is a 2003 miniseries about the life of Julius Caesar. It was directed by Uli Edel and written by Peter Pruce and Craig Warner. It is a dramatization of the life of Julius Caesar from 82 BC to his death in 44 BC. It was one of the last two films of Richard Harris, released in the year of his death. The series was originally broadcast on TNT in two parts, airing June 29 and 30, 2003. The tagline for the miniseries was His Time Has Come. The miniseries was nominated for 2 Emmys for Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, and Outstanding Sound Editing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calpurnia (wife of Caesar)</span> Last wife of Julius Caesar

Calpurnia was either the third or fourth wife of Julius Caesar, and the one to whom he was married at the time of his assassination. According to contemporary sources, she was a good and faithful wife, in spite of her husband's infidelity; and, forewarned of the attempt on his life, she endeavored in vain to prevent his murder.

<i>Julius Caesar</i> (1950 film) 1950 film by David Bradley

Julius Caesar is a 1950 film adaptation of the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar starring Charlton Heston. The first film version of the play with sound, it was produced and directed by David Bradley using actors from the Chicago area. Heston, who had known Bradley since his youth, and who was establishing himself in television and theater in New York City, portrayed Mark Antony. He was the only paid cast member. Bradley himself played Brutus, and Harold Tasker had the title role. Bradley recruited drama students from his alma mater Northwestern University for bit parts and extras, one of whom was future star Jeffrey Hunter, who studied alongside Heston at Northwestern.

<i>Cleopatra</i> (1963 film) 1963 film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Cleopatra is a 1963 American epic historical drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, with a screenplay adapted by Mankiewicz, Ranald MacDougall and Sidney Buchman from the 1957 book The Life and Times of Cleopatra by Carlo Maria Franzero, and from histories by Plutarch, Suetonius, and Appian. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor in the eponymous role. Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy McDowall, and Martin Landau are featured in supporting roles. It chronicles the struggles of Cleopatra, the young queen of Egypt, to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome.

<i>Julius Caesar</i> (1970 film) 1970 Shakespearean film by Stuart Burge

Julius Caesar is a 1970 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name, directed by Stuart Burge. It stars Charlton Heston as Mark Antony, Jason Robards as Brutus, Richard Johnson as Cassius, John Gielgud as Caesar, Robert Vaughn as Casca, Richard Chamberlain as Octavius, and Diana Rigg as Portia. It was an independent production of Commonwealth United Entertainment, filmed in England and Spain. It is the first film version of the play made in colour.

<i>Die Ermordung Cäsars</i> Opera by Giselher Klebe

Die Ermordung Cäsars, Op. 32, is an opera in one act by Giselher Klebe who also wrote the libretto based on the translation by August Wilhelm von Schlegel of Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Brando filmography</span>

Marlon Brando was an American actor and considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century.

Dead Caesar was a 2007 stage show written by Australian comedian Chris Taylor from The Chaser. The satirical show parodied Julius Caesar, a play by William Shakespeare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assassination of Julius Caesar</span> 44 BCE murder of the Roman dictator

Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators on the Ides of March of 44 BC during a meeting of the Senate at the Curia of Pompey of the Theatre of Pompey in Rome where the senators stabbed Caesar 23 times. They claimed to be acting over fears that Caesar's unprecedented concentration of power during his dictatorship was undermining the Roman Republic. At least 60 to 70 senators were party to the conspiracy, led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, and Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus. Despite the death of Caesar, the conspirators were unable to restore the institutions of the Republic. The ramifications of the assassination led to his martyrdom, the Liberators' civil war and ultimately to the Principate period of the Roman Empire.

<i>Caesar Must Die</i> 2012 film

Caesar Must Die is a 2012 Italian drama film directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. The film competed at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Golden Bear. The film is set in Rebibbia Prison, and follows convicts in their rehearsals ahead of a prison performance of Julius Caesar.

<i>Caesar</i> (Mercury Theatre) 1937 stage play by Orson Welles

Caesar is the title of Orson Welles's innovative 1937 adaptation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, a modern-dress bare-stage production that evoked comparison to contemporary Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. Considered Welles's highest achievement in the theatre, it premiered November 11, 1937, as the first production of the Mercury Theatre, an independent repertory theatre company that presented an acclaimed series of productions on Broadway through 1941.

The Spread of the Eagle is a nine-part serial adaptation of three sequential history plays of William Shakespeare, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra, produced by the BBC in 1963. It was inspired by the success of An Age of Kings (1960), which it was unable to rival. The episodes also aired in West Germany in 1968-69 and in 1972.

Imperium: The Cicero Plays is a stage adaptation of the Cicero trilogy of novels by Robert Harris. It was premiered by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 16 November 2017 to 10 February 2018, directed by Gregory Doran and with Richard McCabe as Cicero. It played at the Gielgud Theatre in London from 14 June to 8 September 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 JOHN HOUSEMAN THE PRODUCER'S SIGNATURE INTERVIEW Handzo, Stephen. Film Comment; New York Vol. 11, Iss. 2, (Mar/Apr 1975): 18-21.
  3. ↑ Vaughan, Alden T., and Virginia Mason Vaughan (2012). Shakespeare in America. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. p. 167. ISBN   978-0-19-956638-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ Kanfer, Stefan (2009). Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando. New York: Random House. p. 109. ISBN   978-1-4000-7804-2.
  5. ↑ Gielgud, John (1979). An Actor and His Time. New York: Applause Books. p. 130. ISBN   1-55783-299-4.
  6. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (5 June 1953). "Julius Caesar and Two Other Arrivals; Shakespeare Tragedy, Filmed by M-G-M With a Notable Cast, Unfolds at Booth". The New York Times . Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  7. ↑ DiMare, Philip C. (2011). Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 582. ISBN   978-1-59884-296-8.
  8. 1 2 Porter, Darwin (2006). Brando Unzipped: A Revisionist and Very Private Look at America's Greatest Actor. Staten Island NY: Blood Moon Productions. p. 385. ISBN   978-0974811826.
  9. ↑ Thompson, Howard (16 November 1952). "Gielgud on Cassius". New York Times.
  10. ↑ "Schary's N.Y. 'Caesar' O.O." Variety . May 20, 1953. p. 3 – via Archive.org.
  11. ↑ William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at the American Film Institute Catalog
  12. ↑ "Julius Caesar". Julius Caesar (1953) Movie Review – MRQE. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  13. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (June 5, 1953). "The Screen: 'Julius Caesar' and Two Other Arrivals". The New York Times : 19.
  14. ↑ "Julius Caesar". Variety : 6. June 3, 1953.
  15. ↑ "'Julius Caesar' with an all-star cast". Harrison's Reports : 92. June 6, 1953.
  16. ↑ McCarten, John (June 13, 1953). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker . pp. 64–65.
  17. ↑ "Julius Caesar". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 20 (239): 172. December 1953.
  18. ↑ David Shipman The Story of Cinema: Volume II: From Citizen Kane to the Present Day, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1984, p.852
  19. ↑ "Julius Caesar". RottenTomatoes.com. 3 June 1953. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  20. ↑ "AFI's 10 Top 10 Nominees" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  21. ↑ "NY Times: Julius Caesar". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-09-10. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  22. ↑ "Winners of the Golden Leopard". Locarno. Archived from the original on 2009-07-19. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  23. ↑ "Julius Caesar". Intrada Records . Retrieved October 22, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.