Julius Caesar (1970)

The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar, but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.

Director:

Stuart Burge

Writers:

Robert Furnival (adaptation), William Shakespeare (play)

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Jason Robards, John Gielgud

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlton Heston	...	Mark Antony
Jason Robards	...	Brutus
John Gielgud	...	Julius Caesar (as Sir John Gielgud)
Richard Johnson	...	Cassius
Robert Vaughn	...	Casca
Richard Chamberlain	...	Octavius Caesar
Diana Rigg	...	Portia
Christopher Lee	...	Artemidorus
Jill Bennett	...	Calpurnia
Derek Godfrey	...	Decius Brutus
David Dodimead	...	Lepidus
Michael Gough	...	Metellus Cimber
David Neal	...	Cinna the Conspirator
Preston Lockwood	...	Trebonius
John Moffatt	...	Popilius Lena

Storyline

The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.

---

Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | hairy chest | julius caesar character | mark antony character | brutus character | 

---

Taglines:

No grander Caesar... No greater cast!

---

Genres:

Drama | History | War

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 May 1970 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Júlio César

Filming Locations:

MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Commonwealth United Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Peter Eyre is credited as Cinna the Poet, implying that the play's "Act III, Scene 3" was filmed, but cut. Eyre does not appear or is not recognizable in the movie as it now exists, although there is a dead body (presumably his character) that the camera emphasizes during the riot.

---

Goofs

Cassius drinks from a wooden cup during the riot scene. When he throws the wooden cup it makes a sound as if it was glass.

---

Quotes

Julius Caesar: Let me have men about me that are fat; Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.

---

Connections

Version of Famous Scenes from Shakespeare No. I: Julius Caesar - The Forum Scene - Act III. Scene 2 (1945)

User Reviews

Modest Production in Some Ways Superior to the Brando Version.

By now in his late forties and sporting an obvious, bright red hairpiece, Charlton Heston seemed an odd Antony when first seen. But Heston remained fit all through his long career. While he does not as much look the part, his Marc Antony provides a sturdy center for this second filming of the Shakespeare tragedy. Also, Charlton Heston had a scholarly side unusual for a Hollywood actor. He clearly gave much thought to this portrayal which on the whole is better than the misplaced Method emoting of Marlon Brando's Antony, some seventeen years earlier.

Featuring a mixed cast of British and American actors, the result is mainly predictable but some surprises and disappointments also feature. One disappointment is Gielgud as Caesar. Sir John was a veteran Shakespearian by 1970 with a fine voice and tons of dignity. Yet at sixty-six he was a touch too old for the part. More to the point, the effete Gielgud lacked the masculine force to play this virile ex-general whose battlefield victories were said to be matched only by his conquests in the bedroom.

One surprise is the subtle portrayal of the conspirator Casca by American Robert Vaughan. "Sour" Casca, the cynical observer, is a minor character but sharply drawn and Vaughan makes him come alive during his few minutes on stage. Jill Bennet is sympathetic as the prophetic wife of Caesar but in the role of Brutus' wife the well-born Portia, Diana Rigg at age thirty-two looks luscious and is simply superb--Shakespeare in the finest style. Another veteran Shakespearian, Richard Johnson, is nearly as good as the jealous, manipulative Cassius.

Jason Robards plays Brutus like a wooden Indian for the first two acts. In the third act however--that is, after Brutus and Cassius have fled Rome--he seems to grow in the part and his acting gains conviction.

The importance of the plebeians to the play was understood by this director, who cast the roles carefully.