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Cleopatra on DVD (1963)

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Average rating: 72%
1212412820215
3.5
from 221 members
 
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Pamela Brown, Richard O'Sullivan, George Cole, Andrew Keir, Martin Landau
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Studio: 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 248 mins
Certificate: PG
User collections: Best Films over 3 hours, Sing in me, O Klio...
Genres: Drama
Languages: English
Hearing-impaired: English
Subtitles: Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish
Released: 15/04/2002

Brief synopsis of Cleopatra

This epic, spectacular love story of Egyptian queen Cleopatra and the Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Marc Antony has dazzled audiences with its elaborate sets, daring costumes, and thrilling sea battle since its release, but these can't compare with Elizabeth Taylor as the mesmerizing Cleopatra, struggling to save her Egyptian empire. When this film was released, it was known as much for its opulent filmmaking as it was for its huge budget overruns--it took two years to film because of Taylor's various ailments and a major script rewrite by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, moving the shooting studio from England to Italy, and replacing the original director and the actors to play the Roman leaders--as well as the very public and tempestuous offscreen affair between costars Taylor and Richard Burton, who duplicated their romance on the silver screen as the doomed Cleopatra and her true love, Marc Antony. Despite all the hubbub surrounding the film, audiences realised that its spectacular story could not be denied, and it has remained a classic ever since. The triple-star power of Taylor, Burton, and Rex Harrison (playing Julius Caesar) radiates throughout this lengthy production, and Mankiewicz, a consummate magician at depicting the shadings of human emotion, directed this threesome in one of the most famous and gloriously powerful love triangles ever to be captured on film.

All DVDs in this series

Cleopatra - Disc 1
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Cleopatra - Disc 2
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Cleopatra - Disc 3
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Related

Critics Reviews

Time Out

A mess, as you might expect from the disastrous series of stoppages and personnel changes that dogged production.... Read more on www.timeout.com

Halliwell's Film Guide

The most expensive film made up to that date, for various reasons which do not appear on the screen.

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 0 starswhat is it with u

A customer from ENGLAND , 11/08/2007

WHERE THE F...K IS THE OTHER DISCK TO COMPLETE THE FILM

TWO WEEKS I HAVE BEEN WAITING U PEOPLE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT DISC 1 AND 2 R ONE FILM I WONT BOTHER WATCHING IT NOW ITS A WAIST OF TIME WITH U LOT

BONUS DISK SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH THE FEATURE AS WELL .

CON ARTIST

  8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsspectacular!

A customer from Southampton, England , 19/12/2006

Yes this film is 4 hours and 20 mins long but what a film! its important to remember that this was made pre-everything CGI so you can really appreciate the time and money that must have gone into making such elaborate costumes, ships and sets indeed apparently the most expensive movie ever made and i can fully understand why. the scene that did it for me without giving anything away is Cleopatra's entrance into rome in front of ceaser and his generals, seriously i have never seen anything so glorious in my life its a wish-i-was-there moment. as for the acting liz taylor is a legend all by herself right up until her last line. richard burton though i thought was a bit of a miscast because he isnt serious enough but such a tiny flaw in such an awesome film really doesnt matter. the story itself is very strong and well told, its alot like romeo and juliet but much more extravagant and emotional not forgetting its based on a true story involving more than two huge historically important characters. so if you only ever see one epic film in your life its got to be this one, you wont be disappointed.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsDEfinitely EPIC in length!

A customer from Surrey , 15/02/2005

OK - so I heard that Cleopatra was a work of art, a pure epic and so I thought as a true lover of film I just had to see this supposed masterpiece.

I do now see why they say its a masterpiece because in appearance it is truly staggering and awe inspiring but content wise it just didn't change my world as i'd hoped.

There were moments of interest but in true old fashioned movie style it just seemed to go on forever, sometimes with not a lot of much interest going on.

All in all i'd recommend it purely for its overall look, oh and i quite liked the ending too.

Not much else to say really.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsA classic must see

A customer from Liverpool England , 24/11/2005

forget epic like gladiator this is the epic of all epic films,you have romance, treachory,war and tears.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 5 starsEpic!!!

A customer from Newcastle, England , 07/11/2006

This was stunning for the time and still holds up now. Visualy, and dramaticaly. Burton and Taylor always made for great on screen chemistry, and the love affair between Mark Anthony and the most infamous Queen of all time, morrors the tempestuous off screen romace kindled during this production.

some people may be put off by the length of the film (its about 3 1/2 - 4 hours long) but the cinimatography is so good there will never be a moment with out something to catch and hold your attention. Beautiful!

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsDEfinitely EPIC in length!

A customer from Surrey , 15/02/2005

OK - so I heard that Cleopatra was a work of art, a pure epic and so I thought as a true lover of film I just had to see this supposed masterpiece.

I do now see why they say its a masterpiece because in appearance it is truly staggering and awe inspiring but content wise it just didn't change my world as i'd hoped.

There were moments of interest but in true old fashioned movie style it just seemed to go on forever, sometimes with not a lot of much interest going on.

All in all i'd recommend it purely for its overall look, oh and i quite liked the ending too.

Not much else to say really.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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