Cleopatra (PART 1)

 

Cleopatra (PART 1)

 


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Kato, how come you bring up Cleopatra?


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I happened to view the movie the other day.

 


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Cleopatra (1934 film)


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Cleopatra is a 1934 American epic film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

A retelling of the story of Cleopatra VII of Egypt, the screenplay was written by Waldemar Young and Vincent Lawrence and was based on Bartlett Cormack's adaptation of historical material.

Claudette Colbert stars as Cleopatra, Warren William as Julius Caesar, and Henry Wilcoxon as Mark Antony.

Nominated for five Academy Awards, Cleopatra was the first DeMille film to receive a nomination for Best Picture.

Victor Milner won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

 

PLOT

In 48 BC, Cleopatra vies with her brother Ptolemy for control of Egypt.
Pothinos (Leonard Mudie) kidnaps her and Apollodorus (Irving Pichel) and strands them in the desert.
When Pothinos informs Julius Caesar that the queen has fled the country, Caesar is ready to sign an agreement with Ptolemy when Apollodorus appears, bearing a gift carpet for the Roman. When Apollodorus unrolls it, Cleopatra emerges, much to Pothinos' surprise. He tries to deny who she is. However, Caesar sees through the deception and Cleopatra soon beguiles Caesar with the prospect of the riches of not only Egypt, but also India. Later, when they are seemingly alone, she spots a sandal peeking out from underneath a curtain and thrusts a spear into the hidden Pothinos, foiling his assassination attempt. Caesar makes Cleopatra the sole ruler of Egypt, and begins an affair with her.

Caesar eventually returns to Rome with Cleopatra to the cheers of the masses, but Roman unease is directed at Cleopatra.
Cassius (Ian Maclaren), Casca (Edwin Maxwell), Brutus (Arthur Hohl) and other powerful Romans become disgruntled, rightly suspecting that he intends to abolish the Roman Republic and make himself emperor, with Cleopatra as his empress (after divorcing Calpurnia, played by Gertrude Michael).
Ignoring the forebodings of Calpurnia, Cleopatra, and a soothsayer (Harry Beresford) who warns him about the Ides of March, Caesar goes to announce his intentions to the Senate.
Before he can do so, he is assassinated.

Cleopatra is heartbroken at the news.
At first, she wants to go to him, but Apollodorus tells her that Caesar did not love her, only her power and wealth, and that Egypt needs her.
They return home.

Bitter rivals Marc Antony and Octavian (Ian Keith) are named co-rulers of Rome.
Antony, disdainful of women, invites Cleopatra to meet with him in Tarsus, intending to bring her back to Rome as a captive.
Enobarbus (C. Aubrey Smith), his close friend, warns Antony against meeting Cleopatra, but he goes anyway.
She entices him to her barge and throws a party with many exotic animals and beautiful dancers, and soon seduces him.
Together, they sail to Egypt.

King Herod (Joseph Schildkraut), who has secretly allied himself with Octavian, visits the lovers.
He informs Cleopatra privately that Rome and Octavian can be appeased if Antony were to be poisoned.
Herod also tells Antony the same thing, with the roles reversed.
Antony laughs off his suggestion, but a reluctant Cleopatra, reminded of her duty to Egypt by Apollodorus, tests a poison on a condemned murderer (Edgar Dearing) to see how it works.
Before Antony can drink the fatal wine, however, they receive news that Octavian has declared war.

Antony orders his generals and legions to gather, but Enobarbus informs him that they have all deserted out of loyalty to Rome.
Enobarbus tells his comrade that he can wrest control of Rome away from Octavian by having Cleopatra killed, but Antony refuses to consider it.
Enobarbus bids Antony goodbye, as he will not fight for an Egyptian queen against Rome.
A short montage sequence shows the fighting between the forces of Antony and Octavian, ending in the naval Battle of Actium.

Antony fights on with the Egyptian army, and is defeated.
Octavian and his soldiers surround and besiege Antony and Cleopatra.
Antony is mocked when he offers to fight them one by one.
Without his knowledge, Cleopatra opens the gate and offers to cede Egypt in return for Antony's life in exile, but Octavian turns her down.

Meanwhile, Antony believes that she has deserted him for his rival and stabs himself.
When Cleopatra returns, she is heartbroken to find him dying.
They reconcile before he perishes.

Then, with the gates breached, Cleopatra kills herself with a poisonous snake and is found sitting on her throne, dead.

 

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SOURCE: "Cleopatra (1934 film)"
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So, Kato, you're a Cleopatra fan, huh?



Yes, I am. 　Diane, have you seen this movie?

No, not this one, but I watched the 1963 version:

 


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How did you like it?



Fabulous and spectacular!　 I love it.　　How about you, Kato?

I viwed both versions... The 1934 version seems better simply because I like Claudette Colbert more than Elizabeth Taylor.

So, is that the reson you bring up the 1934 version?

Yes, but there's another reason.

Tell me, Kato.

Last night, Cleopatra showed up in my dream... That's the main reason I've decide to write this article.

You gotta be kidding!

Nope, I'm quite serious.

Then tell me about your dream.

It goes like this:

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Kato, you forget something quite important.



