This is a passable historical , overlong epic and nice version based on George Bernard Shaw's play . Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains are awesome but talk alone does not save the movie from slowly sinking into the sands surrounding the Sphinx . At the height of the Roman Civil War , civilised Julius Caesar (Claude Rains) takes control of the city Alexandria in order to resolve a long-running feud between Cleopatra (Vivien Leigh) and her brother Ptolemy (Anthony Harvey) . Caesar finds the prospect of romance more tempting than he expected , since Cleopatra is a strange woman who is bright as well as attractive . And for Cleopatra, a friendly relationship with the mighty Caesar may pay dividends in the future . The most lavish picture ever on the screen!. Days of magnificent adventure... nights of maddest revelry... a temptation in Technicolor!. Never before such seductive beauty; such riotous... luxurious... loving and living.
Gorgeous 1945 Technicolour and great English cast . Britain's costliest movie at the time it was made , but failed to persuade cinemagoers to watch it . Setting was a bit like a stage play in terms of dialogue based on George Bernard Shaw's wordy play about Rome's titanic leader and Egypt's young queen . The film relies heavily on their peculiar relationship , as Caesar teaches her how to rule Egypt , the two form a special relationship . As I think the relation between the flirtatious Vivian Leigh still at the height of her beauty and the stately velvet voiced Claude Rains as the most powerful man in the world , managed to make the wordiness agreeable , thoug slow-moving and extremely talking . As Vivien Leigh's interpretation is top notch , likeness to Claude Rains . Both of whom are well assisted by a familar support cast , such as : Stewart Granger , Flora Robson , Francis L. Sullivan , Basil Sydney ,Ernest Thesiger , John Laurie , Felix Aylmer , Anthony Harvey , Cecil Parker , Jane Simmons ,Kay Kendall, some uncredited , among others . Runtime film is overblown , it's a little bit dull but the history aficionados will appeal too much . The dialog , cinematography , and direction combine to cast a potent and charming movie . Imposing sets , lavish costumes , good stars , massive scope , opulent interiors , including great spectacle of crowd scenes well staged . Brilliant costumes and props but the backgrounds were like painted flats ; I suppose that is to be expected with the high lighting requirements of technicolour film. There are also some battle scenes that are breathtaking , including thousands of extras . First range set design , the film is very atmospheric , Roman time is well designed . It contains stunning Technicolor photography by four of the best cameramen in the business : Robert Krasker , Jack Hildyard , Freddie Young , Jack Cardiff , they are the main bonuses to this expensive , leisurely rendition. The motion picture was professionally directed by Gabriel Pascal , but it failed to disguise the ponderous nature of the some tiring recounting and it had a flop at boxoffice . Rating : 6 . Well worth catching.
The actual events are the following ones : It's created the first triumvirate formed by Caesar , Pompeyus and Crasus . Caesar fights Pompeyus who's vanquished in Farsalia . Julius goes to Alejandria , Tolomeo hands over the Pompeyo's head to Caesar who rules over Egypt and gives up the throne to the beautiful and . After that , the out-of-wedlock son of Cleopatra with Caesar is seen to be a threat to his future leadership . Brutus and other Roman legislators scheme the assassination of Caesar . As Julius Caesar is killed by Bruto and Casio . Later on , it happens the second triumvirate : Marc Anthony commands Egypt , Lepido rules Africa and Octavio Augustus governs over Rome and Hispania . Marc Anthony is married to Octavia , Augustus's sister . Then , Marcus Antonius is wedded to Cleopatra , but things don't turn out so well and they are defeated by Octavio Augustus in Actium.
Other films dealing with the infamous Egyptian Queen and her Roman lovers saga are as follows : Silent version ¨Cleopatra¨ with Theda Bara ; ¨Cleopatra¨ by Cecil B De Mille with Claudette Colbert , Warren William and Henry Wilconson ; ¨Cleopatra¨ by Joseph L . Mankiewicz with Elizabeth Taylor , Rex Harrison and Richard Burton and TV adaptation ¨Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra¨ with Richard Johnson and Janet Suzman and TV Mini-Series by Frank Roddan with Leonor Varela , Billy Zane , Timothy Dalton ,Rupert Graves .
Gorgeous 1945 Technicolour and great English cast . Britain's costliest movie at the time it was made , but failed to persuade cinemagoers to watch it . Setting was a bit like a stage play in terms of dialogue based on George Bernard Shaw's wordy play about Rome's titanic leader and Egypt's young queen . The film relies heavily on their peculiar relationship , as Caesar teaches her how to rule Egypt , the two form a special relationship . As I think the relation between the flirtatious Vivian Leigh still at the height of her beauty and the stately velvet voiced Claude Rains as the most powerful man in the world , managed to make the wordiness agreeable , thoug slow-moving and extremely talking . As Vivien Leigh's interpretation is top notch , likeness to Claude Rains . Both of whom are well assisted by a familar support cast , such as : Stewart Granger , Flora Robson , Francis L. Sullivan , Basil Sydney ,Ernest Thesiger , John Laurie , Felix Aylmer , Anthony Harvey , Cecil Parker , Jane Simmons ,Kay Kendall, some uncredited , among others . Runtime film is overblown , it's a little bit dull but the history aficionados will appeal too much . The dialog , cinematography , and direction combine to cast a potent and charming movie . Imposing sets , lavish costumes , good stars , massive scope , opulent interiors , including great spectacle of crowd scenes well staged . Brilliant costumes and props but the backgrounds were like painted flats ; I suppose that is to be expected with the high lighting requirements of technicolour film. There are also some battle scenes that are breathtaking , including thousands of extras . First range set design , the film is very atmospheric , Roman time is well designed . It contains stunning Technicolor photography by four of the best cameramen in the business : Robert Krasker , Jack Hildyard , Freddie Young , Jack Cardiff , they are the main bonuses to this expensive , leisurely rendition. The motion picture was professionally directed by Gabriel Pascal , but it failed to disguise the ponderous nature of the some tiring recounting and it had a flop at boxoffice . Rating : 6 . Well worth catching.
The actual events are the following ones : It's created the first triumvirate formed by Caesar , Pompeyus and Crasus . Caesar fights Pompeyus who's vanquished in Farsalia . Julius goes to Alejandria , Tolomeo hands over the Pompeyo's head to Caesar who rules over Egypt and gives up the throne to the beautiful and . After that , the out-of-wedlock son of Cleopatra with Caesar is seen to be a threat to his future leadership . Brutus and other Roman legislators scheme the assassination of Caesar . As Julius Caesar is killed by Bruto and Casio . Later on , it happens the second triumvirate : Marc Anthony commands Egypt , Lepido rules Africa and Octavio Augustus governs over Rome and Hispania . Marc Anthony is married to Octavia , Augustus's sister . Then , Marcus Antonius is wedded to Cleopatra , but things don't turn out so well and they are defeated by Octavio Augustus in Actium.
Other films dealing with the infamous Egyptian Queen and her Roman lovers saga are as follows : Silent version ¨Cleopatra¨ with Theda Bara ; ¨Cleopatra¨ by Cecil B De Mille with Claudette Colbert , Warren William and Henry Wilconson ; ¨Cleopatra¨ by Joseph L . Mankiewicz with Elizabeth Taylor , Rex Harrison and Richard Burton and TV adaptation ¨Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra¨ with Richard Johnson and Janet Suzman and TV Mini-Series by Frank Roddan with Leonor Varela , Billy Zane , Timothy Dalton ,Rupert Graves .