Caesar And Cleopatra (1945)

 

Caesar And Cleopatra - 1945

Coming up next we have 1945's "Caesar And Cleopatra", a film that examines the relationship of the famed couple in the days before Mark Antony came on the scene.  Cleopatra is taught how to rule by the mighty Caesar.

The film's cast includes Claude Rains, Vivien Leigh, Stewart Granger, Flora Robson, Francis L. Sullivan, Basil Sydney, Cecil Parker, Leo Genn, and Jean Simmons.

Julius Caesar, the conqueror from Rome, has landed in Egypt and is about to make his entrance into the capital.  The evening before he does so, he visits the Great Sphinx in the desert, marveling at it.

He discovers Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, in hiding at the base of the great statue.  He doesn't tell her who he is, and he becomes both intrigued and enchanted by the youthful queen.

She says such things as "My great-great grandmother’s great grandmother was a black kitten of the sacred white cat.  And my blood is made with Nile water.  That is why my hair is so wavy."  Caesar finds himself quite charmed.

She takes him back to her palace, where he coaches her how to make Caesar like her.  She is very nervous as she waits for the famed conqueror to make his way to the palace.

His soldiers arrive and proclaim "Hail, Caesar".  Cleopatra is stunned.  She smiles warmly at the man she thought would be so terrible.

The first order of business is establishing a suitable monarch on the throne.  Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy are supposed to rule jointly.  However, Caesar finds out pretty quickly that Cleopatra is the stronger character.  She commander her brother to sit on the throne.  Caesar smiles and says, "Go, Ptolemy.  Always take a throne when it's offered you."

Ptolemy's supporters are arrested, and Cleopatra is placed on the throne alone.  Caesar begins to train her how to rule.

Caesar goes on a military campaign and leaves orders that no one is to leave the palace, including Cleopatra.  She is furious.  Along comes Apollodorus, who says, "Centurion, I am Apollodorus, a Sicilian.  My calling is to choose beautiful things for beautiful queens."

Cleopatra uses a one of his carpets to smuggle herself out of the palace to get to Caesar.  Her maidservant is very nervous and cautions Apollodorus to be careful.  "In the name of the gods, Apollodorus, run no risks with that bale!" she warns.  With a grin, he replies, "Fear not, thou venerable grotesque.  I guess its great worth."

Caesar is highly amused when Cleopatra eventually makes it to him, marveling at how she came up with the scheme.

Cleopatra is accused by Pothinus (a supporter of her brother's) of using Caesar to consolidate power and ruling Egypt once he is gone (either by death or by return to Rome).  It's true, and Cleopatra does not want Caesar to learn of this treachery.

Pothinus brings the matter before Caesar.  Cleopatra tells Caesar that it is all untrue.  "It is true.  Though you swore it a thousand times, and believed all you swore," he tells her.  Cleopatra later has Pothinus murdered by her maidservant.

Once Pothinus's death is found out, Cleopatra admits to having him killed.  She tells Caesar that everything Pothinus said about her was really all his plan and he was just trying to get rid of her.

Eventually, Caesar decides to return to Rome, though instead of leaving Cleopatra as viceroy as she had hoped, Caesar leaves his friend Rufio.

Cleopatra arrives to see Caesar off.  She's very upset and in mourning because her maidservant was killed and she holds Caesar responsible.

Caesar cheers her up when he tells her that when he gets to Rome, he will choose a younger man to send back to Egypt in his place.  Cleopatra asks for his name.  Caesar tells her that the man will be Mark Antony.

With Apollodorus to comfort her, Cleopatra and the rest of Egypt bid farewell to the mighty Caesar and await the coming of his successor, Mark Antony.

Cast rundown:

   Claude Rains.................................Julius Caesar

   Vivien Leigh..................................Cleopatra

   Stewart Granger.............................Apollodorus

   Flora Robson..................................Ftatateeta

   Francis L. Sullivan..........................Pothinus

   Basil Sydney..................................Rufio

   Cecil Parker....................................Britannus

   Leo Genn.......................................Bel Affris

   Jean Simmons................................Harpist

And that's it for Caesar And Cleopatra.  At the time of its production, this film was the most expensive film ever made.  To get the right coloration for the sand, director Gabriel Pascal had sand shipped in from the deserts of Egypt.  Tragedy marred the filming, however, when Vivien Leigh (expecting a child with Laurence Olivier) tripped and suffered a miscarriage.  Filming was delayed five weeks as a result.  The incident was said to be the trigger for Leigh's later manic depression and emotional breakdown.

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