Where's Julis Caesar?
And while speaking of Shakespeare on film, what's with Warner Home Video's continuing delay in releasing a remastered DVD of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Julius Caesar ('53)? By my standards this superbly acted, exquisitely mounted black-and-white version is one of the best Shakespeare rides around, Hollywood-produced or otherwise. (Dave Kehr might piss on it and wish for more of a Plan 9 From Outer Space approach, but that's his right as a critic.)
Marlon Brando's performance as Marc Antony may not exemplify the grunty, earthy Marlon of legend, but it's one of his most striking performances. No one has ever delivered the "cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war" speech with more punch or pizzazz. It's right up there in terms of rage and fire with his Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar...seriously. That moment at the end of Act Two when his newly empowered Antony walks up to a marble bust of the late Ceasar, puts his hand on the base and turns it toward him is one of Brando's finest non-verbal bits ever... and people are barely aware of it.
James Mason's Brutus, Louis Calhern's Caesar, Edmond O'Brien 's Casca, John Gielgud's Cassisus, John Doucette's "carpenter, citizen of Rome", John Hoyt's Decius Brutus, Greer Garson's Calpurnia....an awesome cast delivering one knockout moment after another. Not to mention Miklos Rosza's haunting score and Joseph Ruttenberg's luscious cinematography.
I thought WHV would issue this film for sure after Brando's death in '04, but nope. There's no question this film is an essential, so whassup, Ned Price?
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 1, 2006 at 12:11 PM
comment #1
BL says ...
If you want to complain about a great Shakespearian film not being on DVD - how about Orson Welle's "Chimes at Midnight" (or at least the last time I looked it wasn't).
Posted by BL at August 1, 2006 1:17 PM
comment #2
Rich S. says ...
This is a truly superb film. I've always made a point to seek it out during its late-night showings on TCM. As Jeffrey points out, none in its cast were ever finer. As a student, I never really "got" Antony's "friends, Romans, countrymen" speech until I saw Brando's version. You can almost mark the exact spot where the crowd turns on the conspirators. Highly recommended.
Posted by Rich S. at August 1, 2006 1:19 PM
comment #3
Joe Greenia says ...
While we're howling for the missing Shakespeare I'd like to call again for Welles Chimes at Midnight. Ebert called for this just recently.
Posted by Joe Greenia at August 1, 2006 1:19 PM
comment #4
Scotter says ...
A little off-topic, but what the hell--your blog has made for some awkward reading lately.
In a previous post, you mention Ron Howard's film in the opening sentences, and only get around to mentioning the title, Apollo 13, much later in the post, which kind of trips up the reader.
Now, you reference Dave Kehr in your Caesar post, as if we should know what the heck you're talking about, then wait 41 minutes later to post about Dave Kehr's wank job on Olivier in the Times. If the posts were switched, it would have made sense.
You're normally very careful. Maybe ease up on the caffeine?
Posted by Scotter at August 1, 2006 1:21 PM
comment #5
ArchiveGuy says ...
Though JC might be the best WS Hollywood had to offer (debatable, though there are few true contenders), it still lists quite distant after the Brits, Russians, and Mr. Welles.
So I've gotta third the petition for the wonderful "Chimes".
Posted by ArchiveGuy at August 1, 2006 1:24 PM
comment #6
BL says ...
Archive:
Don't forget Japanese (Throne of Blood)
Posted by BL at August 1, 2006 1:32 PM
comment #7
OhPercy says ...
Thanks for this post Jeff. I love this film.
James Mason's Brutus is a thing of beauty and I've cried everytime I've been able to catch this film on TCM.
Posted by OhPercy at August 1, 2006 2:07 PM
comment #8
ArchiveGuy says ...
I didn't forget Kurosawa (we could throw "Ran" in there, too), but I found that both films are faithful adaptations of the Shakespeare stories, but neither struck me as particularly loyal to the poetry of the Bard. This isn't true (based on the subtitling) of Grigori Kozintsev's "Hamlet" & "Lear".
Though both films are excellent, I would consider them in the same league as, say, "West Side Story"
Posted by ArchiveGuy at August 1, 2006 2:07 PM
comment #9
BMac says ...
While on topic, when the hell is Sony ever going to release Branagh's HAMLET on DVD? I'm pretty sure it's not even on their schedule to be digitally transferred. Pissed!
