---
title: "Cleopatra"
year: 1963
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/cleopatra"
fi1m_id: "cleopatra"
imdb_id: "tt0056937"
tmdb_id: 8095
wikidata_id: "Q4430"
fi1m_score: 63
critics_score: 62
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-19"
review_updated: "2026-09-20"
updated: "2026-09-20T04:10:54.865961+00:00"
region: "CL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Cleopatra (1963)

Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz · 4h 11m · Drama, History, Romance

## Identity

Cleopatra

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/cleopatra
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** cleopatra
- **IMDb ID:** tt0056937
- **TMDB ID:** 8095
- **Wikidata ID:** Q4430
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056937/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8095, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4430

**Fi1m score: 63** · Critics 62 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Four hours, three screenwriters and a thousand extras, and the best scenes are two people arguing in a bedroom

> Mankiewicz’s four-hour epic is two films joined at the interval: a witty, talkative one in which Rex Harrison has all the best lines, and a slower one in which Richard Burton broods in gold. The sets earn their keep; the second half does not.

## Synopsis

Egypt, 48 BC. Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) sails into Alexandria after beating Pompey at Pharsalus and finds the country in the middle of a family war: the boy king Ptolemy holds the palace, and his sister Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor) has been driven out into the desert. She wants the throne, and she wants it alone. To get it she needs Caesar, so she has her bodyguard Apollodorus (Cesare Danova) roll her in a carpet and carry her past the Roman guards into Caesar’s bedroom. Her tutor Sosigenes (Hume Cronyn) counsels patience; Caesar’s officer Rufio (Martin Landau) counsels leaving. Fighting breaks out in the harbour, the great library catches fire, and Caesar, who came to collect a debt and settle a succession, finds he is staying. In Rome, Marcus Antonius (Richard Burton) and the young Octavian (Roddy McDowall) wait for news.

## Review

Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s *Cleopatra* runs 251 minutes and is credited to three screenwriters, Mankiewicz, Ranald MacDougall and Sidney Buchman, which works out at roughly one an hour with change. It is one of the last of the big studio Roman pictures, and the one whose troubles behind the camera are better known than the film itself. For close to two hours, though, it is a good film. Rex Harrison’s Caesar arrives in Alexandria, Elizabeth Taylor’s queen arrives rolled in a carpet, and they spend the first half talking rings round each other. After the interval Richard Burton steps forward and the film slows to a march.

The first half is Mankiewicz’s kind of film, which is to say people being clever at one another in rooms. Harrison plays Caesar as a tired, amused administrator who finds Egypt absurd and says so, listening to each speech with his head on one side as if he had already written the reply. Taylor gives him a queen who is young, imperious and plainly enjoying the argument, and when she has Apollodorus (Cesare Danova) carry her into Caesar’s quarters inside a rug, the scene is played for comedy and gets the laugh. We laughed more than once, and at lines rather than at the film.

John DeCuir built Alexandria at something close to full size and Leon Shamroy photographs it accordingly: the camera sits back and level, and the frame fills edge to edge with columns, water and people. The palace is turquoise and gold; Rome is white stone and red cloth. Irene Sharaff, Vittorio Nino Novarese and Renié give Taylor a new gown for nearly every scene, each with more gold in it than the last, and put the Romans in leather and short red cloaks. Cleopatra’s entry into Rome, seated on a black sphinx hauled by hundreds of men with dancers and coloured smoke going before it, is the best piece of spectacle in the film, and we sat up for it. Alex North writes it a march for full brass and drums. Elsewhere his love theme for strings returns so often that we came to hear it as a warning.

Then comes Antony. Burton is a fine actor handed a part written as a decline before it has been given a summit. He drinks, he broods, he shouts at Rufio (Martin Landau), and Taylor, so quick with Harrison, slows to his tempo. Their love scenes are the film’s weakest: two people declaring passion in long, balanced sentences that nobody in the grip of anything ever spoke. The script turns every exchange into a short essay, and in the first half Harrison’s timing hid it. Burton plays the words straight, at volume, and you hear every one.

