Review of Caesar And Cleopatra

Introduction

When this movie landed on the doormat, I wasn`t expecting anything remarkable of it. It is of course a filmed adaptation of a George Bernard Shaw play, which counts for something, and it happens to be both an example of the wartime British style of Technicolor photography and the biggest production undertaken in the UK up to that time. I just wasn`t expecting anything remarkable.

Released in 1945, the cast of Caesar and Cleopatra is as spectacular as the rich Technicolor photography by Freddie Young, Jack Cardiff and Jack Hildyard. Claude Rains is a silky-sounding Caesar while Vivien Leigh turns in another tempestuous performance to match her Scarlett O`Hara. They are supported by such stellar company as Cecil Parker, Stewart Granger, Flora Robson, Ernest Thesiger and Stanley Holloway. For old movie fans (or fans of old movies) the movie is a real spot-the-star treat.

Video

This is the really striking thing about the movie. Presented in its original aspect ratio of 4:3 (Academy Frame), the movie was shot in full Technicolor in 1945. That should mean a picture that has seen better days - grainy, scratchy, faded and pretty unwatchable. Not so this print, and if you don`t believe me there`s a restoration demo on the disc that shows how much work has been put into polishing up the picture and sound for this release. All the stops have been pulled out to correct scratches, dust and print weave, and enhance colour, contrast and sound. In short, the movie looks just about as good as it must have done at the end of WW2. Carlton have done us proud with this movie and are to be congratulated. If only this kind of care could be taken with all vintage movies.

Audio

The improvements in the audio aren`t as striking as the image but are still noticeable. The soundtrack is, of course, mono as originally presented. Of note is the soundtrack of the original theatrical trailer, also on the disc, with narration by EVH Emmett who also did the narration on "Carry On Cleo" which took a great deal of inspiration from this picture

Features

There are cast biographies, an original trailer, a short animated picture gallery and a demonstration of the restoration applied to the movie. There are hard of hearing subtitles, which is always good to see. The disk is presented in a satin-finish card keep case with a plastic disc retainer.

Conclusion

A genuinely impressive presentation of a classic movie. While not everybody`s cup of tea, and certainly not terribly highly regarded by cineastes, it is a treat for anybody who enjoys the works of Shaw, or wartime British films.