There are too many factors for a good film, and ostentation alone is not enough. The atmosphere must have something to support. In the 1950s, there have been so many real-life shootings, and they did not borrow high-tech. They were actually art, not produced art. The foundation behind it is the charm of historical stories, the charm of historical characters, the charm of actors, and the charm of script lines. If these factors are singled out, many domestic directors can wave their hands.
Behind the grand pomp, is the entire great civilization across the Mediterranean. Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Egypt, which country and civilization have the most profound influence on all mankind today? And the heroes come out in large numbers, and each one shines in the sea of history, making the latecomers feel ashamed and making the little people look wretched. Great people, their behaviors, thoughts, and speeches are not trivial to my generation. Octavian changed his name to Caesar, Caesar cried alone to pay tribute to Alexander, and Cleopatra dealt with these heroic men, but did not hide her light at all. This is the most stalwart place behind the film, and no one can challenge it. History is so heroic.
But perhaps as a person who knows historical facts and has no knowledge of history, I am afraid that the feelings of the film are different. Some people feel groggy and watch for four hours because of this, and people who come into contact for the first time may be surprised. As someone who only knows the deeds of Caesar, I still appreciate the first half. Why? The boring history is narrated, the flat characters are displayed with expressions, and political struggles, political marriages, and personal emotions are combined together. It seems that there is no detailed description, no close-up shots, but from the dialogue from the expression to the plot, This is how history unfolds. It seems to be zoomed in but not zoomed in, just as the actress is hiding behind the peephole of the eye, we are also watching a huge performance like this. And undoubtedly, the actors and scripts have made a soul-like contribution here.
There is only one protagonist. Her beauty, wisdom, sexiness, and charming are all eye-catching. She is so smart and so tenacious. She is inspiring Caesar and Anthony. Her love and her dreams are not overwhelming. Thanks to her charm, her pride, and her sorrow, she has also become great, but she is the greatness of women. Don't forget, she is still so cute. Just like her face when she first rolled out of the carpet, and the wink that bowed to Caesar in Rome.
She is firm and powerful at every step, and she reaches her goal, calling her the actress may be a narrative in history, not a real performance in the film. She didn't see any licentiousness at all. How could she rely on the sexiness of grease and powder, but the charm of being an empire queen. What she does stems from her pursuit of love and her contribution to the Egyptian nation. She compared Anthony, she stepped Octavian on the soles of her feet, and she conquered Caesar.
Similarly, in the film, the greatness of Caesar, the bravery of Anthony, the loyalty and wisdom of the veterans, various supporting roles have shown their charms. The script lines are still so classic. She is Egypt, and Egypt is her. Alexander started in Egypt and conquered the world. I will not describe them one by one here. Accent is also very important. Old-fashioned American language is so durable and timeless. In the plot, political struggles have made moves, and every move is full of wisdom. On the soundtrack, the symphony orchestra played Egyptian and Roman music one after another. Without the aura of an actor, no classic dialogue, no historical foil, and no magnificent music, how can such a huge story be established? How can such a great background not appear blank?
There is no blindly praise and derogation to anyone, but it is the picturesque country and many romantic figures. Just as Octavian said, how can the news of Anthony's death be just like saying that the soup is cold and the soup is hot? It is the huge roar that should come from the depths of the universe: Antonio lives no more! So, of course, there must be a great narrative about a great history.
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