Antony and Cleopatra

In Fraser Heston's forward to his father's Anthony And Cleopatra that is on the DVD that I just bought he mentions that his father was ever mindful of the mammoth Elizabeth Taylor film that only came out nine years earlier. He wanted to do something different and in that I felt that Charlton Heston failed.

Not that this is not a good production, it most certainly is, but it did not break any new ground in that regard in the way that Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare films had done. Heston is a stalwart and resolute Mark Antony who for the first time in his pantheon of classical heroes on the screen is really quite the fool, but a fool for love as history has brought Antony down to us.

He terribly underestimates Octavian played by John Castle who is best known as Prince Geoffrey of Anjou in The Lion In Winter. Heston marries Carmen Sevilla as Octavia and Castle thinks him and his following tied to the Caesar family. But Heston has a yen for Hildegarde Neil who is every bit as beguiling and seductive as Elizabeth Taylor or Claudette Colbert ever were as Cleopatra.

The sea battle of Actium is always mentioned by historians as one of the twenty or so decisive battles in world history. What is shown here is that it need not be fought, but Heston spoiling for a fight and eager to dust off this young punk Octavian commits to a sea battle with inexperienced Egyptian sailors. That was his downfall or the beginning thereof.

Speaking of which Actium is a nicely staged sequence and done for less money than you would think. Fraser Heston's narrative tells us how.

Antony And Cleopatra is a fine production, not the best Shakespeare adaption, but still quite good. Look for John Castle as Octavian, he really has the character down perfectly.

After Julius Caesar to be killed by Bruto and Casio , in Roman empire happens the second triumvirate : Marc Anthony (Charlton Heston) commands Egypt , Lepido (Fernando Rey) rules Africa and Octavio Augustus (John Castle) governs over Rome and Hispania . After the death of Julius , Cleopatra (Hildegard Neil , though Irene Papas was runner-up for the role and Heston wanted to cast Diana Rigg, who had co-starred with him in Julius Caesar) queen of Egypt , becomes infatuated with Marcus Antonius . However , Marc Anthony is married to Octavia (Carmen Sevilla) , Augustus's sister . Cleopatra who seduced the conqueror Julius to gain a kingdom , now she pins her hopes on rash Mark Anthony and then he is wedded to Cleopatra , but things don't turn out so well and they are defeated by Octavio Augustus in Actium .

Co-production England/Switzerland/Spain by Rank Organisation and Izaro Films . This is a peculiar symbiosis between theatrical colossal and Peplum . The dialog , cinematography , and direction combine to cast a potent and enjoyable movie . Imposing sets , lavish costumes , good stars , massive scope , opulent interiors , including great spectacle of crowd scenes well staged by Joe Canutt who was Heston's stunt stand-in for Ben-Hur, most notably during the famous chariot race . Runtime is overlong , it's a little bit boring but the history aficionados will appeal too much . This is a special version of the Egyptian temptress's lust for Marco Antonio after Julius Caesar's death and results to be an intermittently extravaganza by Charlton Heston who is a tower of strength , as always . Charlton ¨Chuck¨ seem to be enjoying herself in the lead character in this hokey , spectacular as well as theatrical adaptation based on Shakespeare's play .This marked the third and final time Charlton Heston would play Mark Antony , he did so previously in Julius Caesar and also in Julius Caesar . For a middle budget of three million dollars , Heston asked Metro Goldwyn Mayer footage from ¨Ben Hur¨ , as was added stock-shots of the famous sea battle. Superb British/Spanish support cast such as Eric Porter , Peter Arne , Julian Glover , Douglas Wilmer , Warren Clarke , Freddie Jones as Pompey and Juan Luis Galiardo , Sancho Gracia , Aldo Sambrell and Fernando Rey who was wounded by an armour dressed by Heston . Evocative and sensitive musical score composed by John Scott and performed by London Symphony Orchestra , and musical additional by Augusto Alguero . Colorful and glamorous photography in stunning Technicolor by one of the best Spanish cameraman , Rafael Pacheco . Sumptuous sets and impressive production design by Jose Maria Alarcon and Jose Alguero , and breathtaking battles especially aboard ships and rousing final fight among two armies . It was completely shot in Spain , at Moro , Sevilla Films , Madrid studios , and on location in Aranjuez , Tabernas , Cabo De Gata and Roquetas De Mar (Almeria) . In Cabo De Gata was filmed a naval battle in which took part two ships .

Other films dealing with the infamous Egyptian Queen and her Roman lovers saga are the following : Silent version ¨Cleopatra¨ with Theda Bara ; ¨Caesar and Cleopatra¨ by Gabriel Pascal with Claude Rains , Vivien Leigh and Flora Robson , ¨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 ¨Cleopatra¨ TV series by Frank Roddan with Leonor Varela , Timothy Dalton and Billy Zane .

