Customer Reviews

Caesar and Cleopatra (1946, Vivien Leigh) [ Import, ALL Regions]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I own this on Beta and just saw the last half again on Satellite. I was greatly disappointed to find it is not available on DVD. Perhaps the poor reviews you have for it have not helped. This is a great play and movie. All the stars give great performances. Claude Rains is Ceasar as I want him to be -and believe he was. I love the bits of wisdom that GBS sprinkles throughout the script, e.g.,"There's a Roman who knows how to make men love him!" Vivien Leigh is a believable princess of Egypt. Rufio, the ideal Right-Hand Man. Pftatateeta, the perfect chief handmaiden for Cleo. Apollodorus and the British Slave both perfect in their roles. This is one of the small number of films I can see over and over and still enjoy, even though, or perhaps because, every line of dialog is familiar.

It's our amazing good fortune to have this document of one of George Bernard Shaw's greatest plays, filmed during his lifetime so that he could author the screenplay as he wrote the original stage work. It is a monument to the magnificence, not only of Shaw, but of Caesar. It is also a monument to Shaw's brilliant playcraft, clever plotting, and canny application of humor. It goes without saying that Shaw was brilliant, since of course he was a socialist.

We have seen this story before, though differently told, when the wonderful Rex Harrison played Caesar to the talented Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra. (Both of these names should be written with a K, since that is how they were both actually pronounced.) It is an absolute truth about that later film that only the first half is much worth watching, since Richard Burton in the second half plays a lovesick puppy so well it's thoroughly disgusting. GBS avoids that pitfall by giving us a great Caesar and a delightful Cleopatra, and fabulous stars to play them.

Shaw's play tells the story of Caesar's occupation of Alexandria after his final defeat of Pompey, and his defense of his position against perfidious Egyptians and renegade Romans in the service of Ptolemy XIV, Cleopatra's prepubescent brother and husband. The text is a creation of the utmost cunning: nothing less than a successful imitation of Shakespeare (though mostly in a more modern idiom). Few writers other than Shaw would have attempted this feat, and fewer still would have been successful at it.

Mentioning Ptolemy XIV, I should mention his (and Cleo's) brother, Ptolemy XIII. They were both married to Cleopatra and each of them was pounding on her bedroom door by the time he was 10. The film, alas, forgets the last Ptolemy, the XVth, called Caesarion, Caesar's son by Cleopatra. It was his official acknowledgement of this son that caused him so much trouble back home.

The essence of Shaw is of course his wit. Hardly a play of his is as witty as this one. The film is 2 hours long and seems scarcely an hour, so packed is it with sparkling dialogue.

To portray this great literary work, the producers have assembled a gallery of some of the greatest actors of the time. Caesar is played by the hugely talented Claude Rains whose portrayals of iconic roles have made him one of the greatest actors of the last century. He gives the immortal Julius such sangfroid and cool calculation as to make us instantly believe his greatness as a general and statesman.

Cleopatra is portrayed by the great Vivien Leigh, who graced and enhanced every part she took. Her beauty is in fact far, far greater than the legendary queen's (we have pictures). There is a rumor that Cleopatra was African (black) by descent - which, while not a big deal, is a lie. We know each and every one of her ancestors since before the time of Alexander the Great, and they are all Greek (and mostly closely related). Shaw also cleverly switches the story of the rug from her first meeting with Caesar to ruse to smuggle her into Caesar's emergency redoubt at the Pharos (the Alexandria lighthouse).

Apollodoros (misspelt with a "u" before the "s"), the Greek jack of all trades, arts, and talents, is played with huge humor by the inimitable Stewart Granger. Granger's acting talents gave both of the Fairbanks a run for their money. Cleopatra's nurse and chief bottle washer, Ftatateeta, is portrayed by the wonderful Flora Robson. For this part her skin is stained dusky and she's given an Egyptian-style fright wig ... and is absolutely convincing. When she's on camera, she manages to upstage even the riveting Rains.

