The Legendary Diva who Portrayed a Legendary Diva

Nov 23, 2024

Cleopatra

1963 Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy McDowell

The parallels between Elizabeth Taylor and Cleopatra are many. Both are legendary for their great beauty, sexual appeal and conquests, ambition and wealth, and even their demise. The similarities of these two women even extend into the realm of the history of women’s search for self-determination, self-worth, and great success, as both reached such pinnacles when most others of their gender could not. It seems appropriate, therefore, that the British actress would play the queen of Egypt in the early 1960s in film.

I’m particularly intrigued by Taylor’s lot at the time “Cleopatra” was filmed, when she was at the height of her popularity and prowess. She had already made several movies, beginning as a child star. For decades, she was considered the most beautiful woman alive, the one with the raven hair and impossible “violet” eyes. She had been married and divorced several times when such a thing was frowned upon by a puritanical society. And what’s more, as filming began, she and her costar Burton began an extramarital affair when this was scandalously taboo. She (and apparently not Burton) was called a “homewrecker” for this. Further, this led the Vatican to denounce their “erotic vagrancy.”1 Liz often sought control over her own life and work (as did the Egyptian queen), and was often taken to task for it.

I suspect that, through her brashness, in a small way, Taylor helped pave the way towards Women’s Liberation. Only in the twentieth century did women achieve certain civil rights (particularly in the United States), such as the right to vote, to divorce, to contraceptives and abortion, and even the freedom not to marry in the first place, and also to establish credit and own property. The term “Women’s Liberation” itself, which now seems outdated, is certainly intriguing: note, in particular, its second word, “liberation.” It would not be incorrect to say that women were in virtual slavery to men since time immemorial, and that only began to change in the past few decades. Many people today are unaware of these facts and, worse, some of women’s hard-fought freedoms are being erased, such as the right to an abortion in the U.S.2

But returning to the lives of these two divas, it’s worth recognizing that neither Taylor nor Cleopatra went down without a fight, actually, many fights. And both of them faced tremendous misogyny in a man’s world. And in regards to Cleopatra, it's impossible to know how much of her story is accurate. She lived more than 2,000 years ago, and perhaps some of what has come down to us is mere exaggeration. Good stories are sometimes good because they sound good, not because they are accurate. Nevertheless, there must be some truths as to what was written about her, particularly the challenges that she overcame. In the film, Cleopatra plots and plans her ascent, first to remove her brother from the throne to become queen, then she seeks to expand her empire with the equally ambitious Julius Caesar (Harrison). She marries him and produces an heir, but this doesn’t sit well with the Roman Senate. Once Caesar is assassinated, she makes an alliance with Mark Antony (Burton) to advance her goals, but the end of both of these individuals is well-known.

One might say that the film reflects the lives of both the Queen of Hollywood and the Queen of Egypt, particularly because it is a symbol of the extravagance and excesses of both women and of Hollywood, itself. In terms of its production, apparently no expense was spared as to its lavish sets, costumes, and salaries (Taylor received a record-setting million dollars for her performance). The epic is usually referenced with superlatives, whether they are cheers or jeers. One particular criticism offered by Time Magazine when the film premiered might cause one to smirk: "As drama and as cinema, ‘Cleopatra’ is riddled with flaws. It lacks style both in image and in action. Never for an instant does it whirl along on wings of epic elan; generally, it just bumps from scene to ponderous scene on the square wheels of exposition.”3 This harsh statement, which is not entirely accurate, reminds me of the imagery of Taylor as Cleopatra arriving at the Roman Forum in an enormous gilt carriage with a tremendous retinue in great splendor, aweing the populace. Her vehicle was carried along by many men—it had no wheels.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/usshowbiz/article-12078923/Burton-Taylors-scandal-soaked-affair-epic-Cleopatra.html

One of my favorite professors, the late Dr. Allan Temko, used the term “since time immemorial” frequently in his lectures, particularly those relating to antiquity. I miss this brilliant man; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Temko

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision granting women the right to abortion on June 24, 2022; https://www.npr.org/2022/06/24/1102305878/supreme-court-abortion-roe-v-wade-decision-overturn

"Cinema: Just One of Those Things"1963; https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,874931,00.html

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