This scene is where Cleopatra is crowned sole ruler of Egypt. Caesar had disposed of her brother and his advisor, providing Cleopatra with the opportunity to rule. The scene is filmed in a medium shot at an eye-level angle, allowing viewers to be closer to the two rulers as well as be on the same level. Caesar is closer to the center than Cleopatra, alluding to his power over her and the fact that he provided her with the throne. The two rulers are also in the foreground establishing them as the focus, but because of Caesar's positioning he is of greater importance between the two. Cleopatra, at this point, is indebted to him for all that he has returned to her. Though Caesar gave Cleopatra her throne, she still wants him to be subservient to her, hence the angered look on Caesar's face as Cleopatra ushers him to kneel. This also shows movement in the shot due to Caesar looking at Cleopatra. The colors are very bright and vibrant in the background. Caesar's outfit is more flamboyant than Cleopatra's, contributing to his greater presence in the scene. The lighting is rather bright coming from the front to highlight both Cleopatra and Caesar. All of these things combined provide the scene with authority and life, giving off a hushed, celebratory mood.
Good analysis. There is also something to say about Cleopatra's closed eyes. She is in a position where all her power has been given to her rather than earned yet she trusts that nothing will happen to her. She knows that all those around her will not harm her so in a sense she has a very different power than Caesar. She has trust in her power and he has none in his own as he constantly must defend his actions and position in order to retain the power he has and not lose it.
ReplyDeleteYou both do a nice job interpreting the scene. Cleo's posture in this scene still puzzles me, though. Whenever she tries to be regal, she's standing, sitting, or lying really still, and only in the latter case, in the last scene of the movie, is she actually dead. In some ways, this reminds me of the slow, majestic movements of the silent Cleopatra from our 1913 movie ("Marc'antonio e Cleopatra"), but I suspect that the filmmakers' preconceptions about Egypt also play a role here. Maybe to be really pharaonic, a pharaoh needs to look like a mummy?
ReplyDeleteJenny: When we were watching the movie last Wednesday, I was trying to figure out why Cleopatra's eyes were closed, but couldn't come up with a good explanation. I really like yours and think that it provides a very plausible justification.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Knorr: That's an interesting, and quite comical, observation. The idea that a pharaoh must be "mummy-esque" is one I hadn't even though of, but now that you've mentioned it, I can't help but notice it.