Cleopatra (1999 film)

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For other films by this title, see Cleopatra (film).

Cleopatra

Directed by	Franc Roddam
Produced by	Robert Halmi Jr. Robert Halmi Sr. Steve Harding Dyson Lovell Steven North
Written by	Margaret George(novel) Stephen Harrigan(teleplay) Anton Diether(teleplay)
Starring	Leonor Varela Timothy Dalton Billy Zane Rupert Graves John Bowe Art Malik Nadim Sawalha
Music by	Trevor Jones
Distributed by	Hallmark Entertainment
Release date(s)	1999
Running time	177 minutes
Language	English
IMDb profile

Cleopatra, the 1999 film is a fictional portrayal of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, produced by Hallmark Entertainment and starring Leonor Varela as the title character, Timothy Dalton as (Caesar), Billy Zane as (Antony) and Rupert Graves as (Octavius). The movie was based on the book Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George and even less faithful to history than the earlier versions. The film was shown first on television in two parts and then released on videotape and DVD.

The film begins in Alexandria with Cleopatra, Egypt's rightful Queen, in exile, while her sister Arsinoe and younger brother, Ptolemy have stolen the throne. Roman soldier Julius Caesar comes to collect Egypt's tax debt and take it with him. After conversing with a courtesan, Cleopatra smuggles herself into the palace wrapped in a carpet; a gift from her to Caesar. He accepts the gift and the twenty-year-old queen is revealed to the 52-year-old man. The two spend the night together, and the next morning, Cleopatra and Ptolemy are betrothed to marry by Caesar. Shortly after the siblings are wed, Cleopatra is proclaimed Queen of Egypt, forcing Ptolemy to join forces with Arsinoe and drive their sister out of Alexandria.

A war breaks out between the Romans and Ptolemy's Egyptian forces, and in the process, Alexandria's great library is burned to the ground. Even with this loss, Cleopatra soon celebrates the return of her Roman lover, and the capture of her traitor sister, Arsinoe. The two take a 2-month journey down the nile aboard one of the Queen's elegant ships. Upon their return, Caesar breaks the news that he must leave for Rome. Unbeknownst to him, Ceasar leaves Cleopatra pregnant with his child. A son is born to the queen roughly nine months later; he is named Ptolemy Caesar, in honor of his father.

Back in Rome, believing that he should hold the same status as his Egyptian lover, Ceasar demands he be declared King of Rome. Although they are histant to do so, the senate eventually grants Ceasar's request. Now having been declared king, Caesar invites Cleopatra to stay at one of his villas, just outisde Rome. With her, she brings the couple's infant son, whom the Egyptian people call 'Caesarion', meaning 'Little Caesar'. In front of his people (inlcuding wife Calpurnia), Cleopatra declares that Caesar is her son's father, publicly forcing his hand, and demanding that her son be allowed to rule both Egypt and Rome.

But Caesar denies the queen's request, explaining that Egypt is only free from Rome because he wishes it to be. Just before her return to Egypt, Cleopatra soon learns that Caesar has been assassinated at the hands of his own senate. The burdens of ruling fall on the shoulders of Caesar's Roman heir and grand-nephew, Octavian; a teenage boy who hates Cleopatra.

With his asscetion, Octavian plans to rid himself of his rival; he is Cleopatra's baby boy, Caesarion, who threatens Octavian's reign. Renaming himself Caesar Augustus, Octavian sends soldiers to Egypt to find and kill Caesar's son. In the meantime, Caesar's boyhood friend and cousin, Marc Antony is sent to Alexandria to protect Caesarion and the woman Caesar loved. In spending time with together, Antony and Cleopatra fall in love. Although they wish to marry, Antony reveals that he wed Octavian's sister, the submissive Octavia, in order to strengthen his alliance and co-ruling with the new emperor. Defying his Roman beliefs against polygamy, Antony marries Cleopatra in Antioch, claiming that her son, Caesarion, is heir to not only Egypt, but also Rome.

Upon hearing of Antony's claim, Octavian wages war against the two lovers, trapping Cleopatra in her own city. Threatening suicide if Octavian does not let her son go, Cleopatra learns that she has lost Antony, killed in battle against Octavian's army. Octavian arrives in Egypt, demading that Cleopatra join him in Rome as his prisoner. She refuses and demands that her son be allowed to rule Egypt. Octavian does not agree to this, but allows Antony to have an Egyptian burial. After sending her children to India, Cleopatra's plan goes through, as she has a basket of figs brought to her heavily guarded tomb. There, she lets the asp bite her, and dies shortly after. Her handmaidens quickly follow their queen's example. Octavian's men breakthrough the doors, only to discover that the queen is dead.

Although some of the scenes shown in this film are accurate, there are many pieces of the puzzle missing. After Antony and Cleopatra marry, she gives birth to twins, Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios. A second son was born to them when the twins were 2-3-years-old. They named him Ptolemy Philiadelphos. As usual, these three children are not shown in the film. Another missing scene, that was shown when the film first aired on television, is when Caesar returns to Egypt and Cleopatra shows him their son. This was cut out of the version copied onto VHS.