Cleopatra

I have been very fond of this movie for years, particularly as compared with Fox's bloated monstrosity of 1963. Colbert is admittedly somewhat miscast (her face is altogether Parisienne), but she handles the part with considerable charm. Warren William, usually a very limited actor, is as good a Caesar as I have seen on film, commanding and uncomfortable by turns; while Henry Wilcoxon is the definitive Mark Antony, laughing, brawling, swaggering, crude and brooding. C. Aubrey Smith as Enobarbus, the last of the hardcore Roman republicans, is perfect. Victor Milner's cinematography is superb, if old-fashioned. There is one magnificent pullback shot aboard Cleopatra's barge, with more and more stuff entering the frame, which as pure cinema is worth more than all four hours of the Liz Taylor version for my money. Shakespeare and Shaw have both been drawn upon here and there, and the movie has generally good (and fun) dialogue, not always one of DeMille's strengths. Consider also the scene of Cleopatra's entrance into Rome: contrary to DeMille's usual reputation, this scene is underplayed, depicting a plausible parade through a very real Roman street with authentic trappings, compared to the outrageously bogus and overblown spectacle given us in 1963. A word is also in order for the music of Rudolph Kopp, an extremely obscure Hollywood composer, who turns in an atmospheric score redolant of the old silent movies. This style is easy to make fun of, but see how effective it is in the highly theatrical opening credits! DeMille used silent film technique well into the talkie era, particularly in crowd scenes, and it still works. The battle scenes are the weakest point, since evidently Paramount ran out of cash and C.B. had to make do with a bunch of short shots put together with Russian cutting; nevertheless, this is still as good a picture on the subject as has yet been made, a bit of extravagant old Hollywood at its most polished.

Spectacular DeMille hokum that, like most of his work, is hard to dislike despite its flaws. Say what you will about Cecil B. DeMille but he knew how to put on a show. The sets, costumes, and pageantry are excellent. The actors are all very enjoyable even if they ham it up some. Claudette Colbert is sexy and a treat to watch. Warren William's Julius Caesar seems like he would be more at home shooting craps or hustling pool than ruling Rome. Henry Wilcoxon is quite good as Marc Antony. The rest of the cast is solid, as DeMille supporting casts usually were. I have no sympathy for history buffs who gripe about this movie's failure to adhere to historical accuracy. If you watched a movie, especially a C.B. DeMille movie, looking for a history lesson then the fault is on you and not him. It's a fun piece of escapism loosely based on real people and events. Lighten up and enjoy the movie.

Am also an admirer of many epics, especially medieval and biblical ones. The Antony and Cleopatra story is a timeless one, with Shakespeare's play having so many memorable quotes that stick in the mind for a long time. The cast is a talented one, with many giving fine performances elsewhere. Cecil DeMille was one of the kings when it came to epics lavish in spectacle, one of the finest examples being the wonderful 'The Ten Commandments'.

So 1934's 'Cleopatra' was seen with mixed expectations, am saying mixed because another epic re-telling of the 'Antony and Cleopatra' story was released in 1963 with a great cast (on paper) but to very overblown and heavily flawed effect. After watching it, 'Cleopatra' was a little better than expected as it was above mixed feelings at least. It is more romantic comedy and soap opera with a love triangle set in biblical times with the bare bones of the story rather than the real thing or being accurate, but it is a visually grand affair and is enjoyable as long as one doesn't expect a massive amount. Between this and the 1963 film, this to me is better by quite some way. Didn't care for that film very much, moderately liked this.

'Cleopatra' does have things that are easy to criticise certainly. Really didn't think much of Henry Wilcoxen as Antony personally, a character that should be conflicted and authoritative but Wilcoxen came over as too dull and bumbling (even Antony in the 1963 film wasn't this much of a lummox). Didn't always detect much passion between him and Claudette Colbert.

It is easy to understand why some criticise the dialogue too, it's better than that in the 1953 film but can be too heavy on the camp that it becomes very hammy and any laughter is not always intentional. And also the pacing, which is leaden in spots due to a few scenes going on for too long. As captivating as the scene on the barge is in visuals and staging it kind of goes on forever.

There are a lot of virtues however in 'Cleopatra'. The best aspects being the production values and Colbert. The way the film looks and its spectacle is the very meaning of lavish and grand. It looks expensive without being over-produced, it is not hard to see why the cinematography won an Oscar and the sets are a jaw-dropping feast. The costumes are of pure splendour, Colbert looks stunning in her garb. She sizzles in her acting too, in sensuality, shrewdness and wit. Of the two male leads, Warren William fares a lot better. Very theatrical (not unheard of for Caesar though) but he engages with the drama very well and at least seems to know how to approach his role, his chemistry with Colbert is more passionate too. Unrecognisable C. Aubrey Smith brings the conflicted edge, nuance and nobility to Enorbarbus that Wilcoxen's Antony should have had.

DeMille is very at home in the more spectacle-heavy moments without making them too overblown or stuffy. The music has the rousing splendour that fits the story well and adds to it. The dialogue is far from perfect but generally entertains and brought a few smiles to my face. There are memorable moments visually and how they're staged, those miniatures still look impressive. The story doesn't get too into overwrought soap opera territory and even if there is not much meat to the material it doesn't bore.

Overall, above average and a little better than expected but didn't wow me. 6.5/10

This movie is a typical DeMille PRODUCTION, with all the strengths-gorgeous sets, costumes and a sort of grandeur to all the proceedings-as well as the weaknesses-the lavishness often comes at the expense of things like the story, acting and plot. There's no question that it's beautiful (although, interestingly enough, none of it's five nominations for Academy Awards was for Interior Decoration.) Claudette Colbert does a wnderful job, but most of the other peformances are only average at best. 1934 was a particularly good year for Colbert, who won an Academy Award for It Happened One Night and starred in at least two other major productions that year-Imitation of Life and this movie. The picture feels a bit dated, but, while far from perfect, I think it superior to the 1963 remake in a great many respects and it's well worth watching.

One never thinks of Claudette Colbert as a sex symbol but she puts that to rest with her great interpretation of Cleopatra. What a siren she is as she vamps her way through this film. Henry Wilcoxon, truly an overlooked actor, is a perfect Antony. I have often wondered why he never made a bigger splash. I'm not as taken with Warren William as Caesar; he seems more at home in films with contemporary settings. The barge scene, with the ever increasing beat of the drums,implying what is happening or about to happen, is full of passion. More obvious scenes in modern movies leave nothing to the imagination....this leaves most of it to the imagination and is, therefore, much more effective. A highly recommended film.