This film takes place during the time when "Octavian" (Alfredo Mayo) ruled the western part of the Roman Empire in Rome while "Marc Antony" (Georges Marchal) and "Cleopatra" (Linda Crystal) ruled the eastern half of the empire from the city of Alexandria in Egypt. It's during this time that Cleopatra dons a disguise and happens to meet a Greek gladiator named "Curridio" (Ettore Manni) with whom she falls in love with.
This superior Epic rendition of the 'Antony and Cleopatra' affair, helmed by one of the undisputed Italian masters of the genre, is nevertheless a conceptually flawed effort: incidentally, it seems to have taken a leaf from two recently-viewed and almost identically-titled movies i.e.
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** Corridius (Ettore Manni), a valorous Roman, becomes unintentionally embroiled in the political intrigues of Queen Cleopatra (Linda Cristal.) While he frequents a favorite tavern of local brawlers, he meets a luscious slave girl dancer and falls in love with her.
Mankiewicz's movie,even if it's unfairly looked upon by pretty much as a failure is a great director's /writer's work.It's not only a question of money;give the same big budget to Vittorio Cottafavi and he will not do what Mankiewicz does.
Photographed in Italy in Supercinescope and Eastman Color. U.