Consistent incest for over three generations can apparently do one of two things…create an entire village of idiots or consolidate the gene pool, keeping the family genetically pure but grossing out the neighbors during baby showers. Landing on the Ptolemy family tree--notable for fathers marrying sisters and brothers marrying mothers--in 69 B.C., Cleopatra, who would eventually become more than Queen For a Day, has a contemporary reputation that ranges from seditious harlot to ambitious sex kitten. Narrated by Anjelica Huston, Cleopatra aims to sets the record straight, chronicling Cleopatra's family dynasty and looking at the men in her life--both Julius Caesar (who shared many of her political aspirations) and Mark Antony (who was a soldier's solider with a fairly weak political grasp), as well as recounting her successes as a visionary ruler and brilliant strategist before her defeat at the Battle of Actium by Octavian (who later became the first emperor of Rome) and eventual suicide apparently from the bite of an asp. Combining computer graphics, interviews with historical scholars, onscreen maps, movie clips and nicely done re-enactments of the life of this legendary queen, the DVD version also includes biographies of Cleopatra, Caesar, and Antony, among others, and a timeline chart. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (N. Plympton)
Cleopatra: The First Woman of Power
(1999) 50 min. VHS: $19.95, DVD: $24.99. Questar. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-56855-566-0 (dvd). Volume 17, Issue 3
Cleopatra: The First Woman of Power
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: