Product Description

Fierce general. Skilled orator. Savvy politician. This is Julius Caesar, one of the world’s greatest leaders and ruler of the Roman Empire. His ascent to power is filled with sacrifice, murder and betrayal. With the beautiful Cleopatra on one arm and a sword in the other, Caesar seized control of a vast territory, winning legions of followers, making enemies and creating history, before falling at the hands of Brutus, his most trusted ally. This is an ageless story in an epic presentation unlike anything ever seen before. Julius Caesar: a remarkable man who became an unforgettable legend. COLOR / APPROX, 187 MINUTES. DVD FEATURES: • 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen • 2.0 Dolby Stereo • The Making of Julius Caesar featurette

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11456 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-10-26
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 178 minutes

Customer Reviews

"Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres..."
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.

A movie worth watching!
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.

Teaching Julius Caesar in ELA II
I was pleasantly pleased with the angle from which this film was crafted. Although the play "Julius Caesar" does not cover the historical content covered in the film, it can sometimes be considered "boring" to tenth grade students. This action-packed, contraversial view of Caesar's life was just what I needed in my classroom in order to keep the teenage mind interested. I had the students answer questions regarding the films content as they watched, and they actually enjoyed it...more so than just reading the play or viewing one of the films offered by the school library.