The class was broken up into four groups to focus on a particular character in the film—Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, and Antony. While watching the film, each group should pay attention to the following:
(1) The actor’s gestures and voice – How do they add or detract from the character as
you imagined him in the play? What characteristics does this actor emphasize or diminish?
How did the actor’s voice—loud, soft, and so on—add or detract from the character? How does
this actor interpret the character differently or the same as you would have?
(2) The way the film makers kept the visual focus on the actor during speeches –
How do camera angles, close-ups, camera movements, and so on add or detract from the
character as you imagined? How does keeping the camera on the character heighten emotion or
suspense? What does taking the camera off the character do?
(3) The effect on the character of background music and physical background of
the set – How did the music and sets add or detract from the character?
Your group needs to answer these questions throughout the film. After the movie, answer the
following question:
What adjectives best describe the effect that your character had on the movie?
All groups should also think about the following:
How did this film version differ from Shakespeare’s play script?
How did the following two choices add or detract from the movie?
1) The film makers chose not to shoot the movie in color.
2) The film makers chose simple and functional clothes as costumes. The producer has
said, “we tried to give the impression at all times that our actors were men wearing clothes, not
characters wearing costumes.”
The above information should be compiled into a five paragraph essay, as outlined in class, and is due November 19th, 2010. If you have any questions, please contact me via this blog, which I will respond to immediately, or the next day in class.
