Cleopatra's World: Alexandria Revealed

Murder, incest, extra-marital sex, bastardy, suicide--heck, it's better than fiction, it's history! No wonder Cleopatra continues to rivet audiences. Cleopatra's World looks at the Last of the Pharaohs and her home of Alexandria, the capital of the Greek-born Ptolemy dynasty that ruled Egypt for more than 300 years before Christ. A tad schizophrenic, the program divides its time between the new archaeological finds in the waters off modern Alexandria, and Cleo's titillating biography. In other words, one minute we're looking at way-cool ruins under water, and the next we're seeing paintings from the 16th-19th centuries attempting to portray the Queen of the Nile--usually naked, but sometimes in the costumes of the day. (If you thought Liz Taylor looked goofy, you should see Cleopatra painted in a stomacher and farthingale.) Because of the length of the tape and its ping-ponging back-and-forth between the two topics, it would not be useful for classroom settings but will probably be a welcome addition in public libraries. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)