Young Caesar (film)

Young Caesar, also called The Rise of Caesar,  is a historical film based on the early life of the Roman dictator, Gaius Julius Caesar. It is the first film in the Ancient Rome Cinematic Universe (ARCU). The film takes place between 91 and 60 BC. It is centered around Caesar's early military career and the formation of the First Triumvirate.

The film stars Tye Sheridan, Ciaran Hinds, Greg Vaughan, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Ashton Moio. Like the rest of the ARCU, the film is mostly historically accurate, with some minor adjustments in order to make it cinematic.

Plot
The film starts with a twenty-six year-old Gaius Julius Caesar (Tye Sheridan) under the captive of Cilician pirates, who are demanding ransom. He is knocked unconscious and the movie flashes back to his early years as a sixteen-year-old who is comforted by his mother, Aurelia Cotta (Lyne Renee), after the death of his father. He is visited by his uncle Gaius Marius (Ciaran Hinds), the great Roman leader. He gives him a motivational talk.

Marius, a staunch populist, is opposed by his former protege, Sulla (Armand Assante) during the Roman Social War. Sulla returned to Rome after a war campaign, seeking vengeance. Marius is killed. Sulla becomes dictator of Rome and targets all Marius allies to be eliminated, including young Caesar. Caesar is on the run and chased by Sulla's men. After his capture, he is freed after an intervention from Aurelia and the Vestal Virgins. Sulla reluctantly let him go, saying, he saw "many a Marius in Caesar".

The film returns to the present, and Caesar gains the confidence to not worry about the pirates. He even goes so far as to mock the pirates. Caesar gains the ransom needed and pays off the pirates.

Another flashback involves a montage of Julius Caesar fighting in the war in Asiana. His friend, Titus Labienus (Ashton Moio), saves his life during combat. Caesar returns to Rome after the death of Sulla, feeling safe, and studies under the legendary Apollonius Molon (Morgan Freeman), the legendary teacher who taught Cicero (Greg Vaughan). Caesar becomes a successful orator and auspicious politician, and begins a trip across the Aegean Sea, before being overwhelmed by pirates.

Back to the present, Caesar is inspired in dreams from the late Marius and rises to prominence. He encounters the statue of Alexander the Great and becomes determined to be a great man like him, while being a voice for the people, like Marius. He ultimately wants to be a consul one day. It is revealed that Caesar married the granddaughter of Sulla, Pompeia (Ilfenesh Hadera).

Caesar is moves up the political ladder quickly, along with his friend, Labienus. His political enemy is Marcus Bibulus (Jason Brooks), a member of the optimates, which is led by Cato the Younger (Billy Zane). Caesar, now more powerful, finds the pirates that took him captive earlier and kills them.

Caesar gets into some trouble during the Catiline Conspiracy, and is accused by Cato of involvement. Caesar is cleared, and then becomes governor in Hispania. As governor, he defeats a Celtic tribe in the final fight of the movie, and becomes a well-liked governor.

On his return to Rome, he expects a triumph celebration (a highly-esteemed honor for a Roman), but he wants to also become consul. Due to some political trickery by the optimates, he is unable to receive the triumph and become consul. In a tough decision, in which he is helped by Marius in a dream, Caesar decides to forego the triumph and become consul. He forms an alliance with Marcus Crassus (Tommy Flanagan) and Pompey the Great (Logan Lerman).

Cast

 * Tye Sheridan as Julius Caesar
 * Ashton Moio as Titus Labienus
 * Greg Vaughan as Marcus Cicero
 * Ciaran Hinds as Gaius Marius
 * Ilfenesh Hadera as Pompeia
 * Jason Brooks as Marcus Bibulus
 * Billy Zane as Cato the Younger
 * Armand Assante as Lucius Sulla
 * Morgan Freeman as Apollonius Molon
 * Tommy Flanagan as Marcus Crassus
 * Lyne Renee as Aurelia Cotta
 * Patrick Kilpatrick as Cilician pirate
 * Kurtwood Smith as Catiline

Sequel
The sequel to the film is titled The Conquest of Caesar.