Introduction
Cleopatra was a film that was plagued with production problems, which ranged from firing the director for incompetence to an incomplete script – among other things. All of these production issues compounded to make this the most expensive movie ever made at the time, an astounding $31,000,000.
Although the film was a hit upon its initial release (the highest-grossing film of 1963), Cleopatra failed to turn a profit at the box office due to its expensive production. The legendary over-budgeted film would go on to earn nine Academy Award Nominations, winning four.
The Costumes
Upon retrospective review, Cleopatra is an excellent film. A true spectacle of visual storytelling. The costumes throughout the film are a prime example of this and are incredible. Especially those worn by the titular character, portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor wears numerous outfits in this, and the design work suits the grand, epic style of this production.
Are the costumes that these characters wear historically accurate? Not in the slightest. Do they look stunning? Absolutely. This movie is portraying 5th Avenue 1960s glamour by way of 40 B.C. costume designers, and it works.
For Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor’s costume budget alone was a staggering $194,000, which is almost $1,500,000 when adjusted for inflation. In total, 26,000 costumes were created for the movie, which isn’t that surprising since this movie has a cast of thousands.
Costume designer Renie Conley would win the 1963 Academy Award for Best Costume Design (along with Irene Sharaff and Vittorio Nino Novarese), for creating Elizabeth Taylor’s stunning gowns, all of which placed an emphasis on Taylor’s beauty and sexuality, rather than being historically accurate.
Set Design
The sets in Cleopatra are just as visually sensational as the costumes. In fact, they have to be in the running for the best sets in cinematic history. This is in part due to production designer John DeCuir’s lavish over-the-top Egyptian sets, built on the monstrous lots of England’s Pinewood Studios.
With mounting production delays and expenditures, director Rouben Mamoulian was terminated and replaced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Cold and damp weather would force the production to shift from England to Italy.
The sets were demolished and rebuilt by DeCuir’s team, with the production moving to Cinecittà Studios outside of Rome. Shot on location in Italy, the constructed sets are a visual feast, the best of which is Cleopatra’s golden barge, which cost $277,000 ($2,000,000 adjusted for inflation).
The Story
The story for Cleopatra basically covers the same material that the HBO show Rome did, with respect to Cleopatra and her relationships with Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) and Mark Anthony (Richard Burton).
With a runtime of nearly four hours (excluding the credits, intermission, etc.) Cleopatra covers a lot of ground; From Caesar’s arrival in Egypt – on the heels of Pompey, to his assassination on the Ides of March. This covers the first half of the movie, with the relationship he has with Cleopatra being the primary focus of most of the screen time.
The second half of Cleopatra revolves around Anthony and Cleopatra’s romance, with fear and despair engulfing them as the armies of Octavian (Roddy McDowall) close in on them, and they lose everything, including their lives.
Analysis
The main criticism with regards to Cleopatra is the script itself, and the dialogue within it. Sometimes the film feels a bit too modern for the time it is portraying. However, this is a minor quibble and doesn’t take away from the film’s overall aesthetic.
Overall, the acting in Cleopatra is very good, especially by the lead actors. Given the story and the relationships that the characters have with each other, the actors are required to cover a wide array of emotions, and they do so quite well.
The thing that stood out was the number of times Anthony and Cleopatra yelled at each other. This makes one think about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and their volatile relationship off-screen.
Performances
There were a couple of actors that showed up in Cleopatra in small cameo roles that were surprising to see. The first was Carroll O’Connor (All In The Family) as Servillius Casca, a Roman Senator.
The second cameo was equally as weird and so short, that it was akin to a “blink and you’ll miss it” type walk-on role. This was none other than Desmond Llewelyn – aka “Q” – from the James Bond Series.
Rex Harrison, Richard Burton, and Roddy McDowell all turn in fantastic performances. However, at the end of the day, Cleopatra belongs to Elizabeth Taylor. The film cements Taylor’s legacy as one of the top stars on the silver screen. Her beauty in this film is radiant. You simply can’t take your eyes off of her.
Conclusion
Overall Cleopatra is an overindulgent spectacle, in the Old Hollywood tradition of movies like Gone With the Wind. It’s the kind of movie that Hollywood doesn’t make anymore. It’s also an awesome piece of movie-making, and well worth your time.
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