This version of "Cleopatra" is nothing new, and while its prestige and fidelity to history are not as good as the version starring Elizabeth Taylor, it is more likely to resonate with contemporary audiences in terms of emotional delivery. In this film, the Egyptian queen played by Leona Vieira is wise, brave, and persistent. In order to protect the vast number of people in the kingdom of Egypt, she deals with the rulers of ancient Rome by herself. Her eventual defeat and death is heartrending. Timothy Dalton's Caesar balances the ambition and suaveness well, and like his former 007 agents, he naturally gets the Queen's admiration. Mark Anthony, played by Billy Zane, is another highlight of the film. Historically, Anthony was both a battle-hardened soldier and a seasoned politician. But in this film, Anthony is more like a big boy with strong blood, brave and upright, and disdain to win the war by the next method. After the failure, he was also lost and depressed, but he finally gathered up the courage to cheer up. Although he has not escaped the fate of failure in the end, he died like a hero. Apart from political needs, if the Queen of Egypt's love for Caesar is more out of worship, then her love for Antony is a true expression of her heart as a young woman.
The only unfortunate character in this romanticized saga is Octavian. If the historical Octavian is the great and virtuous Emperor Augustus, then Octavian in this film is a complete villain - not only cowardly, but also unscrupulous to achieve his goals. His final victory was nothing but the villain's success.
On the whole, although the film has obvious romantic elements, the desire for the people's freedom and the yearning for a better future in the story is very real; although some details deviate from the historical facts, it still satisfies the audience's desire for heroes. The character's longing and appeal to pure emotion.
View more about Cleopatra reviews
