Cleopatra (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
In terms of size & scope, few Hollywood films can hold a candle to Joseph L. Mankiewicz's epic 'Cleopatra'. From the beginning, when filming started in 1960, the film was doomed to be one of the biggest, most expensive, & most problematic productions of all-time; and its enormous cost almost sank 20th Century Fox. There was trouble on the set from the get-go: Elizabeth Taylor, the first actor to be paid $1 million for a movie, had health issues that kept her offset for long periods of time. The original director left the film after 6 months of principle photography, along with the 2 leading males, Peter Finch & Stephen Boyd. At this point, Mankiewicz stepped in to fix this debacle & direct, with Rex Harrison & Richard Burton taking the respective roles. And production moved from England to Rome.
When 'Cleopatra' finally premiered 3 yrs. later, audiences turned out in droves. The romantic rumors about co-stars Burton & Taylor helped generate interest in the film. And it came on the heels of the popular sword-&-sandal epics like The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Spartacus & El Cid. The box office was great, but the on-set problems/rumors, & exorbitant budget kept it from being a resounding success. It would be years before the movie made back its enormous production costs. There are moments in Cleopatra that are as stunning as anything ever committed to film: Cleopatra's grand entrance into Rome on a giant rolling sphinx while thousands of onlookers cheer; the great Battle of Actium involving 100s of warships, etc.. I LIVE for these types of movies. And yet, the spectacle isn't quite enough for me to give it higher, say, a B+ or 3.5/4 stars. Why? Because the human drama in the story is pretty lacking. Don't get me wrong, there is love, there is jealousy, there is passion, & there is betrayal ... but a lot of it feels like plot machinations & not enough like real red-blooded human beings problems.
The narrative spans 18 yrs. & centers on Cleopatra's attempt to reassert her power in Egypt by forging sexual & political alliances with Rome's leaders. The film opens in 55 BC at the end of a Roman civil war btwn. the armies of Pompey & the victor, Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison). Cleopatra becomes Caesar's mistress & he puts her in command of Egypt. Cleopatra enjoys Caesar's sense of greatness; urging him to accept the position of dictator of Rome, something the Roman senators are not happy about, at all. See, Cleopatra envisions a worldwide empire ruled by both her & Caesar as queen & king. However, her lofty dreams are dashed when Caesar is stabbed to death in the Roman Senate. Left without an ally, and with Egypt up for grabs, Cleopatra then enters into a torrid romance with Caesar's loyal general, Marc Antony (Richard Burton). As with Caesar, she enjoys Antony's intense desire for power & convinces him to start another civil war in Rome so that her son by Caesar, Caesarion, would be ruler of Rome, rather than Octavian (a great Roddy McDowall), Caesar's nephew. But under Cleopatra's charms, Antony starts to lose a grip on his dominance. He is defeated at the Battle of Actium. Cleopatra & Antony are doomed. And Egypt is thrown into peril.
As the great Egyptian queen, Elizabeth Taylor rivets. Taylor blends lusty passion with cold calculation. Her Cleopatra is an intelligent woman of great contradiction. She yearns for control, yet realizes that the only way to get it is through the Romans she seduces. Yet, at the same time, it is clear that she really loves these men. And you just cannot tear your eyes from her - though, her ample cleavage all but ensures that, anyway. Rex Harrison is stellar as the arrogant, but noble Julius Caesar. And yet, while he gives quite a performance, it's funny how you forget him well enough once Richard Burton enters the picture (and a lot of that is attributed to the Taylor-Burton off screen affair). Burton's Marc Antony is the more interesting character, actually; and his self-destructive downfall is really something to see.
'Cleopatra' won Oscars for its rich production design (how about the giant golden Sphinx that Cleopatra arrives on), cinematography, special effects, & lavish costumes - including Liz's 65 outfits, haha. That said, along with the checkered history of the production, 'Cleopatra' has the reputation of a shallow screenplay. See, the political context gets a bit lost amid the opulence & spectacle on display. As for the dialogue, it comes across as a weird combination of Shakespearean-like verbiage with trite modern dialogues & campy double-entendres. But here's the thing, even though that sounds awful, in some ways, it contributes to the movie's inherent watchability. You watch & listen as if you're watching some kitschy soap opera; complete with melodramatic stretches, boring stretches, unwieldy speeches, multiple plot lines, interwoven conflicts, trashy moments, torrid moments, & enticing visuals. For better or worse ... this movie has it all.
