Julius Caesar

Although it lacks the excitement of Macbeth or Othello as imagined by Welles, a remarkably successful stab at Shakespeare. Mankiewicz, as one might expect, respects the words and films without tricks, letting the camera concentrate on performance and on preserving the rhythms of the text. Discreetly pruned, this emerges boldly and lucidly as (in producer John Houseman's words) 'a political thriller', with the motley cast pulling together surprisingly well. At least three outstanding performances (Gielgud, Calhern, Brando), the only disappointments being Mason's muffled Brutus and the two ladies on standby.