Annabelle - Cleopatra Review

      Though at first the four hour runtime was intimidating, I ended up really enjoying Cleopatra. It gave Cleopatra as a figure more nuance than any other film we've seen with not only her own character, but portrayal of women as a whole. She had her own motivations, successes, and downfalls. We saw her arguing and angry as often as we saw her deeply in love and pining. Though there were a few hangups, such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony having just as much (if not more at times) depth and plot as Cleopatra herself, and stealing a large portions of the movie's attention, she was still her own character, which was refreshing. (Sorry, Cabiria) As well as this it didn't necessarily stick very close to the actual time period/the truth of the story-- such as Cleopatra's fashion and the differences in Caesar's motivations/"emperorship." Overall, though, the movie itself (I thought) was still successful overall and portrayed Cleopatra in the best light we've seen so far. It had fantastic sets, costumes, and acting. I really enjoyed it. :)


      The shot of the film I wanted to mention was this one as shown above; of Antony's death in Cleopatra's arms. This took place shortly after Antony stabbed himself with his sword, and was then taken to Cleopatra. It stood out to me while watching, as well as after analyzing the scene itself more afterward. This is a medium shot, centered on both Antony and Cleopatra. Though, without her face showing it's more Antony's we focus on. It's angled from above, as they're both in their lowest/weakest moments. In Antony's case, his last ones. We as the audience are "looking down" upon them. We see Cleopatra protectively/comfortingly curled around him, his head in her lap, showing her true affection for him even while they're alone. She has no elaborate costume or jewelry-- and interestingly enough seems to be in the first outfit she met Caesar in when she was in her most powerless moment. (Not the exact same costume though extremely similar in color and style) She isn't even wearing any of her signature gold, and instead has on silver bracelets. She is stripped down to bare and humbling clothing, also emphasizing her humanity and the lowness of this moment. Overall it's a very low, powerless point for both of these characters, and it's made very evident in this touching shot.

--Annabelle

      

Comments

  1. DrKSeptember 14, 2023 at 5:17 PM

    Neat. I hadn't made the connection between Cleopatra's costume in this scene and the one she wears just before her death. They are both unusually simple and feature a brilliantly white dress (Egyptian linen?), but as you notice, they are not actually identical. The first costume also comprises a red blouse, whereas here Cleopatra seems to wear some kind of orange jacket bordered with black fur. In any case, I think you are right, the simplicity of the costume signals Cleo's humble position at this point. Another thing maybe worth mentioning is how neatly Antony's face is framed by Cleopatra's head, chest, arm, and her long, black hair.

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