Inmates at a high-security prison in Rome prepare for a public performance of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.”
I have to admit I haven’t seen too many Shakespeare’s plays in my day but even if I did, this would probably stand as the most unique of all of them. That’s because it’s set in Italy’s Rebibbia Prison and performed by its inmates. Directing brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani was apparently inspired by a prison production of Dante’s Divine Comedy which prompted them to go back to that facility and work with its resident theater director Fabio Cavalli. Mr. Cavalli plays himself in the film and the performers in this Julius Caesar play are all convicts or former convicts [per NPR]
The film began with the conclusion of the play, which gets a standing ovation from the audience. Then it goes into flashback mode to several months earlier to show us how the play was constructed. The film switches from color to stark black and white, not sure why but perhaps to contrast that with the actual performance itself. The mood of the film is dark and unsettling, though the audition part is quite lively and at times hilarious. During the audition, we learn their names, where they’re from and the serious crimes that got them to this high security prison, which includes drug trafficking and even murder. The rest of the film capture the rehearsal process, which takes place in various parts of the prison—the corridors, cells, courtyard—as they’re being watched by the other inmates. At times during the rehearsal, one of them would ‘break’ out of character and reflect on his past.
The entire time I was watching this I kept pondering how the inmates must’ve been feeling. I was struck by the contrast of how liberating it was for them to be able to perform and express themselves, but yet they’re constantly reminded of their confined lives. I think the striking dichotomy is what makes this film inherently intriguing and it kept me engaged despite the rather slow pace. The finale is definitely a rousing one. The inmates are ecstatic and jubilant seeing how well-received their performance was and it felt so refreshingly real that we can’t help but being happy for them. Then comes the contrast that each and every single one of those performers must return to their cell. It’s heart-wrenching stuff.
I was struck by how good these inmates are as actors. Even during rehearsals, with the way the scenes are filmed, it’s hard to separate them from their characters. It’s said that the performers could use their own Italian dialects/accents for their own character, but since I don’t understand any Italian, I don’t really notice the difference. The Caesar assassination scene, which I’ve seen numerous times in TV shows and films, has a dramatic impact unlike any other. I think the actors playing Caesar, Brutus and Marc Antony stand out the most, but among the three, Salvatore Striano as Brutus is my favorite. I guess he’s the most experienced actor of the bunch as he has also starred in Gomorrah.
Caesar Must Die is certainly one of the most unique films I’ve seen, both in concept and execution. It’s definitely worth the hype and merits the Berlinale’s Golden Bear win.
 4 out of 5 reels |
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Has anyone seen this film yet? If not, what are your thoughts of this concept?
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I heard about this film on NPR, too. Fine look at this, Ruth.
Are you intrigued enough to give it a shot, Michael? I think it’s worth seeing.
Yeah. Perhaps after the TCM Film Fest.
Oh right, I forgot it’s going on right now. Awesome, enjoy the film fest, Michael!
This sounds absolutely fascinating. I have a question. Is it a full drama or is it part documentary? It sounded so grounded and real that that was the impression I was getting. Sounds incredibly well conceived and I’ll definitely be adding this to my “movies to look out for list”. Thanks Ruth!
It is Keith. Oh I probably should’ve mentioned it in my review. It’s a drama but it certainly feels like a documentary at times. It’s bizarre but not as weird as Holy Motors 😉
It does sound different than Holy Motors. It strikes me as unusual but in a different way than HM. I’m definitely interested.
This sounds like a powerful movie. I’ll need to check it out. 🙂
I hope you do Steph, it’s quite fascinating indeed.
Wow, high marks here. Nice to see. Do they all talk in really thick Shakespearean tongues like in the films Anonymous and Coriolanus?
Oh they all speak in Italian, and since I don’t understand the language I can’t tell the different dialects. I haven’t seen Anonymous yet but I thought Coriolanus was great.
Nice to see you enjoyed this powerful blend of real life and fiction.
About the use of color, from what I recall, color is used whenever the prisoners are performing for or are daydreaming about the outside world and everything else inside the walls is black and white.
Hi Bonjour! Well your review made me want to see it more. Ah I figure that’s the case about using b/w and color, but I wasn’t sure. It’s a pretty interesting filming device. Yeah, the blend of reality and fiction is certainly fascinating, some of these inmates’ acting skills are better than real actors too 😀
Again, I’m really looking forward to this one. Great review Ruth!
Glad to hear, I think you’ll like this one Josh.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by, hope you give this one a shot.
Great review, Ruth. The concept is fantastic, so I’ll definitely look for this one.
Hope you do Fernando, it’s fantastically fascinating 😀
What a fascinating concept, certainly sounds pretty unique! I hadn’t heard of this one at all but I would be very interested in giving it a watch. You’ve definitely sold it to me! 🙂
It’s truly unique but it’s not gimmicky. The performances are quite intense, it’s amazing that most of them are not trained actors.
I’ve never heard of this movie before, pretty interesting concept. Not sure if it’s something I’ll seek out though.
I know you’re not into indie films Ted, though I think this one is worth making an exception for.
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