Do you want to see ‘Cleopatra’?

Cleopatra (1963)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 5.4/10
Reviews Counted: 21
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 13

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2

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Movie Info

In 1963, this colossal and opulent $60 million spectacular was epic in every sense of the word -- an epic investment, an epic in the annals of Hollywood gossip, and, ultimately, an epic flop that nearly dragged 20th Century Fox down the Nile along with Cleopatra's barge. Handsomely mounted by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who replaced Rouben Mamoulian as director after six days of shooting), the drama follows the eighteen tumultuous years that led to the founding of the Roman Empire. Cleopatra

G, 4 hr. 6 min.

Drama, Classics

Directed By: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Written By: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Ranald MacDougall, Sidney Buchman

In Theaters: Jun 12, 1963 Wide

On DVD: Apr 3, 2001

20th Century Fox

Cleopatra Trailer & Photos

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor
Cleopatra
Richard Burton
Marc Antony
Rex Harrison
Julius Caesar
Roddy McDowall
Octavian
Pamela Brown
High Priestess
Martin Landau
Rufio
George Cole
Flavius
Hume Cronyn
Sosigenes
Kenneth Haigh
Brutus
Andrew Keir
Agrippa
Robert Stephens
Germanicus
Francesca Annis
Eiras
Gr�goire Aslan
Pothinos
Martin Benson
Ramos
Herbert Berghof
Theodotus
Jacqui Chan
Lotos
Isabelle Cooley
Charmian
John Doucette
Achillas
Andrew Faulds
Canidius
Michael Gwynn
Cimber
John Hoyt
Cassius
Marne Maitland
Euphranor
Carroll O'Connor
Casca
Richard O'Sullivan
Ptolemy
Gwen Watford
Calpurnia
Douglas Wilmer
Decimus
Marina Berti
Queen at Tarsus
John Karlsen
High priest
Loris Loddi
Caesarion at age four
Jean Marsh
Octavia
Gin Mart
Marcellus
Furio Meniconi
Mithridates
Kenneth Nash
Caesarion at age twelve
Del Russell
Caesarion at age seven
John Valva
Valvus
John Cairney
Phoebus
Finlay Currie
Titus
Cesare Danova
Apollodorus
Marie Devereaux
Peter Forster
2nd Officer
Michael Hordern
Cicero
Jeremy Kemp
Laurence Naismith
Archesilaus
John Alderton
1st Officer
Michele Bally

Critic Reviews for Cleopatra

All Critics (21) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (16) | DVD (27)

Sad to say, however, the deep-revolving, witty Mankiewicz fails most where most he hoped to succeed. As drama and as cinema, Cleopatra is raddled with flaws. It lacks style both in image and in action.

March 23, 2011 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine

| Comment

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

[A] general muddle.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Cleopatra is not only a supercolossal eye-filler (the unprecedented budget shows in the physical opulence throughout), but it is also a remarkably literate cinematic recreation of an historic epoch.

September 5, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

It is a surpassing entertainment, one of the great epic films of our day.

May 9, 2005 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Top Critic

Much maligned for various reasons, this Cleopatra may be the most expensive movie ever made, but certainly not the worst, just a verbose, muddled affair that is not even entertaining as a star vehicle for Taylor and Burton.

March 19, 2009 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

For four hours this moody, glossy pantomime leadenly plods on, saying much more about the hubris and excess of old-time Hollywood thinking than the burnished glories of an ancient world.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine

| Comment

Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

A giant of a movie that is sometimes lumbering, but ever watchable thanks to its uninhibited ambition, size and glamour.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Billy Mowbray

Film4

This is not a film -- it's a deal, decorated with extensive publicity, but weighed down by listless direction and lots of nasal talk, talk, talk.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Harrison, doing his waspish don act as Caesar, alone rises above mediocrity.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Taylor, Burton, and Harrison are sublime in this sweeping epic of love and nations.

March 10, 2003 Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle

| Comment

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

The movie is also dotted with some battle sequences of nearly epic proportions, but they can't make up for Cleopatra's shortcomings in plot and acting.

January 20, 2003 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

| Comment

Mike DeWolfe

Apollo Guide

Better than I thought it would be.

August 9, 2002 Comment

Staci Layne Wilson

Fantastica Daily

opulent and empty, it dares you not to take a nap

July 29, 2002 Comment

James Sanford

Kalamazoo Gazette

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Cleopatra

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Strange now as the film was eclipsed by the love affair it started, so that one now views: 1) the story of Antony and Cleopatra, a real life tragedy for the ages, 2) the Hollywood film to that effect, a tragedy all by itself, and then 3), the two souls playing the leads, Taylor and Burton, who would go on to nearly

June 8, 2011

moon rivers

Super Reviewer

Oh wow, this movie was really, really long. About 4+ hours long. But the costumes were beautiful, Elizabeth was beautiful and the story was very romantic, in a let me gain power kind of way and a bit Romeo and Juliet. Rex Harrison is just too English, I love him, but he did not make a good Caesar. Everyone should see this classic.. at least once.

May 13, 2011

Alexis Nomm

Super Reviewer

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Latest News for Cleopatra

November 16, 2011:

David Fincher and Eric Roth May Reunite for Angelina Jolie's Cleopatra
Roth is reportedly in early discussions to write a new draft of the script; Fincher is reportedly...