Heston managed to "open up" the play without losing the intimacy of the love story. The stately epic lives side by side with the intense love story. When the wounded Antony looks up to Cleopatra's tomb and cries "I am dying Egypte, dying!" I got it. The passions of such great leaders shake nations to their core.

This one is about Heston, on the verge of losing his matinée idol status by 1974 but with the acting seasoning of more than two decades. He tackles Shakespeare and brings his own experiences of filming Julius Ceasar, El Cid and Ben Hur to the table.

It is a labour of love indeed, but also one of determination. Bravo! Still waiting for the DVD with plenty of extras. This film deserves to be re-visited by scholars.

Unlike some particularly grating Shakespeare adaptations of recent years, Charlton Heston's overlooked "Antony & Cleopatra" manages to work as cinema and as an adaptation of a work by the world's most famous playwright. The production values-- giant panoramas, expensive battle sequences, glorious period costumes-- are staggering, and Heston comports himself quite well in the triple role of screenwriter/director/actor. Not that I intend to use all my Shakespeare film reviews to bash Kenneth Branagh, but compared to Heston, he's awful, unpalatable in all three capacities. He is that anyway, but even Heston's just-decent acting is well balanced by his expert direction of others. The exception to that is Hildegard Neil, an awful Cleopatra. She has zero dignity in the role, and manages to bear a creepy resemblance to "Rock 'n' Roll High School"'s Principal Togar every now and then. John Castle's performance as Caesar is obviously the best in the film, but still doesn't touch Roddy McDowall's bold, furious, intense Octavian in the Liz Taylor mega-film. Comparisons with that other movie are inevitable, and the winner is hands-down the earlier epic. This version is not very well paced, and, let's face it, it wasn't exactly Will's best dialogue. And Hildegard Neil really drags the movie down a bit, although she's not as bad as everyone says. Visually it's majestic, and that John Scott/Augusto Algero score is certainly pleasing to the ears (though it can't rival Alex North's "Cleopatra"). It's okay, but I can't say I recommend it unless you're on a really serious Shakespeare kick and the only other movies available are Branagh's.

This epic period drama produced in the early-'70s was Charlton Heston's third cinematic performance as Marc Antony a propos of versions of 'Julius Caesar' produced earlier in his career in 1950 and 1970 - the latter starred that great English classical actor Sir John Gielgud as Caesar. Financed by Folio Films, the Rank Organisation, Zurich-based Transac and the Spanish backer Izaro Films and filmed at Madrid's Moro Studios, Alcazaba and Aranjuez plus the deserts of Tabernas in Almeria between June and August 1971 and released in that greyest of hippy years -1972 - this is a very credible, economic production and is full of classical things. I was most impressed by the visual relationships - a vigorous gladiatorial combat scene, the alien pyramids and temples, lavish costumes, interesting props that include a huge marble head of Apollo and statues of Venus, glittery bronze door panels, an ebony throne, high-stepping feather-plumed plumed Roman horses etc plus a lush romantic light classical score composed by John Scott. The abundant Spanish sun is astonishing and the camera records the zeitgeist and passage of time in the summer and autumn of 1971 so well. Heston's grandiloquent performance in some scenes can be compared to the flair of those other important American stars - Marlon Brando and Kirk Douglas in two adventure films: ''Burn!'' (1968-1970) and ''The Light at the Edge of the World'' (1971) respectively, also produced at the end of the '60s/beginning of the '70s. In the aftermath of the Battle of Actium, Heston with his hawk-like profile seems strangely self-willed - sporting an auburn caesar cut and black cape he bestrides the Mediterranean surf like a colossus - he shows an astonishing sense of projection. Antony's death scene - when he is stabbed by his servant features a strange Spanish night-time setting - the subdued light is very evocative while the funeral scene features a monumental square grey-blue slab and other interesting classical world props. The English actors - the young blond John Castle as Octavian and thin, greyhaired and dark-eyed Eric Porter as Enobarbus are very good. Charlton Heston's 16-year-old son Fraser was involved on the set and in an interview from 2009 featured on the retail DVD he remarks that his father was inspired by the 'mystique' of Spain. Hildegard Neil who plays Cleopatra is married in real life to Yorkshireman Brian Blessed who played Augustus in the B. B. C. Period drama series ''I, Claudius'' (1976). For me, this is Chuck's second most interesting performance after his epic role in Peckinpah's ''Major Dundee'' ('64-65) which was filmed in Mexico.