The roll of talented veteran actors continues. As Pothinos (misspelt with a "us"), Ptolemy's puppet master and master of all nasty diplomatic maneuvers, we have Francis L. Sullivan. It was Pothinos' idea to knock off Pompey in the hope of sucking up to Caesar. No such luck, of course, because Caesar greatly admired and liked Pompey despite the fact that they had recently become enemies. Sullivan portrays Pothinos with delightful wiliness and sliminess. *** As the loyal Rufio, "Caesar's shield", we have a steadfast Basil Sydney. Rufio eventually becomes Roman "governor" of Egypt, although that country was then still technically independent and didn't have a governor. Rufio's part is given a good shot of good-humored testosterone and Sydney gives it great stature. *** The talented veteran Cecil Parker gives us Caesar's faithful British amanuensis, Britannus. His physical stature and Druidic appearance make him very convincing as a 1st-Century BCE British warrior-poet. *** And so on. Every part in this film is well-played by people who know what they're doing.

The DVD itself was manufactured in Korea. Don't expect a lot. This Technicolor film has a washed-out look ... although the colors are usually clear if not vividly bright. The sound is good (but could be better) and as we might expect from actors of stage quality, the dialogue is clear. There are, in addition, English subtitles. There are no extra features, but with older films we seldom get them. Some people might take points off for substandard color and sound. So do I. I give extra stars for Shaw's genius and take them off for an inferior recording of the original film. That leaves the correct total: the maximum.

It's sad that shallow people with no appreciation of theater or great playwriting should inflict low-star ratings on this immortal film. It's an insult to the greatest English playwright since Shakespeare.

This is one of the best movies that I've ever seen! George Bernard Shaw has written a play just as good as anything that Shakespeare could have penned. The cast was perfect, and the direction was on point!
Even the costumes and set designs were incredible. Add this to your movie collection!
Just one note: maybe Cleopatra was not African (black) as stated in an earlier review, but I do believe that
simply stating this rumor as an untruth would have been sufficient. Calling this untruth a "lie" was a bit strong!
However, I notice that whenever Africa is mentioned in even the slightest way people have a tendency to lose their minds a bit. We need to get over this visceral attitude!

Thank You.

Yes, those that complain that this 1946 film version of Shaw's famous play of the same name is mainly 'stage-bound' and the acting often seems 'stilted'-- well, sigh, they surely have a point.

Bernard Shaw himself (he did not die until the 1950s) is credited with the screenplay, which may have something to do with the criticisms. Shaw is very talky and hard to 'transfer' to motion picture standards of verisimulitude, but this movie has a beautiful, delightful Vivien Leigh, the incomparable Claude Rains, the beautifully dashing Stewart Granger, plus 'old friends' of the classic British cinema such as Flora Robson, Felix Aylmer, Basil Sidney, Stanley Holloway, Leo Genn, Francis L. Sullivan -- all who appeared in wonderful films like Laurence Olivier's 'Hamlet', David Lean's 'Great Expectations' and many other intelligent pictures of that pre- and post-war (WWII, that is) period. (There is even a very very young, but very lovely as always, Jean Simmons as a slave of Cleopatra who plays the harp.)

The picture attempts an 'epic' look, with battles yet noted I'm afraid by unconvincing stunt work and 'casts of thousands' sort of milling about -- and Cecil B. De Mille does this so much better than Gabriel Pascal, the director of 'Caesar and Cleopatra'. But I myself admit I love the Shavian ambience -- the intellectual activist actually attractive (in Shaw's plays at least!) to the winsome young woman; ... friendship, discussion and respect; thought as more important than 'action-adventure'.

If Shaw's plays do seem too dated to you and they generally bore you, yes, stay far away from this film! But if you brighten when 'entertainment' is also provocative to the intellect and not only to the eye (and other sense organs) -- and particularly if you have great affection for the era of British cinema dominated by Olivier, David Lean, and the early Tony Richardson and featuring so many familiar and adept character actors that fill the firmament with 'supporting' stars, you will like the movie, and ignoring its quite obvious flaws, enjoy every minute: I guarantee it!...

