Antony and Cleopatra (1972)

Director:

Charlton Heston

Writers:

Federico De Urrutia, Charlton Heston,

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Hildegard Neil, Eric Porter

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlton Heston	...	Marc Antony
Hildegard Neil	...	Cleopatra
Eric Porter	...	Enobarbus
John Castle	...	Octavius Caesar
Fernando Rey	...	Lepidus
Juan Luis Galiardo	...	Alexas
Carmen Sevilla	...	Octavia
Freddie Jones	...	Pompey
Peter Arne	...	Menas
Luis Barboo	...	Varrius
Fernando Bilbao	...	Menecrates
Warren Clarke	...	Scarus
Roger Delgado	...	Soothsayer
Julian Glover	...	Proculeius
Sancho Gracia	...	Canidius

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

ancient times | soldier | shot with a bow and arrow | last stand | armor | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Country:

UK Spain Switzerland

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 March 1972 (Japan)

Also Known As:

All'ombra delle piramidi

Filming Locations:

Hollywood National Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,600,000 (estimated)

Gross:

ESP 39,776,701 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Folio Films, Rank Organisation, The, Transac

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 70 mm 6-Track

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Irene Papas was runner-up for the role of Cleopatra.

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Connections

Version of Antony and Cleopatra (1951)

User Reviews

An Empire For the love of a queen

In Fraser Heston's forward to his father's Anthony And Cleopatra that is on the DVD that I just bought he mentions that his father was ever mindful of the mammoth Elizabeth Taylor film that only came out nine years earlier. He wanted to do something different and in that I felt that Charlton Heston failed.

Not that this is not a good production, it most certainly is, but it did not break any new ground in that regard in the way that Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare films had done. Heston is a stalwart and resolute Mark Antony who for the first time in his pantheon of classical heroes on the screen is really quite the fool, but a fool for love as history has brought Antony down to us.

He terribly underestimates Octavian played by John Castle who is best known as Prince Geoffrey of Anjou in The Lion In Winter. Heston marries Carmen Sevilla as Octavia and Castle thinks him and his following tied to the Caesar family. But Heston has a yen for Hildegarde Neil who is every bit as beguiling and seductive as Elizabeth Taylor or Claudette Colbert ever were as Cleopatra.

The sea battle of Actium is always mentioned by historians as one of the twenty or so decisive battles in world history. What is shown here is that it need not be fought, but Heston spoiling for a fight and eager to dust off this young punk Octavian commits to a sea battle with inexperienced Egyptian sailors. That was his downfall or the beginning thereof.

Speaking of which Actium is a nicely staged sequence and done for less money than you would think. Fraser Heston's narrative tells us how.

Antony And Cleopatra is a fine production, not the best Shakespeare adaption, but still quite good. Look for John Castle as Octavian, he really has the character down perfectly.