desiderata.english
On arriving home last night from a long "outing", I was already quite sapped of energy and sleepy, but the TV stole my attention with some "fine perfomers" on first look, and seduced by language so fine I lingered for a second, engaging look. I had no choice but plumped myself onto the sofa, up-ped the volume to keep me awake with a left-over cup of Chino-tea.
Treat this piece as NOTES as I am writing it just less than seven (yeh, 7!)hours after the credits had ended for JULIUS CAESAR, one of my fav Shakespeares plays. I missed the first 20-30 minutes of the 2-hour long movie, but never mind, I've read the Bard's most quoted play, and the enunciation and diction was so easy on the ears in tis production that the unfolding of the most "infamous" killing in drama kept my drooping eyes open for 1-1/2hours!
This was a 1953 production directed by JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ, starring a list of outstanding actors such as young MARLON BRANDO as Mark Antony, JAMES MASON as Brutus, LOIUS CALHERN as JULIUS CAESAR,JOHN GIELGUD as Cassius, EDMUND O'BRIEN as Casca; and two lovelies -- GREER ARSON as Calpurnia and DEBORAH KERR as Portia.
I remember listening to the promotion clips on TV on another play, Macbeth, playing in KL some years ago, brought here by a UK-based Shakespearean troupe.The "excerpts" as spoken by the key players were so "accented" that half the time I could not catch the words and phrases desppite my ears straining -- so how would I pay good money for such poor rendering?
In contrast, this movie(I believe updated with a slightly-coloured version played over TV1)was so "clear" in pronunciation and diction and familiar to Malaysian ears that I soon sat up to enjoy a Shakespearen play as it should be presented -- arresting and crystal clear dialogue at most times, enhanced by a superb cast!
When I joined the feasting, it was already depicting Calpurnia imploring her husband not to venture out that morning as she had bad dreams the night before that a group of men were out to murder Caesar. Furthermore, a soothsayer had warned Caesar to heed "The Ides of March"! A servant then sent out to consult the fortune-teller confirmed her fears that the dream was a bad omen -- tragedy with blood-letting would befall Caesar.
But when the time cometh for Caesar to go to the Capitol for a council meeting of Senators planned for 8.00am, arrived one of the conspirators to quickly allay Caesar's fears, interpreting Calpurnia's dream as one of good fortune -- that soon Caesar would be crowned King of Rome. Soon other conspirators trooped in led by the most honourable Brutus, superbly acted by James Mason. The most conspicuous of the band was the lean-and-hungry-looking Cassius, convinsinggly played by the engaging John Gielgud. "Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous" Julius said. Caesar was overbearing in size and voice as acted out by (to me) the little unknown Louis Calhern. "Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come," Caesar said as he bade his wife the last farewell.
On the way to the Capitol, Caesar first greeted by the soothsayer, with Caesar remarking that The Ides of March is come, with the soothsayer's quick reply that the day is not yet done. Then accosted by another elderly man who handed Caesar a letter, the emperor to be was too busy to read the letter listing the conspirators' names out to murder him.
"Et tu, Brute!" Quote (Act III, Scene I)
After Caesar had spoken briefly, the first among the conspirators moved stealthily from behind, and put the first dagger into Caesar's back, Soon like a pack of vultures six to seven others one by one sank their daggers into their leader's body. Caesar staggered towards his best friend, Brutus -- and he was greeted by an reluctant stab into his chest, as the victim with a dying voice wailed: "Et tu, Brute!"
This must be the most resounding cry of betrayal in history -- as later described by Mark Antony -- Caesar's loyal aide -- the most unkindest cut of all, as Caesar fell beneath a statue of the Roman god Olympus. The band of brothers led by Brutus had their robes splattered with Caesar's blood, while their leader whom they loved lay motionless with his robe tattered and bloodied with their various daggers' cuts.
Brutus addressed the restive crowd, justifying their foul act by the cry that
"Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more". Caesar had to die as he was becoming "ambitious" -- "As he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him." Rome must be spared from degenerating into tyranny.
Antony,superbly portraYed by young Marlon Brando, who was granted permission to address the crowd after Brutus, started with his now famous: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him".
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious;
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Often times, Antony roused the crowd by hinting that Caesar remembered his people with caring provisions in his Will, a copy he held within his robe.
"When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff," Antony told the crowd, now screaming for revenge on Caesar's killers. The oft-repeated refrain -- "For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men", showed Antony's tremendous skill in oratory and understanding of human psychology to work the people into a frenzy.
And the rest of the story showed the vengeance of Caesar's unrested spirit (or is it the vengeance of the Gods?) as Caesar's adopted son,OCTAVIUS, accompanied by Antony, led the troops to corner Brutus and Cassius' armies. It was a remorseful Brutus who asked an aide to hold a knife as he pushed his chest against it in a act of suicide, similar fate that his comrade in arms Cassius committed a moment earlier. Crestfallen Brutus appeared haunted by the passing of his devoted Portia who had asked what ailed him with his "secrets" that a wife could not share, and must have passed away of a broken heart.
Desiderata: Dear readers, please read the play or try to retrieve a copy of this movie adaptation if you can. Lend me it when you get one, OK? If one can memorise those quotable quotes and rightly use them to augment one's writings, you would have acheived a level of English writing at an exquisite level, no mean task which would do justice to the Bard's legacy such as depicted in Julius Caesar. ENJOY!
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