Cleopatra

...a colossus of the analogue-epic era, and the high point of Elizabeth Taylor's global celebrity, when her prestige was hardly less towering than that of the actual queen of the Nile.

...the political machinations of the first more demonstrably show off Mankiewicz’ acidly nuanced skills as a writer.

...every cent of the colossal $44m budget is up there to see; as a monument to pre-CGI pageantry, it doesn’t get much bigger than this.

...this super-gargantuan historical drama from 1963 may not be much of a movie, but it delivers Hollywood spectacle of the sort we’ll never see again.

Opulent, totally satisfying DeMille, due in no small part to the vocal command and trickery brought to Cleopatra by Colbert, a surprisingly good choice despite her leanness and kittenish reputation.