Julius Caesar

Starring: Charlton Heston, John Gielgud, Jason Robards, et al.

Shakespeare's Brutus, Cassius and others plot the Roman ruler's death; Mark Antony avenges it.

• Format: DVD
• UPC: 017153208283
• Release Date: January 1
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Publisher: Lions Gate Home Ent.
• Director: Stuart Burge
• Starring: Charlton Heston, John Gielgud, Jason Robards, Richard Johnson, Robert Vaughn, Richard Chamberlain, Diana Rigg, Jill Bennett, Christopher Lee, Alan Browning
• Runtime: 1 hour, 57 minutes
• Number of Disks: 1
• Other Video Info: closed-captioned
• Weight: 0.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

What do Moses, Ben-Hur, and Antony have in common?

What do Moses, Ben-Hur, and Antony have in common? Answer: They all look like Charlton Heston. If somehow you missed the play or the history, basically, Julius Caesar let his status go to his head and was about to take on the role of emperor. It is up to a handful of N-o-b-l-e 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). This is a 1970 rendition of Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" that is admirably adapted for the screen. Hence, the characters are well-known contemporaries. You will notice the major players and might miss some of the others, such as Preston Lockwood (Trebonius), who played the Judge in "Strong Poison". With many movies, the actor outshines the character and totally changes the emphasis of the story. However, this version is well done, with maybe the exception of Jason Robards (Brutus), who sometimes seems like Jason Robards playing Brutus. At other times, he is quite exceptional. Diana Rigg (Portia), who looks like a little girl, is the only person who sounds like she is speaking in meter. Everyone speaks clearly and pauses long enough for you to think before moving on. Facial expressions are important to the story, and they do not look like they are yelling at you (except in speeches). You will notice that the background music is also of 70's vintage and is used to emphasize certain scenes. However, the volume is not so high that you cannot hear the clear pronunciation of the lines. Also, the costumes made with satin are distracting. At one point, Antony looks like Carol Burnett when she was wearing a curtain and left the rod in. As the play proceeds, you will be so wrapped up in it that you will not care about the minor difference in form and will be totally absorbed in the film. There may be better versions and/or more favorite versions, but that does not make this version any less worth having.