The DVD version consists of 2 episodes, the parricide of Caesar being the juncture. In addition, the language was Spanish without subtitles. Hence, it's hard for me to review in depth this movie because because i didn't understand what was said.Cleopatra being an historic icon, the part is very difficult and i found that for a newcomer, Leonor Varela just plays fine. She is strong-willed but also a very supportive, tender soul mate. Thimothy Dalton as Caesar is perfect and their romance is the main thing of the first episode. So, it is not really a documentary, nor a peplum but a great love story.After the parricide, a new lover comes (Marc-Antoine) but the flavor is gone: we remember always our first love. So, i found the second episode dull and their tragic fate isn't told powerfully.Nonetheless, the production is luxurious: the sets are big, tastefully decorated; the Moroccan live location exotic and the wardrobes splendid. The producers have a lot of money for sure, but they spend nothing on the special effects. They are so poor (blue screens, ships, Sphinx) that it's funny.Finally, I would like very much to hear it in french or English to make a definitive opinion about this two movies.

This above-average made-for -TV epic has roughly the same structure as Mankiewicz's largely underrated work;a first part deals with Cleopatra and Julius Caesar,then the second part is about her affair with Marc Antony.It is entertaining stuff ;of course the lines are not on the same level as the 1963 opus (they say that Mankiewicz used to re-write them night after night) and Cleopatra 's Alexander-the Great's dream is reduced to a hope for a kingdom of peace and love(Cleo and Marc Antony dixit).Shakespearian Timothy Dalton was a good choice for Caesar ,they just forgot the Roman was bald ;Billy Zane was also convincing as Marc Antony.Leonor Valera was OK in the first part,but she was definitely too young in the second one which demanded a more mature woman.Rupert Graves was given the part of the villain.His Octavian is so vile that Cleopatra does not even try to seduce him before committing suicide.

Based on the novel The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George, this mini-series is an okay adaption of a truly fascinating piece of literature. I think that it gives a fairer portrayal of Cleopatra is important, though Leonor Varela isn't that good an actress. I found her acting so amateurish next to that of Timothy Dalton and Billy Zane; at least she was better than Kassandra Voyagis was as Arsinoe. Also she made Cleopatra seem very childish and whiny at times, which was annoying.Otherwise I liked this story, Timothy Dalton as Julius Caesar was fine in the role, though too dark and good looking (someone tell Daniel Craig please play Caesar sometime in his career!) and Billy Zane did a good job as Marc Antony. The sets lived up to what Alexandria probably looked like, except there was little sign of the Greek influence on the city. The costumes were lovely and the supporting cast were some of the best (though I could have changed some of their lines for them), and I was able to overlook historical inaccuracies, such as Arsinoe being murdered in the dungeons of the palace of Alexandria under Cleopatra's orders. Arsinoe appeared as a prisoner in Caesar's Triumph, and since the public showed sympathy for her, Caesar allowed her to be released. They also didn't explain at the end that Caesarion was executed under Octavian's orders, but I guess they wanted to leave the audience with a bit of hope. Fine to watch on a wet or snowy afternoon.

I saw this in a history class of the Roman Republic, believe it or not. This film smacks of made-for-TV all over it, and it is simply hilarious. It looks like a cheap imitator of "Xena: Warrior Princess" rather than a genuine attempt at historic recreation. All the basic historic facts seem in order, but with overly-pretty actors and over-the-top violence and action scenes thrown in to lure the Xena fans. Marc Antony is the super-hunky Billy Zane, though he seems supremely whiny and wimpy in this movie. HE'S the great Roman General?! Master of the Horse?! Puh-lease! Hunkiness means nothing if you're such a scaredy-cat, you let the girly-looking Octavian (he looks like Napoleon Dynamite) beat you in battle. It's clear Cleo chose him only for his looks! Cleopatra is an over-the-top sexy babe, and a cheap imitation of Xena. She joins Antony in battle at Actium, kicking major butt and slicing and dicing with her sword. She is also a yappy, whiny shrew of a woman that, in spite of her great beauty, it is very unlikely any man would want to hook up with her. I adamantly refuse to believe that Antony and Cleopatra were uber-hot supermodels; but, for the purposes of this film, it works! It's lovely schlock, and connoisseurs of schlock and camp will love this film.