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Queen Cleopatra: Do We Need The New Netflix Cleopatra Docudrama?
In its ongoing mission to televise the entire back-catalogue of the human race, Netflix has recently released the docudrama Queen Cleopatra, documenting the famous Egyptian pharaoh’s fight to protect her family, her throne and her legacy during her 21-year reign.
It’s fair to say that, so far, the reviews have not been flattering. Mostly, critics are concerned about the hammy acting intertwining quite terribly with the serious history and the story that is being told.
Similarly, there are some critics claiming that this series is unneeded, with the 1963 American epic Cleopatra already having told the story in a far more streamlined, entertaining way.
The 1963 Cleopatra
Indeed, the original Cleopatra movie was well received after its initial release, with performances from Elizabeth Taylor and the razor-sharp vision of Joseph L. Mankiewicz combining together to create an undeniable epic.
It has also stood the test of time. Whether you like it or not, it is a testament to a film if it is still being recalled sixty years after its release. But just because a picture does a good job of telling a historical figure’s story, does that mean it is off-limits for other directors to give it a crack?
Well, no, of course not. But if a director puts their vision on an already asserted classic, it better be doing something better than the original.
The 2023 Cleopatra
As it is, Queen Cleopatra is a shaky account of Cleopatra’s time on the throne, and the drama is not very entertaining. While the original Cleopatra may not have been 100% historically accurate, it was certainly good on entertainment value.
Ancient Egypt has been an enduring source of inspiration and material for contemporary media, and not just in the form of movies or television. Games, for instance, have fallen in love with the world of Ancient Egypt. Even down to online slots, games like Cleopatra utilise the ancient Egyptian theme to create a vibrant, mystical and immersive experience. This is done through scatter symbols – with the most rewarding being the Cleopatra symbol, obviously! – an aesthetical design and a soundtrack that sounds quintessentially Egyptian. Sounds simple, right? But that is what is needed. Something simple but entertaining enough to immerse an audience.
It feels, in a way, that the drive to make Queen Cleopatra entertaining was lost somewhere in the mix. That’s not to say the docudrama is without its merits – quite the contrary, the entertainment was lost in focussing on those merits.
The Portrayal Of Cleopatra
Some of those include Adele James in the lead role. Although there has been some unfair criticism of her casting, it is hard to deny that she gets the role of Cleopatra. You can see her passion, her drive, her fierce determination to protect what she cares about. This is perhaps a more accurate portrayal of the role than Elizabeth Taylor’s in the original film.
Although Taylor was brilliant, the portrayal was perhaps toned down to fit in with the perception of audience members at the time of release. The rise of feminism and the recognition of blatant sexism within the movie industry has allowed for portrayals like James’ to be shown. She does not hold back, nor should she hold back if a story like this is going to be told.
Other notable merits include set design and direction and the story flying by at an epic pace. But still, the original Cleopatra perhaps holds up better, especially the Blu-ray Cleopatra version, which showed each set and moment in high-definition glory.
The Bottom Line
It took a whole five years for this movie to get from pre-production to release, and that’s because of the amount of care and detail the studio and director put into getting it right. It feels like the same amount of precision did not go into this series, which is a shame because the story of Cleopatra deserves to be told again and again.
We don’t need another Cleopatra documentation, but it would always be welcome if the content was truly memorable. With people like Adele James in the role, this series certainly took a solid shot, but it seems like the original Cleopatra will reign as queen for a little while longer.