By Brigid Galloway
As one of the most powerful leaders to ever walk the Earth, the story of Julius Caesar naturally makes for compelling drama. Since the early days of cinema the tale of the blindly ambitious Roman ruler has been adapted into more than a dozen feature films and television movies. Most of these efforts were taken directly from William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. The 1970 film adaptation featured Sir John Gielgud donning the laurel wreath with Charlton Heston playing Marc Antony and Jason Robards as Brutus. Other films about Caesar have focused on the love-triangle between Caesar, Marc Antony and the vexing Egyptian queen Cleopatra. The most famous of these films is, of course, Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor in the title role, Richard Burton as Marc Antony and Rex Harrison as Julius Caesar.
But TNT's new mini series Caesar, directed by Uli Edel, is a departure from the Caesar flicks of the past. Unlike other tellings, the drama begins with Caesar (played by Jeremy Sisto) as a young man facing the wrath of the vengeful General Lucius Sulla (Richard Harris) who has wrested control of the empire from the Senate. Caesar is a family man and has not yet entered into the political fray of Rome. But his true moxie is brought to light when he refuses to obey Sulla after the dictator demands that he divorce his wife (who is the daughter of Sulla's enemy). Befriended by Sulla's right-hand man Pompey (Chris Noth), Caesar escapes death and goes into exile, leaving behind his beloved wife and daughter, Julia. When Caesar returns from his odyssey he is filled with the resolve to rule. He aligns himself with Pompey, who has taken up leadership after Sulla's death, and begins his climb to power.
As the story unfolds, the movie allows you rare insight into the development of each character. Watching Jeremy Sisto go from a young, idealistic politician to seasoned military strategist and brilliant orator is fascinating. Sisto's Caesar breaks from stereotype. He is not a cardboard autocrat, but a complex and vulnerable man who suffers from epileptic seizures. He is reaching for something greater for himself and his Rome—at least at first.
Then there's Sulla, played masterfully by the late, great Richard Harris. It's been a long time since I experienced such sheer delight in watching a villain. The slightest gesture of Harris' hand can speak volumes. Ruthless and power-hungry, Sulla was certainly one of ancient Rome's tyrants, but Harris breathes life into him that is chilling. A lesser actor might have gone too far with the role, but Harris' beautifully measured performance reminds us why he will always be considered one of the world's great actors. As challenging as it must have been, Chris Noth holds his own in his scenes with Harris. Noth's Pompey is equally complex and he plays the general with stoic warmth and humanity.
Christopher Walken is outstanding as the scheming senator Marcus Cato. Walken is always a joy to watch and his spiraling paranoia as Caesar rises to power is truly convincing. In the end, Cato gets his wish in "dethroning" Caesar, but at a high price. One of the few characters that does emerge from the mayhem is Caesar's wife Calpurnia (played by Valeria Golino). You can understand why Caesar falls in love with her. Golino plays Calpurnia with beauty and grace—even when faced with the ultimate public humiliation. It is also easy to understand why she loves Caesar (Sisto's Julius exudes major sex appeal) and why her loyalty to him is so strong.
With this outstanding cast and a fresh, intelligent screenplay written by Peter Pruce and Craig Warner, TNT's Caesar is mesmerizing (which speaks well of the filmmakers, considering that even the most distracted high school student knows the outcome of the hero). In a story this big with so many characters and plot lines to follow, it would be easy to get lost, but the filmmakers made excellent decisions. The mixture of conflict, action, dialogue, romance and suspense is evenly metered. The scenery is gritty and realistic. It is clear we are not on a Hollywood set (the filmmakers recreated Rome in Malta). The battle scenes between Caesar's legions and the Gauls rival the onslaught seen in the recent blockbuster Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers—and is in fact more terrifying because as you watch this scene, you are very aware that this was how things really were in 52 BC. Here is a world in which how you die is sometimes more important than how you live. Certainly there was some dramatic license taken in creating this drama, but the film captures the reality of a turbulent time and leaves us with a new understanding of the motivating factors behind the rise and fall of one of the world's greatest leaders.
