The character of the Queen of Egypt here, played by the Argentinian actress Linda Cristal, is presented as more like a immature young woman, not the determined vixen that Claudette Colbert or Elizabeth Taylor would play in big-budget epics that didn't look like the cast was just playing dress up. I said takes forever to for Crystal to appear as a princess, initially hiding behind a sarcophagus and only allowing her voice to be heard when her Palace is intrude it on by a Roman soldier (Ettore Manni) who seemingly just wanted to meet the famous queen and eventually decides that he must protect Mark Anthony (Georges Marchal) against himself as well as from the wrath of Augustus (Alfredo Mayo) who has branded Anthony a traitor. Of course he's a traitor. He was his best friend and brother-in-law, and now he's run off to be with the enemy and has obviously been seduced by her.
What is the most memorable moments in the BBC miniseries "I Claudius" is when Empress Livia tells her granddaughter that she has only had one rival as far as another beautiful woman in her life, but she was in Egypt and didn't last long. You don't gather that from the way that Linda Cristal is made up here, and it is no fault of the actress. She is indeed beautiful in certain shots, but isn't exactly ravishing or the seductress she is presented aa by reputation. In several scenes, Cleopatra is made to look rather haggard and sloppy, not the image that history has presented. The leading men are bland too, and the action scenes are quite dull. Absolutely nothing surprising, and much of the story also doesn't seem to ring historically accurate beyond basic fact. 20th Century Fox had nothing to worry about in comparison to their big epic that came out four years after this.
What is the most memorable moments in the BBC miniseries "I Claudius" is when Empress Livia tells her granddaughter that she has only had one rival as far as another beautiful woman in her life, but she was in Egypt and didn't last long. You don't gather that from the way that Linda Cristal is made up here, and it is no fault of the actress. She is indeed beautiful in certain shots, but isn't exactly ravishing or the seductress she is presented aa by reputation. In several scenes, Cleopatra is made to look rather haggard and sloppy, not the image that history has presented. The leading men are bland too, and the action scenes are quite dull. Absolutely nothing surprising, and much of the story also doesn't seem to ring historically accurate beyond basic fact. 20th Century Fox had nothing to worry about in comparison to their big epic that came out four years after this.