Caesar Must Die Reviews

An interesting docufiction that is both an intelligent meta-narrative feat and an important record of a real production - the staging of Shakespeare in a prison. But above all, it shows how Art can have a transforming impact on even the most unexpected of people.

'Caesar Must Die'. A skillful blurring of documentary and scripted material in this meta, exploratory take on 'Julius Caesar'.

I really liked this. I didn't love it though, the main reason being I didn't feel I got to know the characters, and form that emotional attachment. Your introduction is the casting process, and maybe the lines were *too* skillfully blurred for me to form that attachment as it went along. I wanted them to "break character" for lack of a better phrase more often, and get to know them. No doubt the fourth wall was broken occasionally, but I couldn't follow them on their journey as much as I'd like to have.

I saw this at the 2013 Cleveland International Film Festival. I loved it! It is partly in color and partly in black and white. It is not a straightforward production of Julius Caesar acted by real-life incarcerated Italian prisoners, but it is about the theater process. We end up seeing an abbreviated version of the play, since time is spent reading between the lines. We watch some of the auditions. We watch the rehearsals. We watch a couple of the leads as they privately memorize their lines and sort out their characters' motivations. We watch the whole prison get excited for the magic of theater. And then in color, we see bits of the performance staged for the public. The aftermath is used as bookends, and while it doesn't make much sense at the start, it is heartbreaking at the end as we observe the impact theater had on these men who still face confinement. It is well shot and there are moments of tension as well as comedy. We learn in the closing credits that Giovanni Arcuri, who plays Caesar, and Cosimo Rega, who plays Cassius, have both written books. Cosimo was apparently profoundly affected by the experience. Salvatore Striano, who is excellent as Brutus, has since continued acting on stage and in four other feature films.

"Caesar Must Die" is not the name of a "Spartacus" spin-off.(which I'm also not entirely ruling out by the way) Rather, it is a riveting production of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," which is about power and betrayal, performed by a group of convicted criminals in a maximum security prison in Italy.(Of those we meet in the auditions, only a couple are not in their 40's, thus implying these are lifers in more than one sense.) This is not just a filmed stunt, as the claustrophobic environs of the prison are woven seamlessly and subtly into the performance itself, filmed in black and white. Ostensibly, these are just rehearsals which end up taking on a life of their own, as work on the theatre continues. Otherwise, the only segments in color are the play's ending and its triumphant aftermath. As much as the convicts put into the play via their unique interpretations, it could also be said that they get an equal amount out of the experience, as one comments at the end of the movie that after realizing that there is such high art, his imprisonment has become that much harder to bear.

Strong film. A good allegory about the life in a jail. Acted by true criminals. Beautiful cinematography.

With a sombre sting in its tail, Caesar Must Die is an exploration into the many parallels that exist in society. Carefully directed, it not only pays tribute to a magnificent play, but presents the notions of art, freedom and expression with great weight and depth.

A arte pode ser algo além do escapismo, pode ser redenção, segundo este ótimo semi-documentário italiano.

"Caesar Must Die" is not the name of a "Spartacus" spin-off.(which I'm also not entirely ruling out by the way) Rather, it is a riveting production of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," which is about power and betrayal, performed by a group of convicted criminals in a maximum security prison in Italy.(Of those we meet in the auditions, only a couple are not in their 40's, thus implying these are lifers in more than one sense.) This is not just a filmed stunt, as the claustrophobic environs of the prison are woven seamlessly and subtly into the performance itself, filmed in black and white. Ostensibly, these are just rehearsals which end up taking on a life of their own, as work on the theatre continues. Otherwise, the only segments in color are the play's ending and its triumphant aftermath. As much as the convicts put into the play via their unique interpretations, it could also be said that they get an equal amount out of the experience, as one comments at the end of the movie that after realizing that there is such high art, his imprisonment has become that much harder to bear.

By setting the story in a Italian prison, this film highlights the more fraternal themes of Shakespeare's play.

Quite a remarkable movie which combines narrative and documentary elements as well as B&W and color photography all carefully and effectively designed for effect. Rehearsals are creatively staged in prison settings yielding varied and compelling imagery. The performances are quite accomplished; powerful and moving. Themes emerge naturally without seeming to be forced upon the audience. Well done!

mus b a hell of a movie

una meraviglia! uno dei migliori film italiani degli ultimi anni.

Powerful representation of italian decadent prison system, in Rome, through the metaphore of Caesar's death, in Rome. Strong and moving.

This week's New Yorker had a review. It looks /really good/.

I was expecting something similar to "Romeo Must Die" very disappointed...No Kung Fu at all

Not bad, didnt love it but great concept.

Uma mistura de drama e documentário. Um olhar sobre a influência da arte na vida de internos de uma penitenciaria romana, e sua relação com peça de Shakespeare. Os irmãos Taviani acertam no uso do P&B nas cenas extra-palco. A frase final de um interno é emblemática: "Depois que descobri a Arte, esta cela se tornou uma prisão."

Satellite Awards Nominates

A group of prisoners put together a production of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar". I read that the convicts that performed in this film were ACTUAL convicts which makes this film somehow even better. The entire "power of art" angle is nothing new (and the film doesn't do anything special with it) and the last line of the film mars it a little bit. But even so, you will find yourself swept up with both the narrative of the prisoner's story and the narrative of the play itself which the prisoners and convicts perform exceptionally well.