Julius Caesar (1953)

 

 Academy Awards, USA 1954

Winner Oscar	Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White Cedric Gibbons Edward C. Carfagno Edwin B. Willis Hugh Hunt
Nominee Oscar	Best Picture John Houseman
	Best Actor in a Leading Role Marlon Brando
	Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Joseph Ruttenberg
	Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Miklós Rózsa

MGM
Directed by James L. Mankiewicz
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

A group of conspirators led by Brutus plot the assassination of Julius Caesar, who they fear will become King. They carry out the deed in a bloody group-knifing near a statue of Pompey, his adversary in a civil war. The conspirators are met by Mark Antony a friend and faithful supporter. He brings the body to the steps outside the great hall where the public gathers with increasing anger. Antony gives a speech further inciting them. The conspirators flee, with Brutus regrouping to lead a rebel army against the Roman legions now led by Antony. They are ambushed in a canyon and have no chance against the much superior Romans. Faithful adaption of the Shakespeare play is impeccably acted. Marlon Brando as Antony dominates every scene in which he appears and threatens to take sympathy away from Brutus, in fact he won mine, which is not the intention of the play. It is stage-bound and un-cinematic, as are so many films based on plays. Only the final battles scenes get outside the cramped confines of Rome.