Film Review: Reviewed By Adrian Turner; 3 out of 5

Cleopatra remains one of the most expensive films ever made - around $40m at the time of production and considerably more when inflation is taken into account. So why did it cost so much? Well, starting filming in wintry England with Peter Finch, Stephen Boyd and director Rouben Mamoulian didn't help matters. Cranking up again in Rome - this time with Joseph L Mankiewicz shooting by day and writing by night - Elizabeth Taylor's frequent illnesses gave the accountants nightmares, even if her on-set romance with Richard Burton was a publicist's dream. The spectacle is the thing, yet, despite a multitude of screenwriters and sources, the film at least manages to make some sense of an extraordinary moment in history, as Rome expanded from republic to empire.

Plot Summary

Historical drama starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison. 48 BC: Egypt is over-run by Roman forces and Cleopatra is forced to give up the throne. She becomes the lover of Julius Caesar, the Consul of Rome, and bears him a son. When Caesar is assassinated, Cleopatra seeks solace in the arms of Mark Antony.