If there was anything at all to sum up what I thought of Cleopatra(1963) it would be a very mixed bag, it's not as bad as has been cited to be but it is easy to see why it bombed. There are definitely things to like about Cleopatra, for one thing with the vivid colours, the amount of authenticity in the costumes and sets and the lavish cinematography it really is a feast for the eyes, one of the better-looking films of the 60s. Alex North's score is a very hypnotic and memorable one, adding hugely to what's happening, with parts where it really rouses the spirit and others where it is appropriately melancholic. There are some good performances in the cast too, though it is a case of the supporting actors being better than the leads. Particularly good is Rex Harrison, if anything it's actually a brilliant performance, he has rarely been more restrained than here as Caesar and it is very moving. Caesar was the film's most sympathetic and relatable character and you do feel genuinely sad at his demise. Roddy MacDowell is a close runner up, he is very chilling and looks as though he is really enjoying himself. And the film is not without effective scenes, because Cleopatra's entrance is suitably sultry and the ending is somewhat emotional, in fact the film does start off quite well and the supporting performances have a lot to do with it.
However, the two leads don't fare so well. Richard Burton does have his moments, he is enigmatic and at least seems to understand and connect with what was given to him, but he can be wooden too and chews the scenery too much(the overly melodramatic second half doesn't help though). Even more problematic is Elizabeth Taylor, she has done a lot of great stuff but this really is not one of her finest hours. She's beautiful and sexy but her performance does come across as shrill and like a spoilt rich girl. Burton and Taylor's chemistry has mixed results, in the first half it has moments where it resonates but like the drama it is often cold. The story is a huge problem too, as a matter of fact if there was a component that could be seen as the biggest flaw it would be the story. Much of it is dragged out and overstuffed, and while the story of Antony and Cleopatra is an epic one it doesn't feel like that here. That it has a much-too-overlong length that due to the very pedestrian pacing feels like it is a big part as to why. Cleopatra is directed in a very stagy and emotionally cold way (hard to believe that it was the same director who directed All About Eve, one of the best films ever made in my opinion), and although the cast is a large one a lot of roles are far too come-and-go and blink-and-you-miss-them walk-ons quality. And there is no better news about the script, which has far too much talk, can sound very awkward and is very skim-the-surface feeling. It takes a very melodramatic turn in the second half and it is incredibly ham-fisted. Summing up, a difficult film to rate, has some obvious good things but is hugely problematic too, at least to me. 5/10 Bethany Cox
However, the two leads don't fare so well. Richard Burton does have his moments, he is enigmatic and at least seems to understand and connect with what was given to him, but he can be wooden too and chews the scenery too much(the overly melodramatic second half doesn't help though). Even more problematic is Elizabeth Taylor, she has done a lot of great stuff but this really is not one of her finest hours. She's beautiful and sexy but her performance does come across as shrill and like a spoilt rich girl. Burton and Taylor's chemistry has mixed results, in the first half it has moments where it resonates but like the drama it is often cold. The story is a huge problem too, as a matter of fact if there was a component that could be seen as the biggest flaw it would be the story. Much of it is dragged out and overstuffed, and while the story of Antony and Cleopatra is an epic one it doesn't feel like that here. That it has a much-too-overlong length that due to the very pedestrian pacing feels like it is a big part as to why. Cleopatra is directed in a very stagy and emotionally cold way (hard to believe that it was the same director who directed All About Eve, one of the best films ever made in my opinion), and although the cast is a large one a lot of roles are far too come-and-go and blink-and-you-miss-them walk-ons quality. And there is no better news about the script, which has far too much talk, can sound very awkward and is very skim-the-surface feeling. It takes a very melodramatic turn in the second half and it is incredibly ham-fisted. Summing up, a difficult film to rate, has some obvious good things but is hugely problematic too, at least to me. 5/10 Bethany Cox