Shakespeare's plays are very fashionable nowadays, but film-makers only use his stories and adapt them into a teenage movie (e.g. 10 Things I Hate About You). It seems to be very comfortable to them, because they've got the best stories of all time. But it's a shame, that there are no real Shakespeare adaptations anymore (except the ones by Kenneth Branagh). Doesn't matter, we still have got timeless classics like the Joseph L. Mankiewicz's version of 'Julius Ceasar'. He had the best story about intrigue, hatred and revenge, which has ever been written. And he doesn't fail. Whit his stars, like Marlon Brando, John Gielgud, James Mason, Louis Calhern, Greer Garson and Deborah Kerr and with Joseph Ruttenberg's brilliant B&W pictures and Miklós Rózsa's fantastic and pompous music, he made one of the finest Shakespeare adaptation of all time. I have to say, that Joseph Ruttenberg is the ultimate master of the B&W cinema. He has already proved his talent in such films, like 'Mrs. Miniver' (Academy Award) and in 1956 he got another Oscar for 'Somebody Up There Likes Me'. Miklós Rózsa is simply fantastic. Let's speak about the actors! OK, Marlon Brando is mad as always, but in my opinion John Gielgud steals the show with such lines like: 'I do fear of people choose Ceasar for their king.' He is the best Cassius. Greer Garson is beautiful and shows real talent in her minor role as Ceasar's wife. The direction is atmospheric. The scene of Ceasar's murder is very fearful. He says: 'I am constant as the Northern Star.' And the conspirators are all around. WOW! So don't afraid of the year of making: 1953. It's a very modern adaptation. Even Kenneth Branagh couldn't have done it better. Enjoy it!
Review of Julius Caesar
