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Saturday 21 March 2015

Movie Review - "Cleopatra"

Movie Review number 39

PLOT
This epic movie filmed in the 1960s stars Elizabeth Taylor in the lead role of Cleopatra, Rex Harrison as Julius Caesar and Richard Burton as Mark Anthony.  The movie starts with (Rex) Caesar wondering about the power split between Cleopatra and her brother in Alexandria as they were supposed to be running Egypt together.  He takes two legions to Egypt to try and sort things out, and is met by Ptolemy the snotty little boy king kid brother of Cleopatra.  She turns up later, and turns out to be highly ambitious, manipulative and power hungry and she promptly goes about seducing Caesar into the bedroom and into helping her gain control of the whole world.  (being Isis the goddess, of course, she's entitled).  Caesar goes back to Rome and tells the senate (and his wife!) all about her.  Cleopatra gives birth to Caesar's son and a few years later, makes a Big Entrance into Rome...... getting her first sight of Mark Anthony in the process...... and promptly upsets the Romans generally.  She persuades Caesar that being Dictator of Rome isn't enough and that what he (actually she!) REALLY wants is to be Emperor and Master of Rome.  Thing is, when Caesar makes that announcement, plots are made to kill him in the senate building!!!  So - he then gets stabbed to death.
Cleopatra then sails back to Egypt with their son Caesarian to escape any plots against her.  Meanwhile, (Rex) Caesar's cousin Octavius is made Caesar (Roddy) who also turns out to be a snotty little shit, and he sends Mark Anthony over to Egypt to get control of Cleopatra.  Except she wheedles HIM into the bedroom, and Mark decides not to go back to Rome.  At all!!!!  Anyway, he does eventually go back to Rome, only to get married to (Rex) Caesar's sister Octavia and when Cleopatra gets news of this, she goes a bit off the rails!!!!!  Mark Anthony tries to arrange to see Cleopatra again but she's really pissed off with him..... but does sail to Rome only to insist that Mark sees her on the boat instead of her disembarking.  She eventually persuades Mark Anthony to wage war against (Roddy) Caesar which Mark Anthony promptly goes and loses.  Cleopatra then assumes because Mark's ship has sunk, he's dead, and sails back to Egypt...... but Mark is still alive and sees her sailing away!!  So now HE'S pissed off!!!  He goes back to Egypt anyway..... and then they discover that Roddy Caesar is marching on Alexandria to capture both of them to take them back to Rome.  And on the way, he gets hold of son Caesarian and kills him.
Roddy Caesar doesn't get to capture Mark Anthony and Cleopatra alive though.....

RECOMMENDED
Oh yes indeed!  This is a Mega Epic movie!

SCORE
Ten out of ten!!!

SCOOBY SNACKS
Olives, dates and figs

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