Antony and Cleopatra ( Antoine et Cléopatre ) ( Marco Antonio y Cleopatra )

Barely seen since it opened in 1972, Charlton Heston's Antony and Cleopatra is one of the handsomest and most vividly cinematic Shakespeare adaptations - this is first and foremost a film, and one whose epic scale often belies its surprisingly modest budget with judicious use of leftover sets from 50s and 60s epics, some well chosen Spanish locations, a bit of stock footage from Fox's Cleopatra and an impressive supporting cast. If anything the supporting cast are almost too impressive, often showing up actor-director Heston's weaknesses with the Bard's verse. While his co-stars generally favor a more naturalistic style, at times Heston goes for the kind of declamatory style that values the sound of the words rather than the meaning, a common pitfall with Shakespeare films. In his favor, Heston has the epic stature and presence to convince as a superstar of the ancient world whose fool for love act is revealing feet of clay that at first dismays and then sets his fans against him with fatal consequences, and his performance improves as he uses it against himself to expose the character's increasingly obvious flaws.

A labor of love for Heston (who apparently included use of stock footage from Cleopatra in his deal to make Beneath the Planet of the Apes), there's some real imagination in the staging - he sets Antony and Octavian's first meeting against a gladiatorial combat, while the aftermath of the battle of Actium is played out amid the wreckage on the beach - and great visuals - Heston really understands the scale of the story and the value of real locations as well as the occasional need for the kind of movement and energy that's so often missing from Shakespeare films. Not everything works (there's some flashcut inserts in a couple of scenes that are probably better as ideas than in execution), and it does tend to drag a bit in the last third, but then so does the play, yet there's more than enough here to mark Heston out as a more intelligent and imaginative director than he was ever given credit for.

It's also surprisingly well cast. Despite attracting much critical derision, Hildegard Neil is a convincingly mercurial Cleopatra, John Castle makes his Octavian equally disappointed and ruthless and there's strong support from Julian Glover, Douglas Wilmer, Jane Lapotoire, Peter Arne, Roger Delgado, John Hallam, Joe Melia and Fernando Rey (surprisingly well dubbed by Richard Johnson, who also dubs Aldo Sambrell and Juan Luis Galiardo). Even serial overactor Freddie Jones is kept under control for once as Pompey. But the film's outstanding performance is easily Eric Porter's Enobarbus, easily the finest Shakespeare performance I've ever seen on screen, managing at once to bring the verse to life without ever losing sight of the human being beneath it: his rapturous ode to "the barge she sat in" paints a far more spectacular and magical picture in the mind than anything in Joseph Mankiewicz's 1963 epic (though some of the footage from the Battle of Actium does turn up in the battle scenes). Equally worthy of star billing is John Scott's remarkable score, one of the best and most sadly overlooked of the 70s, and a thing of real beauty in its own way too. Given a rough ride by critics in its day and now extremely hard to find (there's a cut Spanish DVD, an even worse German one and a surprisingly good uncut - minus the overture - widescreen transfer that was given away with a Greek newspaper and can be found on ebay), it's well worth a look.

William Shakespeare's tale of the intense and tragic romance of Antony and Cleopatra with its historical, panoramic background would seem ideal for cinema. And indeed, director and star Charlton Heston (who had played Antony two years earlier in an unsuccessful film adaptation of JULIUS CAESAR) has created a rich looking film that belies its modest budget. More importantly, it is not a static "Old Vic" reproduction but a vibrant cinematic experience that still manages to retain its Shakespearean authority. Heston concocts all kinds of clever visual conceits, like Proculeius' (Julian Glover) entry into Cleopatra's monument, that were not in Shakespeare's text but add a cinematic touch to the proceedings. The film's modest budget precludes any detailed battle scenes which seem quickly telegraphed but other than that, one doesn't feel cheated. While Heston makes for a commanding and robust Antony, the film suffers somewhat from the anemic Cleopatra of Hildegard Neil (A TOUCH OF CLASS) while the actress who could have made an imposing Cleopatra, Jane Lapotaire, plays the handmaiden Charmian. There's a sumptuous score by John Scott that positively shimmers and the accomplished cinematography by Rafael Pacheco . With Fernando Rey, John Castle, Freddie Jones, Carmen Sevilla and Eric Porter.

The Warners DVD is a nicely rendered anamorphic wide screen (2.35) transfer. The audio could have been punched up a bit though as John Scott's lovely score often seems muted.

OFFICIALLY 3.5 STARS. This is another one of those titles that I missed the first time around and that I have waited for years to see. Now that I have finally caught up with it, I'm glad I did. There are no other theatrical releases (as opposed to made for TV versions) of ANTONY & CLEOPATRA out there so it's fortunate that this one is as good as it is. It is not the ideal version by any means but until someone else decides to tackle A & C on the big screen, this one will more than suffice. Charlton Heston began his career by making low budget film versions of classic plays (PEER GYNT, JULIUS CAESAR) in his pre-Hollywood days and had played Marc Antony on two previous occasions so it comes as no surprise that he can handle the Shakespearean dialogue. The only problem from my perspective is that while imposing enough, he just looks too old for the role. The same can be said for Hildegard Neil's Cleopatra. Neil is best known for her stage and TV work and for being in the Glenda Jackson-George Segal vehicle A TOUCH OF CLASS. Both actors seem a little jarring at first but you do get used to them and by the end you realize that they have given performances of substance.

The real strength of the production lies in the supporting cast, many of them members (or former members) of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Julian Glover, John Castle, Douglas Wilmer, Peter Arne, and Freddie Jones are familiar faces and voices who add interest and lustre to their roles. The absolute standouts are Eric Porter as Enobarbus who speaks as if he was carrying on an intimate conversation with you which allows his words to really sink in and Jane Lapotaire as Cleopatra's maidservant Charmian who brings grace and humor to her role. In addition to the fine supporting performances, the Spanish locations give a sense of granduer to what is obviously a low budget production by Hollywood standards. Heston's direction is hit and miss with the shadows of Cecil B. De Mille and William Wyler looming large but not enough to sabotage the film. There are even excerpts from BEN HUR and the 1963 CLEOPATRA thrown in to lend scope to the battle scenes and they are skillfully incorporated. In the end ANTONY & CLEOPATRA is not as good as it could have been but it remains a worthwhile undertaking that I'll have no trouble revisiting.