Dorothy Spencer’s editing has a story of its own. The studio wanted a shorter film than Mankiewicz shot, and the second half shows the marks: scenes open as if we had missed their first minute, the sea battle at Actium is staged with real ships and burning models and then hurried off, and Roddy McDowall’s Octavian, the most interesting Roman in the film, keeps turning out to have gained power between scenes without our seeing how. Andrew Keir’s Agrippa and Kenneth Haigh’s Brutus get a scene or two apiece before the plot moves on. Somewhere in the third hour we caught ourselves wondering how much was left, and then were annoyed with ourselves, because the pictures were still handsome and it was not their fault.

Mankiewicz had done Rome before, in [*Julius Caesar*](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar) (1953), with Shakespeare’s script to carry the weight, and his best films, [*All About Eve*](https://film.one/film/all-about-eve) (1950) chief among them, are about people who talk well and know it. *Cleopatra* is that film for as long as Harrison is in it. After that it is a costume picture with a tragedy attached, and the tragedy is the weaker part.

See it at home, over two evenings, with the interval respected. The first evening is a witty film about an old man and a young woman working out who is using whom. The second is a studio putting its money back on the screen, and the barge at Tarsus is the one stretch of it we would not want you to miss. It carries a PG and opened in British cinemas on 12 July 1963. Its 251 minutes divide at the interval into the film we liked and the film we sat through.

*Fi1m score 63, published 19 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics land on the same point: the spectacle is the thing. Praise clusters on the scale of the production, the entry into Rome and the Battle of Actium most often named, and on Elizabeth Taylor, whom nearly every review treats as the reason to watch even where the film around her is found wanting. Several also credit Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s script for keeping four hours of history literate, and Variety and The New York Times admire how much scope he manages to hold together.

The reservations fall on the drama. The affair between Taylor and Richard Burton is called unconvincing more than once, the dialogue wordy or overblown, the narrative rambling. The spread is wide, from warm endorsements to outright dismissals. The New Yorker finds the film preposterous yet recommends it anyway for the pageantry, and Slant Magazine goes furthest, calling it banal rather than either a triumph or a fascinating catastrophe. Reviews of the 2013 restoration are as split as the 1963 ones.

## Straight answers

**Is Cleopatra worth watching?**

*Cleopatra* is worth watching for anyone who can give four hours to a Roman epic and forgive a slow second half, and we scored it 63. The first two hours, with Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor talking rings round each other, are witty and handsome. After the interval Richard Burton broods and the film slows to a march, so watch it over two evenings.

**How long is Cleopatra, and what is it rated?**

*Cleopatra* runs 4h 11m. It is a drama and history film.

**Where can I watch Cleopatra in Chile?**

*Cleopatra* is streaming on Disney+ in Chile. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Cleopatra compare to Julius Caesar?**

*Cleopatra* is the bigger and weaker of Mankiewicz's two Roman films, and [*Julius Caesar*](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar) is the one we would send a stranger to first. The earlier film has Shakespeare's script and a cast that mostly holds, while *Cleopatra* has the sets, the gowns and the spectacle but only half a script worth hearing. Choose *Cleopatra* for the pictures and Harrison, *Julius Caesar* for the words.

