Film Review: Cleopatra (1963)

Back in the day, Cleopatra promised to offer the same brand of entertainment that had been such a hit with movies like Ben Hur: a massive and expensive epic with thousands of extras, huge setpieces, and dazzling star-power. It was so big, its sheer budget nearly ran Fox Studios to the ground.

The film is definitely a lavish sight to behold. The settings are very expansive and imaginatively rendered; the costumes are glamorous; the actors present very passionate performances. There are a couple of major battles, where giant armies (or navies) assemble on screen and launch flaming projectiles at each other. At times, the film shines brilliantly with its ambition and glamor.

However, sitting through the film is also a chore at times. It runs for four hours, and in between the more interesting and exciting scenes, there's a lot of padding with the dialogue and politics. It's not a total bore, but the distance between the major plot and character points seemed so far in between, it can test one's patience.

Which is a shame, because there's much to be said about the timeless story of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra VII, and Marc Anthony. History buffs will already be familiar with the story, and the film does the whole affair decent justice. The film maintains decent accuracy, despite one or two anachronisms and liberties. The story overall is solidly constructed, and the characters are given good attention. Some of the most interesting scenes focus on the characters constantly competing for control over each other, and ultimately control over the kingdoms of Rome and Egypt. However, most of the conflict is kept subtle, and thus contributes to the slow pacing of the movie.

With no expense spared on the film, it looks very lavish and competent. It's well-shot and well-edited. Acting is swell: I grew quite fond of Elizabeth Taylor's portrayal of the title character, while Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, and Roddy McDowell do their best to make their characters bold and powerful. Writing is quite detailed and elegant. This production has some very gorgeous sets, props, and costumes; however, certain things look a little too plastic, and certain things (especially Cleopatra's wardrobe) look a little too 20th century. The music score is quite lovely too.

This film is probably more memorable for the behind-the-scenes dilemmas that cemented its fate as a moderate box office flop. Aside from going tremendously over-budget, Elizabeth Taylor nearly perished during an illness while filming, and had to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency tracheotomy. The production had to be relocated to Rome for a while, and during the editing process, the film was wheedled down beyond the director's desired runtime. In spite of these issues, the film was considered the end of a magnificent era, in the same fashion as Cleopatra's death marked the end of a historic era.

Despite the sheer length and slow pacing of the film, I am glad to have seen it, for it has its moments. I'm particularly fond of its performances and setpieces; I just wish there was more to it.

3.5/5 (Entertainment: Marginal | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Very Good)