2012 Donmar production showed what Julius Caesar gains from a prison setting. This documentary from the same year, directed by the brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, goes a step further.
It follows a colloquial staging of the play by inmates at Rome’s Rebibbia prison who have their own experiences of murder, betrayal and vengeance. “It feels like Shakespeare lived in the streets of my city,” observes one.
The world of play and prison bleed into each other: sometimes you’re not sure if they’re speaking lines from the drama, discussing Shakespeare or reflecting on their lives.
The camerawork and compositions are brilliantly judged, with architecture caught from striking angles, and the whole prison functions as a set as we see the men.
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