Rating: B.....and C-
I've always been a fan of the classics. In my case, it simply means that I've always WANTED to watch them. Unfortunately, never really found the right opportunity to watch them. But after the recent passing of Elizabeth Taylor, I decided that it was high time I watched one of the most expensive movies ever made at the time, and a movie, that for the first time ever, gave an actress $1,000,000 in salary.
Critics have mostly bashed this movie, and quite honestly, I don't blame them. However, regardless of whatever the Academy was smoking, this film WAS nominated for Best Picture for the Oscars. As the trailer points out, Cleopatra is indeed a spectacle to watch. It is lavish and opulent, over the top and stunningly beautiful. It doesn't unfortunately, take away from the fact that this movie is 4, yes count'em.... FOUR HOURS LONG! It was long enough that it actually included an intermission!
Cleopatra is actually 2 movies in one. The first tells the story of Cleopatra's ambitious affair with Julius Caesar, played brilliantly by Rex Harrison.The script was witty, smart, and the movie itself was as ambitious as Cleopatra's plan to rule the world. The second, tells the story of Cleopatra's torrid affair with Marc Antony (Richard Burton). But I felt that this is where the movie ran out of steam. The chemistry between Taylor and Burton was obvious; heck, their affair off the screen (and eventual marriage.....twice...) became as talked about as their affair on screen! Directionless chatter and drivel, coupled with poorly orchestrated battle scenes made the 2nd half of the movie arduous to watch, and tedious to sit through.
While Cleopatra isn't required viewing, Elizabeth Taylor shines and shows why she nearly single handedly changed America's rating system for movies. And I can't see very many movies today that will invest money into such brilliant hubris and opulence.
~Cheers.
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