Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Pamela Brown.
Running Time: 192 minutes.
Certificate: PG.
Synopsis: A film epic revolving around the triumphs and tragedy of the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra.
The film which made the career and the relationship of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton turns 50 this month. Instead of a cake, 20th Century Fox decided to present it with a remastering which dusts off the cobwebs and brings the epic into the 21st Century. Remastering instantly conjures the image of George Lucas, and sharing the company with CLEOPATRA, remastering recently hasn’t been their forte, presenting audiences with a backstreet 3D makeover for THE PHANTOM MENACE. CLEOPATRA thankfully avoids the 3D add-on gimmick and dives immediately for quality. In short, the film looks phenomenal, and the old story is complimented for it.
At four hours, this is no Saturday night popcorn movie. Be prepared for a long journey in the local theatre as the titles begin, with the comforting big score of a film made in the 60s. The audience is presented with a Roman style painting of an army and the screen changes to show real life counterparts, beautifully reproducing the image in real life. It is a simple trick and very well executed. It is used throughout the film at important moments and it is as though Joseph L. Mankiewicz was bringing mosaics to life, giving an insight into the years long struggle between triumvirates, Egyptian queens, Roman Emperors and mighty armies.
As the title character, viewers of the original film will remember Elizabeth Taylor is brought into the action as Cleopatra early in the proceedings, presented at the feet of Rex Harrison’s Julius Caesar in a rolled up carpet, sneaking back into Alexandria to reclaim her throne from her treacherous brother King Ptolemy. The actress’s legendary beauty is refreshed and the scenes look like they could have been shot yesterday. CLEOPATRA is always made out to be Taylor and Burton’s (Marc Antony) film, but Rex Harrison really brings warmth and humour to the role of Caesar as he falls in love with the beautiful Cleopatra.
One truly magnificent film-stealing sequence, possibly never matched again in any film which succeeded it, is the point where Cleopatra arrives in Rome with parades, an army of dancers and dignitaries, atop a giant Sphinx. It is worth going to see the film just to see this moment renewed for the modern cinema screen. It goes to show what was once possible without CGI. It speaks volumes for the fact that this is Taylor’s showcase on screen and it is as evident in the present as it was in the past. She is a true feminine symbol of authority from start to finish, at several points fully supporting the mantra ‘behind every man is a strong woman’.
It must be said that the film is long, and while the addition of scenes shows the power of modern cinema to hold an audience’s attention for 4 hours, it is 4 hours nevertheless. Length aside it is great to see a story told start to finish in 2013 without the need to separate into two or three installments for moneymaking purposes. This is a celebration, and a wonderful one at that.
CLEOPATRA will be re-released in UK cinemas on July 12th.
