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Cleopatra

Cleopatra

  • Status: Released
  • 12-06-1963
  • Runtime: 251 min
  • Score: 7.036
  • Vote count: 755

Determined to hold on to the throne, Cleopatra seduces the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. When Caesar is murdered, she redirects her attentions to his general, Marc Antony, who vows to take power—but Caesar’s successor has other plans.

Elizabeth Taylor

Cleopatra

Richard Burton

Marcus Antonius

Rex Harrison

Julius Caesar

Pamela Brown

High Priestess

George Cole

Flavius

Hume Cronyn

Sosigenes

Cesare Danova

Apollodorus

Kenneth Haigh

Brutus

Andrew Keir

Agrippa

Martin Landau

Rufio

Roddy McDowall

Octavian - Caesar Augustus

Robert Stephens

Germanicus

Francesca Annis

Eiras

Grégoire Aslan

Pothinus

Martin Benson

Ramos

John Doucette

Achillas

Michael Hordern

Cicero

John Hoyt

Cassius

Carroll O'Connor

Casca

Andrew Faulds

Canidius

Michael Gwynn

Cimber

Peter Grant

Palace Guard (uncredited)

Marne Maitland

Euphranor

Richard O'Sullivan

Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII

Gwen Watford

Calpurnia

Douglas Wilmer

Decimus

Marie Devereux

Bacchanal Reveler

Herbert Berghof

Theodotos

Jacqueline Chan

Lotos

Isabel Cooley

Charmian

Mike Steen

Minor Role

Finlay Currie

Titus

Jean Marsh

Octavia

Meri Welles

Cleopatra's Handmaiden

Peter Forster

Officer

John Alderson

Roman Officer (uncredited)

John Alderton

1st Officer (uncredited)

Jeremy Kemp

Agitator (uncredited)

Desmond Llewelyn

Senator (uncredited)

Jean Marsh

Octavia (uncredited)

Laurence Naismith

Arachesilaus (uncredited)

Larry Taylor

Roman Officer (uncredited)

John Chard

On Your Knees! On your knees! It's something that Cleopatra her self shouts at a stunned Mark Antony, but it could quite literally have been shouted by many in Hollywood at 20th Century Fox as their gargantuan epic threatened to sink them. The trials and tribulations surrounding the film are stuff of legend, all of which makes for a film itself, but I will not go over old ground, there's a couple of great documentaries available out there and they are required viewing. They also help to explain somewhat why Cleopatra is not the genre defining classic many hoped it would be. Truth is is that no film could have lived up to the expectation that surrounded Cleopatra, as it is, with flaws and all, it's still a enjoyably lavish spectacle, harking back to a time when grandiose meant something. In fact a time of film making we could do with in today's day and age of retreads, remakes and soppy sequels. Split in to two narratives, that of Caesar & Cleopatra and Antony & Cleopatra, film basically deals with how Rome sought to conquer Egypt as Cleopatra clung on grimly in power and affairs of the heart. A cast of quality thespians stand straight backed and deliver the plot machinations, set to the backdrop of magnificent ornate sets, period costuming, piercing photography and a pulse pounding musical score. Quite simply the grandeur and scope is stunning in its presentation. Not all the dialogue works, and there are passages of exchanges that come off as undernourished; while soap operatics take a hold in the second part of the film. Yet for the historical epic fan there is just too much that is great for this to be ignored or considered a stinker. From Rex Harrison - Elizabeth Taylor - Richard Burton & Roddy McDowall, to the opulence seeping from every pore, Cleopatra is a joyous eye opening experience. Yes! Flaws and all. 8/10

CinemaSerf

An excellent example of what you can do when money is no object - except, here, in the writing department where this is simply no substitute for a succinct and creative hand at the typewriter. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton successfully - if a little too theatrically - carry off their portion of this epic tale of the life of probably the world's most famous woman of antiquity. Rex Harrison, much less so as Caesar - but combined I think this is actually a far better film than the critics at the time declared. The cinematography and scale of the production are unsurpassed as are the costumes, and married with Alex North's suitably orchestral score, you really do get a sense of the opulence and grandeur of Cleopatra's court. Unfortunately, the supporting cast - Roddy McDowell; Martin Landau and Andrew Keir in particular don't quite cut it and so the story sort of fizzles out towards the end. Nonetheless, we will never see the likes of a film like this again and we ought to celebrate that.