Rating: 
Summary: stilted and stage-bound
Review: CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA is a stilted and seemingly stage-bound version of George Bernard Shaw's otherwise-brilliant play about the Egyptian queen and her unlikely alliance with Julius Caesar.Vivien Leigh (GONE WITH THE WIND, THAT HAMILTON WOMAN) gives a polished performance as the raffish young girl whom Caesar discovers hiding amongst the moonlit shadows of a Sphinx. He decides to groom her into a Queen fit to topple her child-brother off the throne and rule the entire empire. Claude Rains (NOW VOYAGER, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) comes off as a "dirty old man" type of character who leads on our young heroine with talk of organising a meeting between Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Flora Robson gives a flavorful, colorful performance as Cleopatra's mystic handmaiden. She helps lift the often-maudlin and slow proceedings with her commanding grasp of Shaw's words. Although much superior in scope than the 1930's Claudette Colbert version, this film is quite inferior to the 1960's Elizabeth Taylor version, though leaves the dreadful Hallmark mini-series (starring Billy Zane and Leonor Varela) for dead with its stunning performances from Leigh and Robson.
Rating:
Summary: Give it a chance
Review: Ceasar & Cleoptra is based on Shaw's play and alas it's very, almost painfully stiff and stagey. They essentially took the play and filmed it and that rarely if ever, works on screen. So let's talk about the good. Vivien Leigh was marvelous as the beautiful but dangerous kitten with a knife girl-queen. In real life Queen Cleo was said to be in her 40s when she met Ceasar but anyway, Vivien is sparkling.
Claude Raines is great as always as Ceasar and it's fun watching the all Brit cast and spotting people you've seen in character roles in every other English movie made in the 30s and 40s. Oh and did young Stewart Granger have some magnificent legs or what?
Little happens because this movie is a battle of wits between Cleo and the Roman conqueror. There is (perhaps because of the age difference of the leads) little passion and no mention of the child Cleopatra had by Ceasar. It's not as fun as the Elizabeth Taylor epic but when you're in the mood for old time British drama give this version a chance.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitly a disappointment
Review: I just recently became a Vivien Leigh fan after seeing her in great films. I picked this up at my public library, looking foward to see her again. When I put into my VCR and when this movie appeared at the screen, I must say I was terribly disappointed. Nothing like GWTW or Waterloo Bridge. Her version of Cleopatra was ofial. And Claude Rains also gave me a bad impression, since it was the first time I had ever seen him on screen. I fell asleep half way through the movie, and when I woke up, I intended to fall back asleep. It was a horrible waste to my Saturday evening. But you can't be totally harsh because Vivien Leigh was going through some tough times during the making of the movie. But i'd recommended Waterloo Bridge, or GWTW, or any other Vivien Leigh film, but not CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't See How It Could Be Better
Review: I own this on Beta and just saw the last half again on Satellite. I was greatly disappointed to find it is not available on DVD. Perhaps the poor reviews you have for it have not helped. This is a great play and movie. All the stars give great performances. Claude Rains is Ceasar as I want him to be -and believe he was. I love the bits of wisdom that GBS sprinkles throughout the script, e.g.,"There's a Roman who knows how to make men love him!" Vivien Leigh is a believable princess of Egypt. Rufio, the ideal Right-Hand Man. Pftatateeta, the perfect chief handmaiden for Cleo. Apollodorus and the British Slave both perfect in their roles. This is one of the small number of films I can see over and over and still enjoy, even though, or perhaps because, every line of dialog is familiar.
Rating:
Summary: Don't See How It Could Be Better
Review: I own this on Beta and just saw the last half again on Satellite. I was greatly disappointed to find it is not available on DVD. Perhaps the poor reviews you have for it have not helped. This is a great play and movie. All the stars give great performances. Claude Rains is Ceasar as I want him to be -and believe he was. I love the bits of wisdom that GBS sprinkles throughout the script, e.g.,"There's a Roman who knows how to make men love him!" Vivien Leigh is a believable princess of Egypt. Rufio, the ideal Right-Hand Man. Pftatateeta, the perfect chief handmaiden for Cleo. Apollodorus and the British Slave both perfect in their roles. This is one of the small number of films I can see over and over and still enjoy, even though, or perhaps because, every line of dialog is familiar.
Rating:
Summary: VIVIEN IN HER BEST ROLE WITH BLANCHE AND SCARLETT
Review: In 1945, Gabriel Pascal produced and directed the filmversion of George Bernard Shaw`s CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA, his witty and wordy play. The casting of VIVIEN LEIGH was a successful one, although critics dissected both her and the film with the writer`s approval(Shaw to Pascal: "She`s all wrong. Must I drill her in diction?") Vivien suffered a miscarriage after falling beating the slave and suffered from her first attacks of manic depressions. Tubercoloses was shortly afterwards also diagnosed. However; the production was Britain`s most expensive failure, as Taylor`s CLEOPATRA in 63 - the Worlds greatest financial failure for 20th Century-Fox. VIVIEN LEIGH is at her best playing a kittenish girl who must transform into a reigning queen. Naturally, Leigh does it with great style. Look for Vivien`s look-alike Jean Simmons playing the harp in Vivien`s confrontation scene with her women slaves. No wonder Olivier chose Simmons for his Ophelia i Hamlet 1948. Roger Moore is holding a spear somewhere and Kay Kendall one of the slaves. See my MORE ABOUT ME page about my thoughts of VIVIEN LEIGH
Rating:
Summary: Maltin got this one wrong
Review: This is a fine rendition of the delightful Shaw play. A little rough around the edges when it comes to the supporting cast, but very enjoyable. Shaw's Caesar is a man of self-doubt and good humor, a vivid counterpoint to the haughty, aristocratic Caesar of Shakespeare.
Rating:
Summary: Maltin got this one wrong
Review: This is a fine rendition of the delightful Shaw play. A little rough around the edges when it comes to the supporting cast, but very enjoyable. Shaw's Caesar is a man of self-doubt and good humor, a vivid counterpoint to the haughty, aristocratic Caesar of Shakespeare.
Rating:
Summary: Vivien is stunning!
Review: This movie is pretty cool but Vivien makes it marvelous! Hey DVD people! Why does this movie get released on DVD for the UK and not the USA? I would like this movie for my DVD collection!
Rating:
Summary: Caesar and Cleopatra...Leigh/Rains Version
Review: This version of Caesar and Cleopatra is an historical farce. The talent of Leigh and Rains are wasted on this thing. At the start of the film when Leigh meets Caesar Leigh plays the role of Cleopatra as a whimsical/foolish/giddy girl. Outrageous. Good costumes for a period piece but when compared to the Claudette Colbert or Elizabeth Taylor verions this is a disgrace. Don't bother...you have been warned.
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