A Few Words About A few words about...™ Cleopatra (1963) - U.S. Release -- in Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[benbess]

Interesting that a first time viewing can elicit so many responses on a discussion that was quiet for 2 years. Quick question: what is the best book about the Roman Empire out there?

I'm not sure about the best book for the Roman Empire or Cleopatra, but for Caesar this book below seems well respected. I've listened to it as an audio book and can recommend it: Caesar: Life of a Colossus by Adrian Goldsworthy. It is, however, a very long book.

 

[David_B_K]

Interesting that a first time viewing can elicit so many responses on a discussion that was quiet for 2 years. Quick question: what is the best book about the Roman Empire out there?

As Ben says, Adrian Goldsworthy is a great author on the Romans. He often shows up as a talking head on History Channel programs about the Romans. I've read about a half dozen of his books, including Caesar. I read his How Rome Fell last year. He has a new one called Pax Romana that I will probably get soon. I would not recommend a one-volume book on Rome. The empire lasted so long that a one-volume book will try to cram in too much info in a short space making it difficult to absorb. A good book to start with would be Tom Holland's Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic. This covers the events that occur in the film of Cleopatra, and before that you get to experience the careers of Marius, Sulla, Cicero, Pompey, Caesar, et al and the fall of the Republic. Tom Holland (also a frequent History Channel contributor) is sort of a "pop historian". He throws in the occasional witticism that keeps the history from becoming too dry.

Although they are not strictly history, Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series of novels is very informative and entertaining. The series includes 7 novels and starts at around the year 110 BC going thru the deaths of Antony & Cleopatra. Caesar is born at the end of the first novel. Because they are novels, McCullough (best known as author of The Thorn Birds) takes quite a bit of license at times; so you'll have to take some of it with a grain of salt. But there is a wealth of detail as she explains the way Roman society works, how the government works, class distinctions, and how everything was predicated on becoming The First Man in Rome (that is the title of the first novel, BTW). I did not read the last novel (Antony & Cleopatra) because I did not really care for her treatment of those characters (mainly Antony) in the previous volume.

But I would start with Tom Holland's Rubicon.

 

[Robert Harris]

Those who enjoyed the film, and are taking part in this discussion, might wish to seek out the original screenplay, which was the basis of the two part film.

It's quite extraordinary.

 

[Allansfirebird]

Those who enjoyed the film, and are taking part in this discussion, might wish to seek out the original screenplay, which was the basis of the two part film.

It's quite extraordinary.

Totally agree. JLM's script is a fun read, almost a novel in and of itself at 360 pages (with revisions and changes). I've also got various drafts of the script from Dale Wasserman (Mamoulian version), Ranald MacDougal (working from JLM's outline & story conferences), and Darryl F. Zanuck (reshoot scenes for the 4-hour version only), and it's fascinating to see how the film changed under each writer.

 

[Tom St Jones]

This being the 55th Anniversary year of the film, I'm actually surprised we've not gotten a 4k UHD. I wonder if any more of footage from the 6-hour version has been located since the 50th anniv Blu release?

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I'd love a 4K UHD release, but I fear with Disney acquiring Fox it's now not as likely to happen... I hope I'm proven wrong. I haven't heard of them locating anymore of the missing footage, but I'd love a future edition of the film to include what has turned up as bonus material... namely Cleopatra at her seaside encampment, which would have been Elizabeth's first scene in the film had it not been cut (it can briefly be seen in the documentary "The Film That Changed Hollywood"), and some screen tests.

 

[Matt Hough]

Was any of the London-shot footage with Elizabeth used in the final film? How long did they shoot there before it was abandoned? I'm sure this information is in the documentary, but it's been a long time since I watched it.

 

[JPCinema]

Was any of the London-shot footage with Elizabeth used in the final film? How long did they shoot there before it was abandoned? I'm sure this information is in the documentary, but it's been a long time since I watched it.

Comcast is still in the running for FOX.

 

[battlebeast]

Comcast is still in the running for FOX.

What does that have to do with London shot footage?

 

[Jason_V]

Comcast is still in the running for FOX.

I'm almost scared to ask the question in a Cleopatra thread, but how? Unless the government steps in, isn't this a done deal?

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm almost scared to ask the question in a Cleopatra thread, but how? Unless the government steps in, isn't this a done deal?

I certainly thought it was.

 

[ahollis]

Comcast is still in the running for FOX.

No Comcast dropped out. Fox and Disney shareholders have voted to merge. It’s really a done deal.


Now let’s find the lost footage. I’m going to bring that documentary back out and watch it again. Every time I watch it I learn something new.

 

[Matt Hough]

I think I'll watch it this afternoon, too.

 

[Dave B Ferris]

I think I saw a headline in the L.A. Times to the effect that if the Chinese government does not provide their regulatory approval (which is not a slam-dunk given the relations between the U.S. and China) the deal could be scuttled. Last week, the same situation actually did scuttle a proposed merger between chip-maker Qualcomm and NXP.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Guys: Let's keep this thread Cleopatra-only.

The Disney/Fox discussion has its own thread.

 

[Matt Hough]

I watched the documentary this afternoon. All my questions were answered. Elizabeth only shot wardrobe tests during the London filming due to being so ill. They shot around her all they could until they exhausted everything that could be done without her.

 

[OliverK]

This is an OK Blu-ray but not really great. Cleopatra is one of the most opulent large format productions of all times and would be a worthy candidate for both a new Blu-ray and a 4k UHD release.

 

[trajan007]

This is an OK Blu-ray but not really great. Cleopatra is one of the most opulent large format productions of all times and would be a worthy candidate for both a new Blu-ray and a 4k UHD release.

I have to disagree. I think it looks great.

 

[Alan Tully]

I have to disagree. I think it looks great.

I too have to disagree, I don't think it looks so good, if fact I can't bring myself to look at it again. All the gold bling that Cleopatra wears, now looks like silver, & the entry into Rome, was it supposed to be set in January? Anyway, I've bored for England on this subject, so I'll shut up.

 

[Paul Rossen]

This being the 55th Anniversary year of the film, I'm actually surprised we've not gotten a 4k UHD. I wonder if any more of footage from the 6-hour version has been located since the 50th anniv Blu release?

Over the years I've read that Zanuck,head of Fox at the time, threw out all excised scenes. Thus, I'm pretty sure that the version we have now will be it for Cleopatra. There was a site devoted to Taylor that outlined the complete 6 hr version. It was an interesting read.