Caesar Must Die

I was on holiday for this one so am grateful to Ann for the following review:

"Unfortunately we had a relatively small audience for this screening – perhaps the change of day had something to do with that.  However, I have to say that the audience who attended were almost universal in their approval for this film.  We could certainly see why it was a prize-winner!  It was absorbing and fascinating.  If it is not too confusing, the film started by showing us the end and then through flash backs showed us the whole process of the project.  As someone interested in live theatre, this was particularly enlightening taking us from the first announcement of the project in the maximum security area of the prison, through the auditions, rehearsals and on to the final performance of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in a theatre by the prisoners.  In places the tensions between the actors in the play and in reality were evident.  It was very hard to believe that these were amateur performers with no previous experience.  A note at the end showed that one prisoner had been pardoned and had gone on to further his acting career.  It was quite poignant at the end as the participants were returned to their individual cells after the high of the successful performance and one said that having been introduced to art the cell had become even more of a prison!"

Audience feedback: The feedback rating was 87%...

A	Wonderful insight into high security wing in Italy – excellent
A	An interesting setting that worked very well. The actors were very credible. The interaction of play and reality was interesting. Liked the words staying up longer to be readable.
A	Really interesting and beautifully filmed.
A	Impressed with Mechanics' Theatre. Much better than Police College.
A	Very powerful.
A	An excellent film – very well made and acted – very dramatic. The best J. C.
A
A	What an extraordinary film! Hard to believe that they were not professional actors. What a tragic waste of potential.
B	Powerful production. Interesting way to rehabilitate prisoners. Well filmed.
B	?
B	It was really great, though a little confusing. On the whole a great movie.
B	Very credible and full of emotion by the actors.
B
B	VERY INTERESTING TO FOLLOW THE PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH. HARD TO BELIEVE THEY WERE NOT PROFESSIONALS.
B	Great stuff – astonishing performances by the amateur cast. Haunting score, great photography.
C	Powerful version of the play. Interesting setting it in a prison. Not clear if real prisoners or actors pretending to be prisoners.
C	This was a film where I think a lot was missed by watching it with subtitles.

On-line stuff:

Philip French's film of the week in The Observer - "Profoundly moving":
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/mar/03/caesar-must-die-review-philip-french

Four stars from Anthony Quinn in The Independent - "reaches beyond method acting towards a kind of heightened expression of rage and remorse"
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-review-caesar-must-die-12a-8515678.html

Three stars from Jenny McCartney in The Telegraph "Shakespeare could not have asked for a more instinctive cast"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9902352/Caesar-Must-Die-review.html

IMDB 7.3 out of 10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2177511/

Rotten Tomatoes 73% audience feedback:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/caesar_must_die_2012/