Will of Men

Author(s): Marcus Dennis
Location: Ohio

“Will of Men"

Directed by Oliver Stone
Adapted by Eric Roth & Oliver Stone
Based on the play ‘Julius Caesar’ by William Shakespeare
Cinematography by John Toll (Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, The Thin Red Line, The Last Samurai)
Production Design by Arthur Max (Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven)
Costume Design by Janty Yates (Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven)
Editing by Steven Rosenbaum (Blood Diamond)
Score by Thomas Newman (American Beauty, Road to Perdition)

Principal Cast:

Geoffrey Rush-Brutus
Adrien Brody-Antony
Russell Crowe-Caesar
Ed Harris-Cassius
Kiefer Sutherland-Octavious
Tobey Maguire-Casca
Donald Sutherland-Metellus Cimber
Peter Saarsgaard-Trebonius
Michael Sheen-Ligarious
Paul Giamatti-Flavius
William H. Macy-Murellus
Vincent D’Onofrio-Soothsayer
Rose Byrne-Portia
Helena Bonham Carter-Calpurnia

Tagline: "No god can control the WILL OF MEN!"

Synopsis: Oliver Stone’s latest film, ‘Will of Men’, is an alternate interpretation of the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Fresh off a win in the battle of Pompey, Julius Caesar (Russell Crowe) the young unofficial ruler of Rome has the Rome in the palm of his hands. But unlike his predecessors he doesn’t want to abuse his power. He wants Rome to be the land of the people.

However, Cassius (Ed Harris) believes that Caesar will enslave the citizens of Rome in a barbaric manner. Cassius convinces Brutus (Geoffrey Rush) of his theory. Brutus has been cautious of Caesar

Cassius starts to recruit other men like Trebonius, Ligarious, & Casca. He entices Brutus to join the conspiracy. Brutus’ conscience attacks him heavily as he considers telling Caesar of this plot. He ultimately joins and is assigned to get Antony (Adrien Brody) to join the conspiracy.

Antony, a loyal supporter and friend to Caesar, immediately tells Caesar about this. Caesar, being the clever individual that he is, has Antony become a mole for him. Antony agrees and ‘joins’ Brutus’ plot. He continuously relays information back to Caesar. As the conspiracy advances on, Antony begins to agree with the reasons for that the conspirators are plotting against Caesar.

Antony intentionally misleads Caesar to the Senate building, where Caesar is killed in legendary form. Antony has an epiphany after witnessing the brutal murder of Caesar.

He presents a powerful and enticing speech to the people defending Caesar’s honor. Brutus’ conscience start to punish him as he starts to daydream and have visions about Caesar and his depression takes a toll on his marriage with Portia (Rose Byrne), who commits suicide.

Antony tries his best to comfort Caesar’s now widowed wife, Calpurnia (Helena Bonham Carter), who never treated Caesar with the respect that he deserved

Antony and Octavious plan a battle against Brutus and the conspiracy at the plains of Philippi. Brutus has a dream that Caesar’s ghost attacks him in his sleep. He begins to question the morality of his wrong-doings.

The final battle at the plains of Philippi will determine Rome’s fate and whether the murder of an honorable man was worth the pain and anguish that it caused.

What the press would say:

Oliver Stone may have missed the mark with ‘Alexander’, but his latest epic film ‘Will of Men’ may be his best since ‘JFK’. His effective screenplay, which he co-wrote with Eric Roth, and his thorough direction show how a person’s conscience can eat them from the inside out. The performances of Oscar winners Geoffrey Rush and Adrien Brody perfectly show this theme. They have to stand strong for what they believe in while dealing with their past sins and how that affects others around him. Russell Crowe gives an extremely honorable performance. He portrays Caesar not as an arrogant tyrant, but as a man who represents the common man. His scenes dealing with his sickness are some of the most intense in the film. Ed Harris gives a truly villainous performance. We haven’t seen him this mean since ‘Just Cause’. He plots and schemes and doesn’t care who he has to take down along the way. Helena Bonham Carter and Rose Byrne shine in this testosterone filled-film. Helena Bonham Carter is on her way to her 2nd Oscar nomination with this emotional and heart-felt performance. Tobey Maguire, Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, & Michael Sheen add veteran support. Paul Giamatti is a volcano of emotion in his only scene in the film. William H. Macy adds comic relief. Vincent D’Onofrio is terrifying in his scenes with Russell Crowe.

Look out for ‘Will of Men’ next February or your conscience will eat away at you.

Best Picture
Best Director: Oliver Stone
Best Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth & Oliver Stone
Best Actor: Adrien Brody
Best Actor: Geoffrey Rush
Best Supp. Actor: Russell Crowe
Best Supp. Actor: Ed Harris
Best Supp. Actress: Helena Bonham Carter
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Editing
Best Score: Thomas Newman