Ben - Cleopatra Scene

 




The moment Octavian walks in to see a dead Cleopatra lying in the center of the room is a meticulously designed scene that leaves a strong final impact on the viewer. The camera slowly zooms out, initially focusing on the dead queen in her extravagant golden robe, then revealing the elaborately designed and eerily lit room in which she lays. Her servants are at her side, one dead, the other dying. The camera zooms out further, stabilizing over the shoulder of Octavian, whose perspective is then taken by the audience for the rest of the scene. We watch through Octavian's eyes as he witnesses the symbolic destruction of Cleopatra, and with it, his spoils of war. The dim lighting, the lavish scenic design, the visual juxtaposition between cleopatra and her servants, and the steady camera zoom all contribute to the feeling and impact this final scene evokes.

Comments

  1. DrKSeptember 14, 2023 at 2:41 PM

    Excellent job! There's very little that I could add. Maybe you could talk about the lighting, or rather the almost complete absence of lighting. The whole scene is in the shadows, suitable for the gloomy inside of what is, after all, Cleopatra's tomb. The only light comes from the two torches in the back, which remind me of eternal flames at war memorials and such, and from the top of Cleopatra's golden Isis dress, where it helps to attract our attention so that it rests on Cleopatra, the focal point of this scene.

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