Well that was.. long.

For all it’s grand sets and lavish costumes, there is so much sitting and talking. The direction in these scenes is incredibly mundane, possibly due to the 70mm camera being difficult to maneuver. Every scene, Taylor is wearing a different outfit, and the scene takes place in a new expensive room, but it lacks the grandeur or sense of scale a director like Lean adds.

I’m disliking Rex Harrison more and more. He is very miscast here, and just seems like an ass. Richard Burton on the other hand commands the screen and predictably has much more chemistry with Taylor, who wasn’t as electric as I’d expected.

It reminded me a lot of Hells Angels, in that it has some spectacular scenes, but the finished product isn’t nearly as interesting as the behind the scenes drama.

Well that was.. long.

For all it’s grand sets and lavish costumes, there is so much sitting and talking. The direction in these scenes is incredibly mundane, possibly due to the 70mm camera being difficult to maneuver. Every scene, Taylor is wearing a different outfit, and the scene takes place in a new expensive room, but it lacks the grandeur or sense of scale a director like Lean adds.

I’m disliking Rex Harrison more and more. He is very miscast here, and just seems like an ass. Richard Burton on the other hand commands the screen and predictably has much more chemistry with Taylor, who wasn’t as electric as I’d expected.

It reminded me a lot of Hells Angels, in that it has some spectacular scenes, but the finished product isn’t nearly as interesting as the behind the scenes drama.

Walk them like a dog

Walk them like a dog

is this the best dressed character put to screen?

is this the best dressed character put to screen?

One of the most epic and most complete pieces of cinema that the world's ever seen. Such an impeccable perfomance by Elizabeth Taylor and really a masterful work by the director.

One of the most epic and most complete pieces of cinema that the world's ever seen. Such an impeccable perfomance by Elizabeth Taylor and really a masterful work by the director.

A display of ancient opulence in a film whose production design still amazes six decades later.

Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor) tells the story of the famous queen, her infatuation with Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison), and her entanglement with Mark Antony (Richard Burton).

The four-hour epic dazzles you with its spectacle. There are larger-than-life sets of ancient Egypt and Rome, decked in so much gold and marble that one could hope to buy. It’s a great display of the wealth and power these figures possessed.

Taylor’s performance captures the audience's attention as well; she looks like someone who is in complete control. Taylor’s blue eyeshadow has become iconic. It's a simple detail but it becomes such a big part of identity that you can't imagine her without it. 

The script deserves a lot of credit as well. It's a four-hour film with a story that's very complicated and yet they tell a lot within these four hours without wasting a single minute. Honestly, it doesn't even feel that long.

A display of ancient opulence in a film whose production design still amazes six decades later.

Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor) tells the story of the famous queen, her infatuation with Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison), and her entanglement with Mark Antony (Richard Burton).

The four-hour epic dazzles you with its spectacle. There are larger-than-life sets of ancient Egypt and Rome, decked in so much gold and marble that one could hope to buy. It’s a great display of the wealth and power these figures possessed.

Taylor’s performance captures the audience's attention as well; she looks like someone who is in complete control. Taylor’s blue eyeshadow has become iconic. It's a simple detail but it becomes such a big part of identity that you can't imagine her without it. 

The script deserves a lot of credit as well. It's a four-hour film with a story that's very complicated and yet they tell a lot within these four hours without wasting a single minute. Honestly, it doesn't even feel that long.