Kai M-D - Cleopatra Scene Analysis

 

When I first watched this scene, I didn't think much of the placement of Cleopatra and Caesar, the angle, and lighting. After finishing it, however, it's difficult not to compare this movie still to the many ones of Antony and Cleopatra. This one in particular: 

The most obvious different is that, in the first one, Caesar is above Cleopatra and holding her; while in the second still, Cleopatra is above Antony, but not really holding him in place like how Caesar holds her. This, of course, symbolizes the power dynamic between both of their relationships. Marc Antony sees love (and therefore Cleopatra) as his "master" while Caesar has stated he sees Cleopatra as apart of his war gains. While Caesar does kneel to Cleopatra during her coronation, Marc Antony is much more beholden to Cleopatra throughout the entire movie. There are really only two moments within the film in which Antony has more power over Cleopatra: when he married Octavia (though this example might not be worth much, since Antony didn't witness or know about Cleopatra's severe, emotional breakdown) and when he gave her the silent treatment shortly after a battle with Octavian/Augustus.

The angle and shot of these two scenes also can represent Cleopatra's relationship with Caesar versus Antony. In the first shot, the camera is much further away, and the two characters are kind of lazily laying next to each other. Normally, this might just be a director's way of showing the characters' bodies and how close they are to each other, but after viewing the second scene, there seems to be a distinct difference between why these scenes were shot differently. The camera is much closer to Cleopatra and Antony, potentially reflecting the closeness of their relationship, as the angle feels much more intimate and like the audience is with the two in bed - so we can almost feel their closeness. This seems to align with the theory that Cleopatra and Marc Antony's love is much more authentic and electric than Cleopatra and Caesar's, also backed by several scenes and historical facts (Cleopatra's breakdown upon hearing about Marc Antony's marriage, the fact they were buried together, the fact they had several children together, and Cleopatra's insistence on dressing for Antony even in death). One could even say the fact that both Antony and Cleopatra are naked in that scene (whereas Caesar and Cleopatra are both fully dressed in the first still) represents their shared vulnerability with each other. It's also interesting that in the first shot, both Caesar and Cleopatra aren't looking at each other - they're looking somewhere off screen, while Antony and Cleopatra are completely focused and infatuated with each other. 

These two stills are one of many examples throughout the movie that suggest Cleopatra's love for Antony is stronger and more authentic than her love for Caesar. For example, Caesar and Cleopatra have fewer scenes where they're physically touching (unless it is explicitly out of lust) while Antony and Cleopatra seem to always be as physically close to each other as humanly possible. Either way, the way the two actors are positioned within these two scenes suggest a lot about their relationship and power dynamic.