Cleopatra (1963)

Every now and again I like to watch a classic movie that I've never seen before. I was browsing through my Netflix queue recently and was in the mood for a really long, epic film and Cleopatra seemed like the perfect choice. After watching the movie I decided to read just a bit about the movie's history and wasn't overly surprised to discover that the movie had a very troubled production and is somewhat infamous for being a “bad” movie that was a product of the studio. While I can see why critics were originally very rough on this movie it also isn't hard to see why this movie is still talked about to this day. Make no mistake, this film version of Cleopatra is considered a classic by many people (and despite the critical ravaging it received in 1963 it still was in for 9 Academy Awards). For me Cleopatra was a mixed bag but overall I enjoyed it. Cleopatra is one of the most lavish, extravagant movies I've ever seen but is unfortunately weighed down by poor dramatic purpose (at times) and a painful pace in the middle act.

Cleopatra tries its best to be a historical epic. Obviously it tells the story of Cleopatra but more specifically it focuses on her relationships with the leaders of Rome. In some ways Cleopatra is almost two different movies. The first half focuses on her relationship with Julius Caesar and the second half focuses on her relationship with Mark Antony. All of this is framed generally through the showing of how the nations of Rome and Egypt relate and clash and how these figureheads drive all of the occurrences. Maybe a lot was left on the cutting room floor but Cleopatra is obviously focusing more on those main characters than the overall politics. While I think this was intended to make the larger than life characters more sympathetic I don't think it really succeeds since often it's a little confusing why characters are where they are or what they are doing (or why I should feel sorry for them). Still, I think the story is serviceable but definitely not hard-hitting. Luckily the final stretch of this movie was my favorite part and it all came together is a pretty satisfying way.

Personally I thought the second half of the movie was superior and the final act of this movie is definitely the most emotionally convincing part. Perhaps it was due to Richard Burton's performance as Mark Antony (which was easily the best of the bunch in my opinion) but I think it would be unfair to ignore how surprisingly intelligent some of the writing is. The last part of this movie almost feels like a different film as it focuses on the intimate relationship between Cleopatra and Antony and makes it convincing (especially given what the character of Mark Antony goes through). Unfortunately a solid final act doesn't make up for how droll a lot of this movie is. This movie is over four hours long and it feels like it. As the middle act of the movie tries to balance politics and relationships it fails more than it succeeds and as a result it feels very, very long. In terms of its narrative I think Cleopatra is hard to give high praise. It has great moments but is very long and not always interesting. Maybe this is a somewhat controversial opinion but I think Elizabeth Taylor's performance is large reason a lot of this doesn't work. There wasn't a moment where I really bought her in the weighty roll (but at least she is easy to look at). When a movie called Cleopatra has such a weak performance from the actress in the title role you know there is a problem.

Coming in to save the somewhat weak storytelling in Cleopatra are the movie's visuals. This movie is absolutely astonishing to watch and it is most certainly one of the most gorgeous films ever put together. The film is notorious for its enormous budget (which was astronomical for its time and adjusting it for inflation still shows it as one of the most expensive films ever made). The budget really shows. Sets are unbelievably detailed and come to life. Outfits are just as detailed and the changes are never ending. Every scene has something interesting going on visually thanks to the amazing production design put into this film. If there's anything about this movie that should be praised it's how amazing it looks. That's really what this film is known for and it's not hard to see why. Cleopatra is a wonder and really must be seen to be believed. Maybe it can even be seen as a sort of cautionary tale about “polishing up a turd”. That's harsh in my opinion but there's more style than substance in this film (well... most of it).

Overall I'm really happy I finally decided to sit down and give this super long film a go. Dramatically speaking Cleopatra is all over the place. It tries to be political, romantic, dramatic, tragic and funny (not sure if that was intentional) all at the same time without ever being clever enough to make it all blend together. While the movie ends on a high note that doesn't necessarily save how many shortcomings there really are in it. The true star of Cleopatra is its visuals. Cleopatra is an amazing looking movie and has some of the greatest sets and outfits ever put on film. It's a treat to watch and really feels like a product of a bygone time. Also, make sure you have enough time if you plan on watching Cleopatra because it certainly isn't the shortest film. Film lovers and lovers of classic cinema absolutely must see this, but overall I found Cleopatra deeply flawed and far from perfect.

6.5/10