Julius Caesar: In Shallows and In Miseries
2017, 13 minutes
Brutus grapples with his conscience in the aftermath of Caesar’s brutal assassination.
This film is an exploration of several scenes from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, in which Brutus and Cassius struggle with their relationship after Caesar’s murder. The inspiration for the film came from Cassius’ line in Act One, Scene Two, in which he asks, “Tell me good Brutus, can you see your face?” An intriguing question – does anyone know their own face? In other words, are any of us willing to acknowledge our true face that lies beneath the mask we wear before the world? Which leads to the question: what is Brutus’ true face? As Cassius himself puts it: Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear. And since you know you cannot see yourself So well as by reflection, I, your glass, Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. . Cinematically, I wanted to experiment with this idea that Cassius is in fact the face that lies beneath Brutus’ noble mask. I wanted to show in two in similar costumes, often framed in mirror opposition to one another, and eventually, as Brutus makes his peace with Cassius, coming together to clink glasses in way that two almost appear as one. But then the even darker aspect of Brutus’ inner face appear – his “evil spirit” made manifest in the form of murdered Caesar’s ghost.
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