Cleopatra

Released Oct 5, 1934

1 hr. 41 min.

History

Drama

List

83%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Devious Egyptian queen Cleopatra (Claudette Colbert) struggles to maintain her tenuous hold on her kingdom, wooing her lovers Julius Caesar (Warren William) and Marc Antony (Henry Wilcoxon) while manipulating the ongoing power struggle between the two Romans for her own nefarious ends. Director Cecil B. DeMille fills the oft-told story with lavish musical production numbers and his trademark large-scale set pieces, as well as a tongue-in-cheek attitude toward sexuality.

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Rachel S

Thought I was going to hate this but found it was very informative. Great watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/16/23

Full Review

Nawt W

This is probably the most sophisticated portrayal of Cleopatra to this day. Unfortunately, the astoundingly brisk pacing makes all plot points seem crammed and vapid, focusing more on hitting those bits of history that surround her. We even got "Et tu, Brute?" even though Caesar never speaks to him in the entire movie. The next most obvious issue is the dialogue, or rather, its phrasing. There is an annoying precedent even today when historical characters don't even try to sound like they are from the same time period, and that goes double for this movie. Every sentence has this 30's energy to it. It becomes vexing very fast. What is amazing are the sets and costumes. Cecil B. DeMille knows his material. It's a joy to watch. Balancing those pre-Hays-code exquisite tummies and bras that can come down with a flick of a finger.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/09/22

Full Review

Audience Member

The superior version of this film. While the sets and costumes were more stunning in color in the following remake, this one still stands out by following the actually history and by performances. The plot was much easier to follow in this film than the Elizabeth Taylor one. Claudette was made to play this part and her charming character and intelligence was an interesting take on the infamous seductress. The costumes are still amazing and so are the sets, but I did wish we could've seen it in all its glory with color, although the glamour was certainly there. If you are going to see a Cleopatra film, this one is the one I'd recommend. I thought it would be cringey, but it was ahead of its time. Its a wonder that I'm marveling at these sets/fashion in the year 2022.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

william d

Sumptuous is not an adjective I use very often, but that is the best way to describe the look of this movie. The sets are amazing, and there are dozens of beautiful, scantily clad girls to look at, foremost among them the lovely Claudette Colbert. Can't say much for the dialogue though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

My favorite version of Cleopatra

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/22/22

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Audience Member

Of the many screen incarnations of the romantically foolish, politically shrewd Egyptian queen, this was Cecil B. DeMille's... His Victorian puritan's approach to the sex and scandals surrounding Cleopatra's throne reflected her continuing appeal to the imagination - even if that imagination were really a childhood fantasy of adult desires... Authenticity, except as decorative embroidery, took second place to his desire to capture her timeless appeal on film... Facts and figures may vary, fashions and desirable objects may be ever changing, but sex, sin and punishment make up a triangle of eternal allure... Travis Banton's wardrobe transformed Claudette Colbert from a flirtatious star into a splendid, seductive woman with fanciful art direction... The film had the opulence, the barbarity, the epic sweep and shocking decadence of certain books and paintings that were at the heart of so much of this film... The French-born, American-raised Claudette Colbert made three films with Cecil B. DeMille, but felt more comfortable in contemporary comedies, for one of which, 'It Happened One Night,' she won an Oscar, and in all of which she identified herself with the most American of American secretaries, sweethearts, wives and mothers... Colbert's popularity lasted well into the fifties... but her magic rests with 'Cleopatra'.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

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Cecil B. DeMille

Director

Claudette Colbert

Cleopatra

Warren William

Julius Caesar

Henry Wilcoxon

Marc Antony

Gertrude Michael

Calpurnia

Joseph Schildkraut

King Herod

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Otis Ferguson

The New Republic

A spectacle designed to make chins hang, and much more effectively done than most, for frequently there was the feeling, "This is likely, This is how it was"; and Claudette Colbert kept attention on the screen for most of the time.

Jan 23, 2024

Full Review

Walter Goodman

New York Times

The result is nutty, inimitable and, if you get into the spirit of the thing, irresistible.

Jan 10, 2018

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 4/5

Dec 15, 2002

Full Review

Ann Ross

Maclean's Magazine

Claudette Colbert is Egypt's queen and doesn't take it too seriously.

Aug 1, 2019

Full Review

Charles Davy

The Spectator

It is to Mr. de Mille's credit that he never staggers beneath his burden of accessories. He keeps his film moving with a tumultuous energy which is its strongest point.

Mar 13, 2019

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Parallax View

... DeMille's lavish but stilted film... is all production value and no style.

Apr 9, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

Devious Egyptian queen Cleopatra (Claudette Colbert) struggles to maintain her tenuous hold on her kingdom, wooing her lovers Julius Caesar (Warren William) and Marc Antony (Henry Wilcoxon) while manipulating the ongoing power struggle between the two Romans for her own nefarious ends. Director Cecil B. DeMille fills the oft-told story with lavish musical production numbers and his trademark large-scale set pieces, as well as a tongue-in-cheek attitude toward sexuality.

Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 5, 1934, Original
Release Date (DVD): Apr 7, 2009