Julius Caesar

"MGM's acclaimed production of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar."

1953 2h 1m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 245

DramaHistory

Synopsis

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The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but both have sorely underestimated Mark Antony.

“MGM's acclaimed production of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.”

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Cast

Marlon Brando
Mark Antony
James Mason
Brutus
John Gielgud
Cassius
Louis Calhern
Julius Caesar
Edmond O'Brien
Casca
Greer Garson
Calpurnia
Deborah Kerr
Portia
George Macready
Marullus

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Writers: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, shot by Joseph Ruttenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Miklós Rózsa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John D. Dunning shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marlon Brando and James Mason and John Gielgud carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "MGM's acclaimed production of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0045943 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joseph L. Mankiewicz directs. Joseph Ruttenberg behind the camera. Miklós Rózsa scores. John D. Dunning cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
273 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, shot by Joseph Ruttenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Miklós Rózsa. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor John D. Dunning shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Marlon Brando and James Mason and John Gielgud carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "MGM's acclaimed production of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.".
8IMDB entry: tt0045943 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph Ruttenberg
Original score: Miklós Rózsa
Editing: John D. Dunning
Costume design: Herschel McCoy
Makeup / hair: Sydney Guilaroff
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,000,000
Box office: $3,920,000
Return: 196% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Julius Caesar (1953)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black and White
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
National Board of Review Award for Best Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-04-15
★ 7/10
Having finally beaten Pompey's armies, Caesar (Louis Calhern) has returned to Rome to the acclaim of it's population. A fourth term as consul and the title of dictator for life suit his ambitions but they cause alarm amongst those who feel this is the first step to absolutism. First amongst those suspicious characters is Cassius (John Gielgud) and together with Brutus (James Mason) and Casca (Edmund O'Brien) conclude that drastic action needs to be taken if they are to prevent him becoming king. They must, however, factor in the powerful Mark Antony (Marlon Brando) - Caesar's right hand man, and an honourable military figure. The Ides of March duly arrive, and history takes it course - and for me, that's when this adaptation of Shakespeare's play comes alive. The hitherto largely unseen Brando's character cleverly manipulates the mob into handing him an opportunity for vengeance on the assassins, and together with Octavius (Douglas Watson) a chance to wrest control of the empire for themselves. Many people have said that Gielgud was the finest of 20th century Shakesperian thespians and his performance here is potent and evocative. His character comes across as only slightly less ambitious than Caesar, and one way more venal. It's James Mason, though, who impresses most here. His Brutus imbues a sense of principal, of honour and integrity - he seems the only one not quite in it for himself. Both of these men deliver some legendary soliloquies with skill and adroitness. Brando really only gets the one significant kick at the ball as he delivers his eulogy, but here he delivers an impassioned speech to the baying crown that's as insightful as it is inciteful. Joseph L. Mankiewicz competently presides over a well produced and paced dramatisation of brutality, duplicity and pride - and he allows those on screen to demonstrate their abilities to deliver some slightly abridged but still complex dialogue strongly. Not be forgotten are a couple of important, if sparing, contributions from Greer Garson and Deborah Kerr and we are delivered of a great story of intrigue and power that I really enjoyed.

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