Cleopatra

'Cleopatra' is certainly one of the most spectacular and epic films ever made. It is a kind of "swan song" of Hollywood's Golden Age, when the big and powerful studios invested fortunes to produce grandiose features. In fact, one can say that Joseph L. Mankiewicz's production (of 'All About Eve' and also brother of Herman J. Mankiewicz, portrayed in the film 'Mank') is megalomaniacal, even: with more than 4 hours of duration, it had an astronomical budget of US$ 31.1 million (US$ 278.8 million in current values, a fortune) and almost brought 20th Century Fox to bankruptcy. All to reproduce with great pomp and glamour the Egypt of Cleopatra VII, including the tumultuous relationship with the Roman Empire and with the generals Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. This is the most memorable performance of Elizabeth Taylor, who plays the title character. The current look, of course, will find problems in the "whitewashing" of the Egyptian queen, while the slower pace, the dragged script and the pompous speeches may sound tedious for the new generations. Now, if you overcome this and understand the socio-cultural context of the production, you will find a spectacular photography, a beautiful art direction, a classic direction of Mankiewicz and the portrait of a cinema that no longer exists, but which has an important place in the history of the seventh art. If after all this you want even more, the tip is to watch 'Julius Caesar', also by Herman J. Mankiewicz, based on William Shakespeare's play.

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