More nonsensical dialogue: did you know Apollodorus would kill Pothinos?
Yet in the previous scene you can see a guard returning Caesar Appollodorus' dagger with blood so you know he did not kill Pothynos.
shareso you know he did not kill Pothynos.Is that a typo? Considering the soldier who brings the dagger to Caesar resembled one of the guards who escorted the condemned Pothinos out of the room, with a dagger-sheathed Appollodorus following them out of the room, followed by an offscreen cry... share
Why would he come back with his knife then?
shareA killing just took place in the hallway, and the officer is presenting the weapon evidence to the authority.
shareand then he comes back and sends the dagger up the stairs to Appollodorus who is on the left side?? doesn't make any sense and an unnecessary scene.
shareCaesar told Flavius to find Apollodourus and return his Pothinos-stained dagger. The servant figured that stabbers usually do not remain at the scene of the killing and therefore thought Apollodourus had already exited the hall (maybe via a secret passage, a suspicion Flavius informed Caesar about on their first night). The direction he took was probably where he thought he might locate him (perhaps the man's quarters or Cleopatra's quarters). But I guess my analysis is not going to hold much weight in your view. So, again, I disagree about your opinion about scenes and see little point in continuing it here.
shareWhy would Appollodorus not remain there? It wasn't a crime but a lawful killing. The scene is just another excuse to have Caesar's homoerotic man servant on screen. I wonder if Mankiewicz longed for such homoeroticism in his life, I don't know. That's the intriguing part about machismo for me, it's just one hair away from full blown gayness.
shareFeh, I don't see Apollodourus wanting to stay. Pothinos is dead. Job is done. He exits (maybe pulling a Batman by 'disappearing' via a secret passage), probably to inform Eiras and Charmain that their Queen is now safe (based on the previous scene of Eiras crying for Apollodourus over Lotos' death/Cleopatra's near-assassination).
And Caesar's servant has a name: Flavius.
Why are you making excuses for such terrible editing?? Why is it so important??
Fine, I could totally do without Joseph L. Mankiewicz' homoerotic fascination with Flavius, one of the most unnecessary, worthless characters in the history of filmmaking.
Why are you making excuses for such terrible editing?? Why is it so important??
It seems you are the one who is making such a big deal out of this. First of all, what terrible editing? It is all in one and the same scene. Second, Apollodorus did kill Pothinus. Either in person, but for some reason left his dagger behind (later to be retrieved by the guard), or he gave the dagger to the guard to do it. I don't see why this is so important to you. share
Why are you making excuses for such terrible editing?? Why is it so important??Because I like this film, and have a different opinion about it than you do. Same with Flavius, who I found worth my interest every time I view this film. share
Why are you interested in him? Maybe I can understand Mankiewicz' homoerotic longing.
shareWhy are you interested in him?It's clearly no physical attraction to George Cole. I like his character's devotion and loyalty to Caesar, reporting & warning him, as well as being the only man he trusts with his affliction. Of his generals, staff, and family, Flavius is probably one of the few men who bears no issue to him (Agrippa doubts him, Antony is jealous of being in his shadow, his son Brutus betrays him). The last scene of him weeping at Caesar's funeral was touching, and won him over to my interest. share