**What should I watch after Cleopatra?**

After *Cleopatra*, try [*Julius Caesar*](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar) (1953, Fi1m 76): Mankiewicz’s earlier Rome, with Brando as Antony and Shakespeare doing the writing. Then [*The Leopard*](https://film.one/film/the-leopard) (1963, Fi1m 88): Visconti’s Sicilian aristocracy in decline, the same year, with a ballroom that outdoes the Forum; and [*Fellini Satyricon*](https://film.one/film/satyricon) (1969, Fi1m 65): Ancient Rome as fever dream, for anyone who found this one too well behaved.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The restored big-screen version of the four-hour 1963 spectacle should not be missed as a colossus of the analogue-epic era and the high point of Elizabeth Taylor's global celebrity. It is a stately but sometimes mindboggling spectacle that breaks into two halves as Cleopatra bewitches and unmans two Roman alpha-males, with the jawdropping entry into Rome singled out as a sensational Busby Berkeley fantasy. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/11/cleopatra-rerelease-review)
- **The New York Times** (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a stunning and entertaining achievement that confounds skeptics, crediting Mankiewicz's sophisticated script for bringing literate life and historical sweep to the epic tale of ambition, love, and power. The production delivers spectacle in the finest tradition despite its length. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1963/06/16/archives/cleopatra-arrives-much-talkedof-film-proves-a-big-hit-what-next.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, James Powers (70/100, inferred): The critic finds it not a great movie but a vast popular entertainment with outstanding performances, especially Elizabeth Taylor's, and spectacular production values. Praises the opulence and acting while noting it prioritizes broad appeal over artistic greatness. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/cleopatra-1963-movie-review-754694/)
- **Variety** (70/100, inferred): The review praises the film as a supercolossal yet remarkably literate recreation of history, highlighting Mankiewicz's achievement in managing scope and complexity, strong big scenes like the Roman entry and Battle of Actium, and overall sense of time and place despite weaker love scenes. [Read](https://variety.com/1962/film/reviews/cleopatra-2-1200420431/)
- **Evening Standard**, Derek Malcolm (60/100, inferred): The film is no masterpiece but its lavish splendour compensates for a wordy screenplay and uneven acting; it became one of the biggest commercial successes despite its troubled production. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/derek-malcolm-recommends-cleopatra-8705046.html)
- **Time Out**, Trevor Johnston (3/5): The critic finds the film lacks much substance as drama but excels as unmatched Hollywood spectacle thanks to its thousands of real extras and recreation of the ancient world. Elizabeth Taylor's larger-than-life star presence is singled out for praise amid complaints of a rambling, purposeless narrative. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cleopatra)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (40/100, inferred): The film lacks human drama amid its giant sets and elaborate stars, with Mankiewicz opting for splendour over action; Taylor and Burton fail to convey a torrid affair. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cleopatra-review/)
- **The New Yorker**, Brendan Gill (40/100, inferred): The review deems the film preposterous due to its false, overblown dialogue and pseudo-literary tone but recommends seeing it anyway for the thrilling visual spectacle, including Cleopatra's barge and Roman pageantry, which outweigh the flaws. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1963/06/22/the-impossible-takes-longer)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (30/100, inferred): The critic calls the film disappointingly banal rather than a masterpiece or fascinating catastrophe, an unusually intimate epic that falls very flat as a kitschy fashion show centered on Taylor's celebrity. Singles out the ravishing visuals and decadent presentation for praise in the Blu-ray edition. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/cleopatra/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (75/100, inferred): The critic praises Elizabeth Taylor's powerful embodiment of the historical figure and the film's intelligent interweaving of personal and political elements, along with its striking visual contrast between decadent Egypt and austere Rome. Story issues, meandering pace, and historical inaccuracies are noted, but the strong characters and glamour make it engaging and enduring. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/cleopatra-1963-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Details

- **Director:** Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- **Director:** Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- **Screenplay:** Sidney Buchman, Ranald MacDougall, Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- **Cinematography:** Leon Shamroy
- **Editor:** Dorothy Spencer
- **Music:** Alex North
- **Production design:** John DeCuir
- **Costume design:** Vittorio Nino Novarese, Renié, Irene Sharaff
- **Producer:** Walter Wanger
- **Cast:** Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra; Richard Burton as Marcus Antonius; Rex Harrison as Julius Caesar; Pamela Brown as High Priestess; George Cole as Flavius; Hume Cronyn as Sosigenes; Cesare Danova as Apollodorus; Kenneth Haigh as Brutus
- **Runtime:** 4h 11m
- **First release (Brazil):** 12 June 1963
- **Genres:** Drama, History, Romance
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 1963); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 1963)
- **Budget:** $36 million
- **Box office:** $58 million

## Where to watch in Chile

- Disney+: streaming, hd

*Checked 2026-09-20.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CL, CO, DE, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, IE, IT, JP, KR, MX, NL, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, SE, SG, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1964: Best Actor (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Art Direction, Color (won); Best Cinematography, Color (won); Best Costume Design, Color (won); Best Visual Effects (won)

## If you liked this

- *Caesar and Cleopatra* (1945): Shaw’s version, with Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh, and it gets out in half the time
- *Julius Caesar* (1953), Fi1m 76: Mankiewicz’s earlier Rome, with Brando as Antony and Shakespeare doing the writing — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar.md)
- *Rome* (2005): The same century over two television series, with the sex and the knives left in
- *The Leopard* (1963), Fi1m 88: Visconti’s Sicilian aristocracy in decline, the same year, with a ballroom that outdoes the Forum — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-leopard.md)
- *Fellini Satyricon* (1969), Fi1m 65: Ancient Rome as fever dream, for anyone who found this one too well behaved — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/satyricon.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/cleopatra