I watched this in sophomore Literature class in high school. A phenomenal cast. How often do you see Richard Chamberlain, Christopher Lee and the late, great Sir John Gielgud play essentially supporting roles to Charlton Heston, Richard Johnson (who plays a phenomenal Cassius), Diana Rigg, Jason Robards, Robert Vaughn
and a whole slew of great actors and actresses? This film had to be a dream for director Stuart Burge. It was like someone handed him the keys to the fastest Ferrari on the planet. Mind you this is a straight adaptation of the Shakespeare play right down to the verbiage and delivery (although I am eternally grateful Burge decided NOT to institute Iambic Pentameter in the dialogue. That would've been REALLY annoying with this cast). But this cast is so immensely and insanely strong they make it work anyway and you really don't notice. Worth watching if you truly consider yourself a student of cinema and of once-in-a-lifetime casts.
June 5, 2010
