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Antony and Cleopatra Reviews

1974
2 hr 41 mins
Drama
NR

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Like other productions of Antony and Cleopatra, this 1974 version assumes that the audience is familiar with events that took place before Mark Antony's affair in Egypt with Cleopatra. These events include the assassination of Julius Caesar and the formation of a ruling Roman triumvirate of Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. When the armies of the triumvirate track down the armies of the assassins during a civil war, Egypt refuses to participate on the triumvirate's side. Antony summons Queen Cleopatra to Tarsus, Cicilia (present-day Turkey), to explain Egypt's position. But Antony falls in love with her and returns with her to Alexandria, Egypt. Shakespeare's play -- and thus the film -- begins there, in Alexandria. Captivated by Cleopatra's (Janet Suzman) beauty and charm, Antony (Richard Johnson) dallies in Egypt, forgetting his duties as soldier and statesman, until he receives word that his wife, Fulvia, has died and that Rome is on the brink of a new civil war, this time against Sextus Pompeius, the son of the late Pompey the Great. After Antony returns to Rome, Octavius (Corin Redgrave) berates him for neglecting affairs of state. However, they reconcile after Antony agrees to marry Octavius' sister, Octavia (Mary Rutherford). Upon hearing of the marriage, Cleopatra becomes enraged. Meanwhile, the triumvirs -- Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus make peace with Pompeius. Then Antony, accompanied by his new wife, goes to Athens to take command of Roman armies fighting the Parthians. Taking advantage of Antony's absence, the ambitious Octavius defeats Pompeius in a new war, deposes Lepidus, and consolidates his power. Angry, Antony sends his wife, Octavia, to Rome to protest. Meanwhile, still in love with Cleopatra, Antony returns to Egypt and resumes his affair with the alluring queen.

Reviewed By: Mike Cummings

Superb acting marks this 1974 Royal Shakespeare Company production of Antony and Cleopatra. However, viewers expecting a Hollwood-style epic, à la the 1963 Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor extravaganza Cleopatra, may balk at the spare sets and meager musical interludes. In most of the scenes, there is no backdrop other than a monochromatic haze ranging from white to black. What's more, there is no musical score as such except for occasional simple tunes and drum rolls. Nevertheless, the film succeeds, mainly because the acting has bite and pith. As Mark Antony, Richard Johnson infuses his character with flawed nobility. Janet Suzman is quite convincing as history's most magnificent minx -- she is sensuous and tempestuous. Her makeup artist, however, deserves a slap on the wrist for painting her face with an "instant tan" that stands out noticeably. Performances by supporting actors -- in particular, Patrick Stewart and Corin Redgrave -- are excellent. Stewart brings humor, warmth, and pathos to his role as Antony's friend and right-hand man, Enobarbus. As Octavius, Redgrave is appropriately haughty and cold, speaking envenomed words that foreshadow his eventual clash with Antony. Others who perform with distinction include Derek Godfrey as Macenas and Philip Locke as the diplomatic Agrippa. But was director Jon Scoffield right in staging this production without the pomp and circumstance of lavish sets and trumpet fanfares? Shakespeare purists would no doubt answer yes. Unfortunately, in an age of dazzling spectacle and special effects, it hasn't attracted many viewers.