Talk like an Egyptian.
Added 11/10/2009
'Cleopatra' is a four-hour, very talky and plotty yarn, set against some of the most elaborate and exquisite scenery ever put on film. It is also the ultimate example of Hollywood excess and movie star ego. With a very literate script and an outstanding cast, 'Cleopatra' should have been a blockbuster, and yet it comes across as a lumbering behemoth, beautiful and intelligent while also plodding and distant. Scene after scene goes by, with endless dialogue and exposition but very little action. It's as if Manckiewicz were filming a stage production, rather than a big budget feature. Kudos to the set and costume designers for their almost overwhelmingly elaborate creations, and extra kudos to Rex Harrison for virtually carrying the first two hours of the film. Cleopatra is a relic of a Hollywood age gone by; the age of the epic specatcle. Though worth the 4 hour time investment, it is not one of the all-time greats, and yet its sheer star power in the form of Elizabeth Taylor makes it a classic despite itself.
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very enjoyable
Added 10/18/2009
From a technical view, very interesting to see an example of things that can be accomplished when trying larger scale approaches. I understand it can sometimes be very different, easier or challenging, from what little i'd read. But not much help there, just more wide eyed newbie tech chatter.
The movie itself, i loved it but still need to watch it a bunch more times to really appreciate it. Great so far and glad i got it as don't get to see it on TV often where it's a longer film (4 hours).
Nice change too from back in school days, drudge digging that stuff out of history books (actual work involved) anyway good story great visually. Truly the worst thing i shouldn't perpetuate all the heat it took when it came out; hear it got a some bad press. Go into it open, up for an epic, tells a great story.
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A grand tribute to a time from history
Added 9/1/2009
Cleopatra is a majestic and sumptuous film. The stage sets of Rome and Alexandria are nothing short of amazing, especially given that none of it is computer generated. For anyone who has watched the HBO series "Rome" this will be a treat to watch. The HBO series portrayed a grittier side of Roman life, and never dealt at all with the two years Cleopatra lived in Rome with Julius Caesar so watching "Cleopatra" is almost like seeing six more episodes of the series with the focus on life in Alexandria where the Macedonian lived.
Elizabeth Taylor puts in a fine performance as Cleopatra, as does Rex Harrison portraying Julius Caesar, Roddy McDowell playing Octavian, and Richard Burton as Antony. Relying mostly on Plutarch's "Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans" Cleopatra covers the years that she knew Caesar before his death, and then up to her own death. The difference between HBO's representation of her apparently debaucherous final years living with Antony are in striking contrast to the elegant presentation we have here. It is constantly mentioned in writings about her that she was a highly educated woman who knew many languages. And if she were living today she would have mingled easily with the intelligentsia. It would have been interesting to see more of this side of her. She was not known to have been overly beautiful, but it is this glamorous angle that is usually presented. Perhaps someday someone will make a film from this point of view. Elizabeth Taylor, however, does convey convincingly a complex woman who lives with great fervor.
This movie is 248 minutes long but I wished that there had been more. I would have liked to see a reconstruction of the Library of Alexandria before it was burnt, and more about Cleopatra's life before she met Julius Caesar.
This movie is a magnificent spectacle of pomp and pageantry. Some of the sets are nearly beyond belief, such as the grandeur of the palaces of Alexandria, and the grand procession of Cleopatra's entrance into Rome as she is regally attired and perched on the extended legs of a colossal black stoned sphinx being pulled through the gates of Rome by hundreds of men. The quality of this DVD is also splendid and richly showcases the breathtaking colors and textures of the film. It is hard to imagine that this movie is almost fifty years old.
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A movie classic
Added 8/4/2009
This movie speaks for itself. I saw this when I was a kid at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. A presentation like that you remember all your life. This is a wonderful gold edition of this move. Quality is at 100%.
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Love this film!
Added 7/16/2009
I love this film and was having trouble getting it through any local reatil store, such as Best Buy. I'm so glad that I got it on Amazon and at a great price. I'm trying to get my husband into older films and this was a great add to our collection.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Talk like an Egyptian.
Added 11/10/2009
'Cleopatra' is a four-hour, very talky and plotty yarn, set against some of the most elaborate and exquisite scenery ever put on film. It is also the ultimate example of Hollywood excess and movie star ego. With a very literate script and an outstanding cast, 'Cleopatra' should have been a blockbuster, and yet it comes across as a lumbering behemoth, beautiful and intelligent while also plodding and distant. Scene after scene goes by, with endless dialogue and exposition but very little action. It's as if Manckiewicz were filming a stage production, rather than a big budget feature. Kudos to the set and costume designers for their almost overwhelmingly elaborate creations, and extra kudos to Rex Harrison for virtually carrying the first two hours of the film. Cleopatra is a relic of a Hollywood age gone by; the age of the epic specatcle. Though worth the 4 hour time investment, it is not one of the all-time greats, and yet its sheer star power in the form of Elizabeth Taylor makes it a classic despite itself.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
very enjoyable
Added 10/18/2009
From a technical view, very interesting to see an example of things that can be accomplished when trying larger scale approaches. I understand it can sometimes be very different, easier or challenging, from what little i'd read. But not much help there, just more wide eyed newbie tech chatter.
The movie itself, i loved it but still need to watch it a bunch more times to really appreciate it. Great so far and glad i got it as don't get to see it on TV often where it's a longer film (4 hours).
Nice change too from back in school days, drudge digging that stuff out of history books (actual work involved) anyway good story great visually. Truly the worst thing i shouldn't perpetuate all the heat it took when it came out; hear it got a some bad press. Go into it open, up for an epic, tells a great story.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
A grand tribute to a time from history
Added 9/1/2009
Cleopatra is a majestic and sumptuous film. The stage sets of Rome and Alexandria are nothing short of amazing, especially given that none of it is computer generated. For anyone who has watched the HBO series "Rome" this will be a treat to watch. The HBO series portrayed a grittier side of Roman life, and never dealt at all with the two years Cleopatra lived in Rome with Julius Caesar so watching "Cleopatra" is almost like seeing six more episodes of the series with the focus on life in Alexandria where the Macedonian lived.
Elizabeth Taylor puts in a fine performance as Cleopatra, as does Rex Harrison portraying Julius Caesar, Roddy McDowell playing Octavian, and Richard Burton as Antony. Relying mostly on Plutarch's "Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans" Cleopatra covers the years that she knew Caesar before his death, and then up to her own death. The difference between HBO's representation of her apparently debaucherous final years living with Antony are in striking contrast to the elegant presentation we have here. It is constantly mentioned in writings about her that she was a highly educated woman who knew many languages. And if she were living today she would have mingled easily with the intelligentsia. It would have been interesting to see more of this side of her. She was not known to have been overly beautiful, but it is this glamorous angle that is usually presented. Perhaps someday someone will make a film from this point of view. Elizabeth Taylor, however, does convey convincingly a complex woman who lives with great fervor.
This movie is 248 minutes long but I wished that there had been more. I would have liked to see a reconstruction of the Library of Alexandria before it was burnt, and more about Cleopatra's life before she met Julius Caesar.
This movie is a magnificent spectacle of pomp and pageantry. Some of the sets are nearly beyond belief, such as the grandeur of the palaces of Alexandria, and the grand procession of Cleopatra's entrance into Rome as she is regally attired and perched on the extended legs of a colossal black stoned sphinx being pulled through the gates of Rome by hundreds of men. The quality of this DVD is also splendid and richly showcases the breathtaking colors and textures of the film. It is hard to imagine that this movie is almost fifty years old.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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