Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra (1972)

Eternity Was in Our Lips and Eyes.

Adaptation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, a historical drama that attempts to bring an epic visual style to the Bard's original stage play. The story concerns Marc Antony's attempts to rule Rome while maintaining a relationship with the queen of Egypt (Hildegarde Neil), which began while Antony was still married. Now he is being forced to marry the sister of his Roman co-leader, and soon the conflict leads to war.

Date of release
1972-03-18
TMDB
5.7 / 10 (24)
Runtime
2h 18m
Genres
Drama, History
Director
Charlton Heston

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Based on: Antony and Cleopatra
  • Filmed in: Almería

Antony and Cleopatra is a 1972 film adaptation of the play of the same name by William Shakespeare, directed by and starring Charlton Heston, and made by the Rank Organisation. Heston and Hildegarde Neil portray the titular roles of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, with a supporting cast featuring Eric Porter, John Castle, Fernando Rey, Carmen Sevilla, Freddie Jones, Peter Arne, Douglas Wilmer, Julian Glover and Roger Delgado. The picture was produced by Peter Snell from a screenplay by Federico De Urrutia and the director.

Production

The film was produced by Peter Snell, who had just made another film adaptation of a Shakespeare play with Charlton Heston, Julius Caesar. Heston had played the role of Marc Antony in that movie, as well as other adaptations of Julius Caesar. He had appeared in Antony and Cleopatra on Broadway with Katherine Cornell, in a small role, and loved the play. Heston and Snell decided to make a film of Anthony and Cleopatra.

Heston adapted the play into a screenplay himself, working on it in 1969. He wrote in his diary that this was "one of the most satisfying experiences in my career" calling the original text "the most filmable of all Shakespeare’s plays. He has been described as the first screenwriter. If so, this is his best screenplay."

Heston originally considered Jack Gold to direct and for several months in early 1970 it seemed this might happen. Peter Grenville was also considered. In Heston's diaries he saw Chimes and Midnight in September 1970 and was so impressed he decided to offer the job of directing to Orson Welles. Welles was interested but by the end of October said he was unavailable so Heston decided to do it himself.

Heston asked Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles to direct but both turned it down, so he decided to do it himself. He said both men advised him to make it only if Heston found a "great" Cleopatra. In his diaries, Heston mentions considering Irene Pappas, Anne Bancroft and Sophia Loren and Susannah York; he dismissed Glenda Jackson after seeing Women in Love although later said this was a mistake, and thought Barbara Jefford was not sexy enough.

Raising finance was difficult with Commonwealth United promising support then withdrawing. On 24 June 1970 Heston wrote "I have to make this picture... I think it can be the best picture I ever made... and I hope, desperately, that someone with a million and a half dollars thinks so too." Eventually distributors in 21 countries put up 65 percent of the $1.8 million budget (which was actually $2.7 million but Heston and Snell deferred their fees).…

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