Julius Caesar:His Time Has Come

Rating:
Summary: A review on JC:HTHC
Review:
Here's some good advice: don't waste your money on this DVD or VHS !!!

If you've read Plutarch or Caesar's military memoirs, you will be very gravely dissapointed at this film. For some odd reason, Hollywood makes better ROMAN EMPIRE movies than they do make ROMAN REPUBLICAN movies even though there are great stories that occured during the times of the Republic: like stories concerning Judas Maccabeus in the Apocrypha or the war with Hannibal written in 10 books by Livy.

These four movies are unparalled for historical understanding and emotional detail: The Passion of the Christ (starring Jim Caviezel), Gladiator (starring Russel Crowe), and Attila (starring Gerard Butler). And let's not forget Ben Hur (starring Charletan Heston)--although I didn't see this last movie yet, but I've heard that it is a first rate movie. There is a great deal of historical drama in all of these wonderfully made movies; however, I strongly caution parents about letting their young children watching Gladiator and Attila--especially since the latter has quite a bit of lewd scenes in it. Attila shows two large battle scenes that are better than anything in Julius Caesar or the new Spartacus film. Attila is better than JC or Spartacus in terms of acting and scenery and action--it's seems so pointless that I wasted my time and money on Julius Caesar and the new Spartacus.

Although I don't want to overly criticize the performance of Jeremy Sisto, it takes more than a cool and determined looking demeanor to walk in the shoes of Julius Caesar, or atleast to put on a good show of trying to be like Caesar. The battles in Gaul (if you call those battles) were basically a joke and a half. If your looking for the real Julius Caesar in this film, you will be sadly let down. It's better to just watch the four great movies on the Roman times that I have just mentioned above. By the way, Powers Boothe makes a far better Roman general than Jeremy Sisto.

Rating:
Summary: They "deleted" Crassus!
Review: Don't waste your time in this film, it is one of the most innacurate historical films I ever saw. Suffice to mention the fact that during his lifetime, Caesar's best friend was Crassus, the richest man in Rome, who was SO IMPORTANT that when Caesar had to share the supreme power, before going to Gaul, he formed a Triumvirate, composed of himself, Pompeii and Crassus. The latter also was Caesar's major financing means until Caesar got back from Gaul as a rich man. Well, this film just "deletes" Crassus from History, and he doesn't appear at all. The screenplay is so confused, trying for some reason to avoid mentioning Crassus, that when they show briefly the revolt of the slaves - led by Spartacus, but also no mention of Spartacus' name - the man who crushed the rebellion was...you guessed it, Crassus. During the campaign against Spartacus, one of Crassus' Legions fled scared from combat with Spartacus' troops, and he is one of the major examples of a Roman General who "Decimated" the Legion. The punishment of Decimare, or Decimate, in English, consisted in dividing the Legion in groups of ten men (Decimus=Ten in Latin) and in each group of ten one was randomly picked to be killed by the other nine. After Crassus did this, none of his legions ever again fled from combat, and he crushed the rebellion, and crucified all the survivors, planting the crosses along the 100 miles of the Via Apia, one cross every few feet, from Rome to Ostia.
In this awful film, the victor of the rebellion of the slaves is shown to be Pompeii - who NEVER fought Spartacus.
The old Dictator Sulla is shown as a half crazy old man, despotic, having died during a bath, when in reality he was ruthless, yes, but not mad or power-crazy. In reality he made all the necessary changes in the Roman Senate and Government - during the process proscribing and allowing many people to be killed, yes, but then abdicated, returned to being a private citizen, retired to his villa away from Rome, where he enjoyed his last years among young boys and books, and died of old age.
The film shows Caesar being arrested by Sulla, which NEVER happened. Romans had no prisons as punishment for crimes. Either they killed and crucified the culprit, or sent him for life away from Rome, or he was considered innocent.
If you want to understand Sulla, Crassus, Pompeei, Caesar, Cleopatra, don't waste your time in this badly made film, better read the whole series of THE FIRST MAN IN ROME, by Coleen MacCoulough, which is the best series of historical novels I ever read

Rating:
Summary: A movie worth watching!
Review: Julius Caesar: His Time Has Come, brings to the screen the rise to power of one of the most well known historical figures.
It is a rather long movie, approximately 3 hours, but that is to be expected considering who the movie is about.

Overall, the acting is above average, with the highlights being Christopher Walken and Chris Noth portraying a Roman Senator and the Roman General Pompeii respectively.
The siege of Alesia and the subsequent battle were also very good as was the portrayal of the Gauls.

On the negative side and as other reviewers have also pointed out, the lead actor, Jeremy Sisto, was not really the best choice for Caesar, as was the case with Marc Anthony who was also a poor choice.
In addition, there are historic discrepancies such as the in case of the Gaul chieftain Vercingentorix who was reportedly strangled, and not stabbed as the movie would have it.
Furthermore, Julius Caesar is to have perished on the Senate steps, not while sitting inside the Senate.

Nevertheless, the setting, the dialogues and the costumes are all wonderful!

In a nutshell, though not a masterpiece, Julius Caesar: His Time Has Come will surely provide for an evening's entertainment. It is a movie definitely worth watching, especially for those with a soft spot for History and all things Roman.


Rating:
Summary: "Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres..."
Review: This TNT production on the life of Julius Caesar is a well made attempt to historically portray the life of one of history's greatest leaders. Starring Jeremy Sisto, it follows the life of the future Dictator of Rome from his relative obscurity to his death at the hands of his peers on the Senate floor on the Ides of March in 44BC.

The story covers the highlights of Caesar's life including his exile during the rule of the cruel dictator Sulla, his patronage under the capable General Pompey, his brutal but victorious campaigns against Vercingetorix and the Gauls, and his love affair with the beautiful and scheming Egytian queen Cleopatra. Caesar's great ambition ultimately lead to his own murder by members of the Roman Senate who fear his ascendency, but ironically bring about the rise of the Empire.

There are many political complexities that are touched upon in this film that give a good idea of the kinds of power plays that lead to Caesear's rise and fall, many of them including betrayal and murder. The film depicts the Gallic Wars in good detail and gives an understanding of the turmoil that faced the Roman Republic in its last years before the rise of the Empire. Caesar is portrayed as a intelligent human figure who is struck down by tragedy and overcome with amibition which ultimately leads to his own death. The irony of Caesar's murder is that it was ostensibly to preserve the Republic, but rather hastened the foundation of the Empire. While not a great movie, it is entertaining and provides a good introduction to Roman history as well.