Would you buy a Cleopatra: Director's Cut? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Caps]

This ia all exciting - I love Cleopatra - but to be realistic Fox searched several years for the long version and didn't find much - too bad the rough long cut that Mankiewicz brought to Zanuck in Paris doesn't turn up.

 

[GerardoHP]

No, it's long enough as it is. But then again, maybe I would.

 

[Eric Paddon]

I would certainly love to see the original intended version of the film since it would have added a lot more depth to the story overall. I like "Cleopatra" in its present form, but expanded it would by far be perhaps the best epic film next to Ben Hur.

It seems to me though, that even if the footage were to turn up isn't it most likely that it would be without any soundtrack since the cut scenes would never have been remixed with a final soundtrack? The absence of any sound in the one found sequence we glimpsed in the documentary seemed a giveaway there on that point.

 

[oscar_merkx]

Ed
What are the European scenes you are referring to ?
Also what are the chances of getting the silent Cleopatra on dvd ?

 

[Eric Paddon]

The chances of getting the silent "Cleopatra" on DVD are nil as the film is in the same condition that Cleopatra herself is in. A victim of the destruction of so much of the silent film era.

Now a better question would be, when is DeMille's "Cleopatra" with Claudette Colbert (who's much sexier than Taylor I think) going to get DVD treatment?

 

[Zane Charron]

Sure, I'd buy it again. To see one of the biggest and most controversial films ever made in the originally intended 2-film cut would be amazing. It's a great Sunday afternoon epic film.

 

[oscar_merkx]

thanks Eric for the answer.

Just finished watching the 2 hour documentary and I have to say this is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. I was intrigued by the fact that Taylor was all but absent from this.

I guess it shows that Fox is one of those studios that take great care in their back catalogue with some fantastic supplements taking us back to that marvellous era of movie making.

It was great to see even the tacky Revlon ad promoting Cleopatra

 

[richardWI]

For me, it's pretty tedious to sit through as it is. And the "Touch of Evil" restoration is a nightmare. The first two versions had a wonderful and carefully constructed, sharp, high contrast lighting scheme; the new version has this ugly, low contrast, murky look. And what's with the aspect ratio? I'll take the butchered version over the "restored" any day of the week because it at least looks like real movie, not like some muddy BW tv show.

 

[Eric Paddon]

Um, where did "Touch Of Evil" come from with regard to a "Cleopatra" discussion?

 

[Rich Malloy]

A poll, eh? Well, put me down as a "no vote" then.

 

[RickER]

I wish i could just find a copy of the current DVD of Cleo that was not SCRATCHED. I have returned it 5 times, and all 5 times 2 of the 3 discs were badly scuffed...and the extra disc in the paper sleeve! Oh well...it is a good film, and i would buy it now...unscratched!

 

[Thomas T]

Absolutely! Yes, yes, yes.

 

[John Stockton]

I would definitely buy it provided they fix the framing as well. In the current DVD, the framing seems to be more like 2.35 rather than 2.21. Most likely the result of being transferred from a 35 MM source rather than a 65 MM one.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I would buy that in a Hollywood minute.

So would I.

 

[Mark-W]

I would buy it, no question, but does anyone really
think the lost footage will ever be found?
Mark

 

[richardWI]

Um, where did "Touch Of Evil" come from with regard to a "Cleopatra" discussion?

A previous post on this thread mentioned it as a recent example of a major studio putting a great effort into restoring/restructuring a classic film. In theory it's great, execution can be another matter entirely.

 

[Jeff Lund]

I'd be a DC of Cleopatra in a heartbeat. Put me down for a "Hell Yes!!!!"

 

[oscar_merkx]

who knows if the footage will ever be found, then again putting up a reward for it miht help

 

[Ed St. Clair]

What are the European scenes you are referring to ?

Well, the one i 'want', has ET as C topless.

It's when, I beleive, RB as MA comes to C in the bath.

Lucky Europeans.

 

[Thomas T]

It's a myth, Ed.
Elizabeth Taylor has never gone topless in a movie, not even Cleopatra. Even in Reflections In A Golden Eye, it was a body double who did the nude walk.
The closest Taylor ever came to doing a "nude" scene was The Sandpiper where she posed nude for Charles Bronson and as critic Pauline Kael aptly put it, "..... posing for him, Taylor demurely cups her breasts with her hands - though they seem inadequate to the task".