JULIUS CAESAR (2+ outta 5 stars) It's hard to really say anything bad about Shakespeare... but, as far as film adaptations of his work are concerned, there are good ones and there are bad ones. This version, produced in 1970, is not actually *bad*... but it doesn't really do justice to the drama or the language of The Bard of Avon. The problem with most of the acting, particularly that of Charlton Heston, is that it seems to be more recitation than acting. There is more attention paid to annunciating the words forcefully than to creating actual human characters. Without the human dimension the film seems like nothing more than a poetry reading. The staging is also lacking in imagination and excitement... the cameras are just there to capture the faces on film, not to add anything to the cinematic experience. Still, there are worse ways to pass the time than to listen to great actors like Jason Robards, John Gielgud and Charlton Heston (among others) reciting great stage lines. "If we do meet again, why, we shall smile... if not, then this parting was well made."
Review of Julius Caesar