When 'Cleopatra' finally premiered 3 yrs. later, audiences turned out in droves. The romantic rumors about co-stars Burton & Taylor helped generate interest in the film. And it came on the heels of the popular sword-&-sandal epics like The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Spartacus & El Cid. The box office was great, but the on-set problems/rumors, & exorbitant budget kept it from being a resounding success. It would be years before the movie made back its enormous production costs. There are moments in Cleopatra that are as stunning as anything ever committed to film: Cleopatra's grand entrance into Rome on a giant rolling sphinx while thousands of onlookers cheer; the great Battle of Actium involving 100s of warships, etc.. I LIVE for these types of movies. And yet, the spectacle isn't quite enough for me to give it higher, say, a B+ or 3.5/4 stars. Why? Because the human drama in the story is pretty lacking. Don't get me wrong, there is love, there is jealousy, there is passion, & there is betrayal ... but a lot of it feels like plot machinations & not enough like real red-blooded human beings problems.
The narrative spans 18 yrs. & centers on Cleopatra's attempt to reassert her power in Egypt by forging sexual & political alliances with Rome's leaders. The film opens in 55 BC at the end of a Roman civil war btwn. the armies of Pompey & the victor, Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison). Cleopatra becomes Caesar's mistress & he puts her in command of Egypt. Cleopatra enjoys Caesar's sense of greatness; urging him to accept the position of dictator of Rome, something the Roman senators are not happy about, at all. See, Cleopatra envisions a worldwide empire ruled by both her & Caesar as queen & king. However, her lofty dreams are dashed when Caesar is stabbed to death in the Roman Senate. Left without an ally, and with Egypt up for grabs, Cleopatra then enters into a torrid romance with Caesar's loyal general, Marc Antony (Richard Burton). As with Caesar, she enjoys Antony's intense desire for power & convinces him to start another civil war in Rome so that her son by Caesar, Caesarion, would be ruler of Rome, rather than Octavian (a great Roddy McDowall), Caesar's nephew. But under Cleopatra's charms, Antony starts to lose a grip on his dominance. He is defeated at the Battle of Actium. Cleopatra & Antony are doomed. And Egypt is thrown into peril.
As the great Egyptian queen, Elizabeth Taylor rivets. Taylor blends lusty passion with cold calculation. Her Cleopatra is an intelligent woman of great contradiction. She yearns for control, yet realizes that the only way to get it is through the Romans she seduces. Yet, at the same time, it is clear that she really loves these men. And you just cannot tear your eyes from her - though, her ample cleavage all but ensures that, anyway. Rex Harrison is stellar as the arrogant, but noble Julius Caesar. And yet, while he gives quite a performance, it's funny how you forget him well enough once Richard Burton enters the picture (and a lot of that is attributed to the Taylor-Burton off screen affair). Burton's Marc Antony is the more interesting character, actually; and his self-destructive downfall is really something to see.
'Cleopatra' won Oscars for its rich production design (how about the giant golden Sphinx that Cleopatra arrives on), cinematography, special effects, & lavish costumes - including Liz's 65 outfits, haha. That said, along with the checkered history of the production, 'Cleopatra' has the reputation of a shallow screenplay. See, the political context gets a bit lost amid the opulence & spectacle on display. As for the dialogue, it comes across as a weird combination of Shakespearean-like verbiage with trite modern dialogues & campy double-entendres. But here's the thing, even though that sounds awful, in some ways, it contributes to the movie's inherent watchability. You watch & listen as if you're watching some kitschy soap opera; complete with melodramatic stretches, boring stretches, unwieldy speeches, multiple plot lines, interwoven conflicts, trashy moments, torrid moments, & enticing visuals. For better or worse ... this movie has it all.