Posted by BMac at August 1, 2006 2:25 PM
comment #10
Patrick says ...
It wasn't the whole speech, but Christopher
Plummer really nailed the 'dogs of war' line in
that 'Star Trek' film he did. Of course, he's our
best stage actor, but it was still very strong.
Anyway, the Branagh film is being released by
Warner Bros. in a two-disc set sometime within the
next few months.
I always cry when James Mason speaks, he had the
best voice in recorded history. His speeches in
'Roman Empire' are quite powerful.
Posted by Patrick at August 1, 2006 3:15 PM
comment #11
cadavra says ...
Sony no longer owns HAMLET. Like most Castle Rock films, it's now at Warners. Both it and JULIUS CAESAR are likely victims of the sheer volume of WB's library: they have SO MANY films--over 9,000 features plus God knows how many shorts--that they can only put out so much in any given year. (This year alone they're releasing 200 library titles; that's an average of four per week. It's also about 195 more than Sony.) I've heard George Feltenstein moan--and understandably so--about how everyone bombards him with requests, as if Warner Home Video had nothing else coming out.
Posted by cadavra at August 1, 2006 4:00 PM
comment #12
Dixon Steele says ...
One of the best Shakespeare-on-film was the Ian McKellen RICHARD III. Fantastic, even, or especially, if you don't care for the Bard.
Posted by Dixon Steele at August 1, 2006 4:24 PM
comment #13
Daniel Zelter says ...
Scotter: I thought Wells was referring to Backdraft, not Apollo 13 when he was reviewing World Trade Center, so I have to agree about being confused.
Posted by Daniel Zelter at August 1, 2006 5:41 PM
comment #14
BL says ...
Archiveguy:
I recently saw Liev Schriber do "MacBeth" in central park, but I have never seen anyone come even close to Mifune's MacBeth or the Lady MacBeth of the film (can't remember her name). Something about the heightened artificiality of the Kabuki-inflected acting style puts an eerie stamp on the proceedings that just seems SO right for this particular story. Regular 'western style' acting kind of pales by comparison.
No, the language is not there, but the poetry is supplied in visual and musical ways.
I am, sadly, not a fan of "Ran" or Kurasawa's later films - I think he kind of lost it after Derzu Urzula.
It was pretty good, but I wasn't crazy about Kozintsev's "Hamlet" I really like his "King Lear" though.
Posted by BL at August 1, 2006 8:04 PM
comment #15
Anonymous says ...
In response to the first post:
Orson Welles' Chimes of Midnight (Falstaff) is available on DVD in europe - Region 0 I think. Its a so so transfer and sells as a cheapie here in Spain. I'm sure you can get it on Ebay.
Posted by Anonymous at August 2, 2006 6:16 AM
comment #16
Haiku Harry says ...
Marlon was the best
whether mumbling great adlibs
or reading his lines.
Posted by Haiku Harry at August 2, 2006 11:55 AM
comment #17
Anonymous says ...
This is better:
Marlon was the best
whether mumbling great adlibs
or reading lines right.
Posted by Anonymous at August 2, 2006 1:12 PM
comment #18
Anonymous says ...
The Marlon Brando Collection Six-disc set with "Mutiny on the Bounty" (two-disc set) and four Brando films new-to-DVD: "Julius Caesar," "The Formula," "Reflections in a Golden Eye" and "Teahouse of the August Moon"; $59.92. "Bounty" is available separately for $26.99; "Julius Caesar" is available for $19.97. (Warner).
* Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
New digital transfer from restored Ultra-Panavision 65mm elements with the soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1.
Alternate prologue and epilogue sequences not seen theatrically; two vintage featurettes: "1964 New York World's Fair Promo" and "Story of the HMS Bounty"; Marlon Brando movies trailer gallery; new featurette "After the Cameras Stopped Rolling: The Journey of the Bounty"; two vintage featurettes: "Voyage of the Bounty to St. Petersburg" and "Tour of the Bounty."
* Julius Caesar(1953)
Introduction by TCM host Robert Osborne, new featurette "The Rise of Two Legends."
* The Formulas (1980)
Commentary by director John G. Avildsen and screenwriter Steve Shagan.
* Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)
Vintage behind-the-scenes featurette.
* The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)
Vintage featurette "Operation Teahouse."
Posted by Anonymous at August 4, 2006 8:55 AM