Directed by:
Uli EdelScreenplay:
Peter PruceCinematography:
Fabio CianchettiCast:
Jeremy Sisto, Richard Harris, Christopher Walken, Valeria Golino, Chris Noth, Heino Ferch, Tobias Moretti, Sean Pertwee, Christian Kohlund, Paolo Briguglia (more)Plots(1)
The epic story of Gaius Julius Caesar and his four decade ascension to become Rome's supreme dictator, and recognised as one of the most feared and revered men in history. Portrayed with charm and gusto by Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under), Caesar's rise to prominence after fleeing for his life during the reign of Sulla (Richard Harris in his final screen performance) is legendary if not notorious. Vividly tracing his illustrious career as a brilliant military tactician, his complex but sound relationships with mentor General Pompey (Chris Noth, Sex And The City) and second wife Calpurnia (Valeria Golino, Frida) this ambitious production presents a fundamentally honourable man with grand schemes, possessing an uncanny ability to reach out to the Roman citizenry of the time. As Caesar's political aspirations and thirst for power begin to overtake him, his stoicism and ideological conflicts with Senator Cato (Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can) ultimately lead to a tragic conspiracy that would bring about his downfall at the hands of his former friends and allies. (Umbrella Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (1)
Julius Caesar can be criticized for many things. The film strongly resembles ancient epic American movies from the 50s and 60s and overall corresponds to historical films made several decades ago. Whether it is the book dialogues and their naivety, the anachronistic evaluation of the customs of that time using today's moral standards, or the appearance of historical characters who were significantly younger in the film than in reality. However, such reservations will most likely be raised only by a small minority of history enthusiasts. Others will appreciate the romanticized story full of exciting war scenes, which are - and I can't resist expressing this - mostly highly unrealistic, because if the Romans fought the Gauls in this way, they would have completely failed. The scenes of man-to-man combat look magnificent on the screen, but the battles were fought from the Roman side in tight formations, where the Romans fully utilized their tactical advantage. But again, it is filmed splendidly for the layman and overall it appears more grand and impressive than it probably actually was. The casting is decent and the story grabs at your heartstrings. However, I would not recommend it to a historian. A comparison with the series Rome would obviously result in a significant disadvantage for this film, but despite all the reservations, it is an above-average achievement. Overall impression: 70%.
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