When the company that makes these can't even spell the names of the stars right on the jacket, you get a queasy feeling that maybe you wasted your money - again. Fear Not! The disc itself plays well. I thought the colors were perhaps a bit over saturated, but that could have been the settings on my new TV. This is to me one of the great movies of all time and I have been trying to get a DVD of it for years. Finally I am satisfied. Caesar is the way I want him to be and think he was. All the rest are also dead on - even kittenish Cleo. Thanks again, Mr. Shaw. A great play and a great movie. (only 4 stars is for the idiot who couldn't watch the film to get the star's name right).

This movie is pretty cool but Vivien makes it marvelous! Hey DVD people! Why does this movie get released on DVD for the UK and not the USA? I would like this movie for my DVD collection!

This is a fine rendition of the delightful Shaw play. A little rough around the edges when it comes to the supporting cast, but very enjoyable. Shaw's Caesar is a man of self-doubt and good humor, a vivid counterpoint to the haughty, aristocratic Caesar of Shakespeare.

In 1945, Gabriel Pascal produced and directed the filmversion of George Bernard Shaw`s CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA, his witty and wordy play. The casting of VIVIEN LEIGH was a successful one, although critics dissected both her and the film with the writer`s approval(Shaw to Pascal: "She`s all wrong. Must I drill her in diction?") Vivien suffered a miscarriage after falling beating the slave and suffered from her first attacks of manic depressions. Tubercoloses was shortly afterwards also diagnosed. However; the production was Britain`s most expensive failure, as Taylor`s CLEOPATRA in 63 - the Worlds greatest financial failure for 20th Century-Fox. VIVIEN LEIGH is at her best playing a kittenish girl who must transform into a reigning queen. Naturally, Leigh does it with great style. Look for Vivien`s look-alike Jean Simmons playing the harp in Vivien`s confrontation scene with her women slaves. No wonder Olivier chose Simmons for his Ophelia i Hamlet 1948. Roger Moore is holding a spear somewhere and Kay Kendall one of the slaves. See my MORE ABOUT ME page about my thoughts of VIVIEN LEIGH

"Caesar and Cleopatra" is based on a play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1898. Shaw (1856-1950) was one of the greatest playwrights of all time, and the only person to ever win a Nobel Prize (1925) for Literature and an Oscar (1938). His plays include "Candida" (1894), "The Devil's Disciple" (1897), "Man and Superman" (1903), "Don Juan in Hell" (1903), "Androcles and the Lion" (1912), "Pygmalion" (1912), and "Saint Joan" (1923).

The play's U.S. premiere was in 1925 and starred Lionel Atwill and Helen Hayes. This 1945 film was the first adaptation of his play for film, and Shaw helped adapt it for the screen. Bear in mind, this is a filmed version of a play, rather than a film about Caesar and Cleopatra.

Vivien Leigh (1913-67) stars as Cleopatra. She is best known for her stunning performances in "GWTW" (1939) as Scarlett O'Hara and as Blanche Dubois in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) - she won the Oscar both times. Eventually physical problems, a miscarriage, and the difficulty of living with husband Laurence Olivier would take their toll and she began a slow descent into madness, perhaps precipitated by the 326 performances as Dubois on stage in London followed by months filming the movie. Between 1955 and 1965 she made only 1 film, but she carried on with her theatre work and even won a Tony in 1963. Her last film appearance was in 1965 ("Ship of Fools").

Cleopatra has been the subject of many films, the most famous being the 1963 production starring Elizabeth Taylor. Other actors who played Cleopatra include Theda Bara (1917), Claudette Colbert (1934), Pauline Letts (1951), Rhonda Fleming (1953), Virginia Mayo (1957), Lynn Redgrave (1983), and Leonor Varela (1999).

