History Film / Cleopatra

* AntagonistTitle: Sort of (see AntagonistTitle below). The movie is about the last pharoah of Ptolemaic Egypt.

* AntagonistTitle: The movie of course is about the last pharoah of Ptolemaic Egypt.
* AthensAndSparta: The movie contrasts Ptolemaic Alexandria with Late-Republican Rome. The former is a bustling, advanced city of knowledge, sexuality, and antique glories, while Rome is a kind of boring dilapidated area filled with conservative senators. UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar's attraction and romance with UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII and later hers and Mark Antony's is framed in the film as stuffy Romans enjoying and preferring Hellenistic sophistication (or decadence in the eyes of Roman senators), while the conservative Octavian scapegoats Cleopatra as a slutty vamp, and proceeds to (ahistorically) murder a wise Egyptian astronomer in Rome, to prove who's the better civilization.

* BigEntrance: Cleopatra's arrival at Rome. She's preceded by cavalary, archers, chariots and four different dance troupes. Then a hundred slaves tow in a giant stone sphinx with Cleopatra and Caesarion seated atop it. Her later arrival at Tarsus is slightly less grand, but her elaborately decorated barge is still an impressive display.

* GoingNative: Mark Antony likes "almost all things Greek". It become a big problem when the Romans start taking offense.

* ProtagonistTitle: The movie of course is about the last pharoah of Ptolemaic Egypt.

** Averted when, despite all the public acknowledgements Caesar makes of his relationship to Cleopatra, Calpurnia stays dignified.

** Averted whem, despite all the public acknowledgements Caesar makes of his relationship to Cleopatra, Calpurnia stays dignified.

* EpicMovie: One of the biggest. It cost $44 million to make, which, adjusted for inflation, would be '' $310 million'' in today's dollars. This figure has only been topped (and even then, just barely) by ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' -- 44 years later. To put it into perspective: it remains the only movie to be the highest-grossing film of its year and ''still'' lose money. It would have had to become the third most successful film ''of all time'' just to break even.

* AnachronismStew: Anytime the Roman Empire is referred to as Rome's war against Egypt was the last war of the Roman Republic.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII, UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar, Mark Antony, Agrippina, Octavian/UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}}, Achillas, Ptolemy, Sosigenes, [[UsefulNotes/MarcusJuniusBrutus Brutus]], Cassius, Creator/{{Cicero}}, Calpurnia, Caesarion, Octavia. It's a who's-who's of the Twilight of Republic phase of Ancient Rome.

* MayDecemberRomance: Caesar and Cleopatra.

* BigEntrance: Cleo rides in on a giant stone sphinx pulled by a hundred slaves.

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Creator/JosephLMankiewicz. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII (Creator/ElizabethTaylor), the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar (Creator/RexHarrison), and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony (Creator/RichardBurton), who comes to battle [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]] (Creator/RoddyMcDowall) for the control of Rome's empire.

* TheAlcoholic: In the second part of the movie, there is hardly a scene where Mark Antony is not drinking. This is HarsherInHindsight given Creator/RichardBurton's problems with alcohol.

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII (Creator/ElizabethTaylor), the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar (Creator/RexHarrison), and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony (Creator/RichardBurton), who comes to battle [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]] (Creator/RoddyMcDowall) for the control of Rome's empire.

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII (Creator/ElizabethTaylor), the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar (Creator/RexHarrison), and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony (Creator/RichardBurton), who comes to battle the armies of [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]] (Creator/RoddyMcDowall).

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII (Creator/ElizabethTaylor), the last ruler of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar (Creator/RexHarrison), and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony (Creator/RichardBurton), who comes to battle the armies of [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]] (Creator/RoddyMcDowall).

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII (Creator/ElizabethTaylor), the Ptolemaic queen of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar (Creator/RexHarrison), and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony (Creator/RichardBurton), who comes to battle the armies of [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]] (Creator/RoddyMcDowall).

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII (Creator/ElizabethTaylor), the Ptolemaic queen of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar (Creator/RexHarrison), and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony (Creator/RichardBurton), who comes to battle the army of [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]] (Creator/RoddyMcDowall).

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII (Creator/ElizabethTaylor), the Ptolemaic queen of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar (Creator/RexHarrison), and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony (Creator/RichardBurton), who eventually falls to the army of [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]] (Creator/RoddyMcDowall).

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII (Creator/ElizabethTaylor), the Ptolemaic queen of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar (Creator/RexHarrison), and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony (Creator/RichardBurton), who eventually falls to the army of [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]].

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Creator/ElizabethTaylor, Creator/RichardBurton, and Creator/RexHarrison. It chronicles the tale of the reign of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII, queen of Egypt. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar, and tries to gain her place in the [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic Roman Republic's empire]]. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony, who eventually falls to the army of [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]].

->"''You know, it's possible, [[UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} Octavian]], that when you die... you will die without ever having been alive.''"

''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 {{epic|movie}} historical film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Creator/ElizabethTaylor, Creator/RichardBurton, and Creator/RexHarrison. It chronicles the tale of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII, Pharaoh of Egypt, and her long reign over her country. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar, and tries to gain her place in the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony, who eventually falls to the army of Octavian.

The film that [[TroubledProduction nearly]] [[BoxOfficeBomb killed]] Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox, ''Cleopatra'' was released in 1963 and starred Creator/ElizabethTaylor, Creator/RichardBurton, and Creator/RexHarrison. It chronicles the tale of UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII, Pharaoh of Egypt, and her long reign over her country. In the beginning, she romances UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar, and tries to gain her place in the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, the Ides of March happen, and Cleopatra's dreams hit a roadblock. So, she turns her attention to Mark Antony, who eventually falls to the army of Octavian.

[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cleopatra1_9385.jpg]]

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cleopatra1_9385.jpg]]

* TrueLoveAutoCorrect: Cleo has a great admiration for Caesar, bears his child, and dedicates herself to his memory, but after meeting Caesar's protégé Antony discovers that true love is something greater (and more destructive) than she realized.