Hmm...? Do I? What is that?

So, I've come out this way. I can't go home until I tell you my story.

Where are you going back?

Of course, I'll go back up the heaven.

Do you wanna make me believe it?

Well... they say, if you believe it, you'll be saved.

I've already been saved, so I don't have to believe what you say.

Anyway, I'm the woman you're talking about.

So, do you really mean that you're Cleopatra, eh?

Yes, I do... I'm the one you've desperately wanted to meet.　 How do I look?


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Well... You look great, but I'm worried about you.



Why is that?

You see, I like a naked woman, but if you remain naked for an hour or so, you'll catch a cold.

Kato, I know you love to see a naked woman.

Yes, I do... but could you cover between your legs. Otherwise, I cannot concentrate on talking with you.

Alright...

Well..., now, how do I look?

You're still wearing nothing.

But I've covered it between my legs, haven't I?

Yes, but if I move to your left, I can see it.

Then don't move, Kato.

Okay... I'll stay here... Now please read the following passage:

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Cleopatra perhaps started to view Antony as a liability by the late summer of 31 BC, when she prepared to leave Egypt to her son Caesarion.

Cleopatra planned to relinquish her throne to him, taking her fleet from the Mediterranean into the Red Sea and then setting sail to a foreign port, perhaps in India, where she could spend time recuperating.

However, these plans were ultimately abandoned when Malichus I, as advised by Octavian's governor of Syria, Quintus Didius, managed to burn Cleopatra's fleet in revenge for his losses in a war with Herod that Cleopatra had largely initiated.

Cleopatra had no other option but to stay in Egypt and negotiate with Octavian.

Although most likely later pro-Octavian propaganda, it was reported that at this time Cleopatra started testing the strengths of various poisons on prisoners and even her own servants.

Cleopatra had Caesarion enter into the ranks of the ephebi, which, along with reliefs on a stele from Koptos dated 21 September 31 BC, demonstrated that Cleopatra was now grooming her son to become the sole ruler of Egypt.

In a show of solidarity, Antony also had Marcus Antonius Antyllus, his son with Fulvia, enter the ephebi at the same time.

Separate messages and envoys from Antony and Cleopatra were then sent to Octavian, still stationed at Rhodes, although Octavian seems to have only replied to Cleopatra.

Cleopatra requested that her children should inherit Egypt and that Antony should be allowed to live in exile in Egypt, offering Octavian money in the future and immediately sending him lavish gifts.

Octavian sent his diplomat Thyrsos to Cleopatra after she threatened to burn herself and vast amounts of her treasure within a tomb already under construction.

Thyrsos advised her to kill Antony so that her life would be spared, but when Antony suspected foul intent, he had this diplomat flogged and sent back to Octavian without a deal.

After lengthy negotiations that ultimately produced no results, Octavian set out to invade Egypt in the spring of 30 BC.

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SOURCE: "Cleopatra"
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What about the above passage?



You see, Thyrsos advised you to kill Antony so that your life would be spared. Right?

Yes, he did.

Many people still believe that you were a femme fatal who simply took advantage of Anthony. You didn't really love him at all.


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Kato, do you also believe that crap?



Well..., I'm not too sure, but you appear quite seductive, and you did indeed attract Julius Caesar and caused his downfall eventually.

Actually, that's why I'm here to tell you the truth.

Oh...? Then tell me your story, Cleopatra.

Okay...


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I'm a bit tired... You might feel easy if I lie down like this.



Suit yourself, Cleopatra...

Actually, I started to view Antony as a liability by the late summer of 31 BC, but I still loved him.

Oh, did you?

Yes, I did... And Anthony knew that Thyrsos advised me to kill Antony so that my life would be spared.

What happened beteen you and Anthony.

I wanted Anthony to know my heart somehow.

So what did you do?

About a week after Thyrsos's advice, I was attractively dressed than usual and arrived at the dinner table.

To eat with Anthony?

Yes, that's right.


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Anthony said he was thirsty and grabbed a glass of wine, but I talked about a domesticated lion to draw his attention.



Well then...?

Anthony listened to me. When he was listening to it, I picked flowers from the crown and put them in Anthony's glass.

Why is that?

The flower was sprayed with poison.

I see... So if he drinks, he'll die... Is that it?

Yes, that's right. After I finished talking, Anthony tried to bring the glass to the mouth. And he was about to drink it.

Did he drink it?

Of course not. I took the glass from his hand.

Why is that? If you killed him, your life would be spared.

Instead, I told my maid Carmion to bring me one of death-row prisoners.

Why is that?

I gave the prisoner Anthony's glass and told him to drink that wine.

Naturally, the prisoner died, didn't he?

Of course, he did... He had to die sooner or later... It would be better off if he died while drinking wine, instead of being crucified.

Well then...?

Anthony appeared flabbergasted. So, I said to him. "If I could live without you, I would not take the glass from your hands."

I see. . . Does that mean Anthony came to know your true heart and loved you more than before?

Yes, he did... Now, Kato, you finally come to know that I AM Cleopatra, don't you?

Diane, how do you like my dream?



Quite interesting! 　I didn't know you're such a romantic dreamteller.



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(To be continued)