At the time of the film, Leigh was 32 years old, playing a teenage Cleopatra. In and of itself this isn't a problem, as many other actresses played the youthful Cleopatra when they were relatively long in the tooth (e.g., Elizabeth Taylor and Theda Bara were 31, Claudette Colbert was 34, and Virginia Mayo was 37). But all these other screen portrayals played Cleopatra as an adult, only Leigh tries to play her as a bouncy teenager.

Claude Rains (1889-1967) co-stars as Caesar. Best remembered for his roles as "The Invisible Man" (1933) and Captain Renault opposite Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca" (1942), Rains had a brilliant career including supporting roles as Prince John in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), the evil Senator in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939), Job Skeffinton in "Mr. Skeffington" (1941) and the politically astute Mr. Dryden in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962). Along the way he received 4 nominations as Best Supporting Actor. Bette Davis considered him the best actor she ever worked with.

Caesar has been portrayed by Louis Calhern (1953), John Gavin (1960), Rex Harrison (1963), John Gielgud (1970), Timothy Dalton (1999), Klaus Maria Brandauer (2001) and Colm Feore (2005).

Caesar was in his mid 50s when he met Cleopatra. Rains was the perfect age, as were most actors who played Caesar - Rex Harrison was 55, Brandauer was 57, and Calhern was 58. Only Gielguld at 66 was a bit old to be played Caesar.

Flora Robson (1902-1984) appears as Cleopatra's nurse. She appeared in more than 50 films and was nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Saratoga Trunk" (1945). Robson and Rains often worked together in films like "The Sea Hawk" (1940) and "Elizabeth and Essex" (1939) and she was paired with Leigh in "Fire Over England" (1937). Robson is funny in her over-the-top portrayal here.

Gabriel Pascal (1894-1954) directed and produced. Pascal was known for his adaptations of Shaw's plays, including "Pygmalion" (1938) and "Androlocles and the Lion" (1952). It's Pascal who wanted to make Pygmalion into a musical, but Shaw objected, and it was only after Shaw's death that "My Fair Lady" (1956) appeared.

The NY Times' Bosley Crowther said the film was "an elegant spectacle" with a "remarkably entertaining cast." He said the "sets have a rich and regal splendor, his costumes have great exotic charm and his people who wear and populate them play the Shavian whim to the hilt."

1945 was not a banner year for films. The top grossing films were "Mom and Dad", "The Bells of St. Mary's", "Leave Her to Heaven", "Spellbound", and "Anchors Aweigh." The big Oscar and Golden Globe winner was "The Lost Weekend" (Picture, Director, Actor). Notable films released that year included Joan Crawford's Oscar winning "Mildred Pierce" and film noir classic "Scarlett Street".

One of the problems with this film is that it is a filmed play, and not really a film. It would be better entitled "George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra" so that people understand they are going to watch a filmed version of a play, and not really a movie. Personally I don't find this a problem, as there is considerable worth in seeing a play on film. But some film goers may find this objectionable.
Another problem with this film in Leigh's attempt to be a bouncy teenager. As good an actress as she was, and she was a really good one, at 32 even she cannot convincingly be bouncy.

Fans of Leigh will delight in her portrayal, and for a woman in her 30s, she does do a great imitation of a bouncy teenager. And of course, Claude Rains is always good to watch. But be warned, this is a filmed play, and a play that is well out of date by today's standards, so unless you're prepared to accept this, you may be disappointed.

The great villain-actress Flora Robson certainly wins an award for making the strongest impression in the least screen-time. She is so scary. The wide mouth and the narrow eyes and the arrogance and the fury. This is one of her best roles, too. I wish there were a film of her doing Lady MacBeth, which she performed many times on stage.

Francis L. Sullivan, Cecil Parker, Ernest Thesiger and the boy who plays Ptolemy (Anthony Harvey) also score nicely.