It nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox, and you won't ever see a film produced again on such a scale, so it's fitting that Fox should give "Cleopatra" this definitive three-disc DVD release.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture Running at over four hours, the film is split between two discs, to ensure a quality transfer. The picture quality is simply stunning - rich with colour, but detailed and vibrant.

Sound The mighty music score by Alex North is given free reign in a 5.1 mix that adds the kind of bass effects that such a major film should have.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Commentaries (on Discs One and Two) On disc one and two you'll find a commentary track with Chris and Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau, and Jack Brodsky. Each recorded their contributions separately, and a large portion is given over to Landau - which is fine, because he's not short on anecdotes. He gives us a demonstration of his excellent Italian, learned as a result of spending a year in Italy shooting the film. Landau also takes time to discuss the politics that led to what was to have been two three-hour movies being melded into one, and a script that was as thick as the Beverly Hills phonebook. He brings to life a shoot that sounds so fantastic as to be almost unbelievable, when compared to the bland productions of today.

Tom Mankiewicz, the son of director Joe, also has plenty to relate, and is up for discussing the scandalous affairs that surrounded Liz Taylor during the making of the movie. Quite incredibly, she had director approval on the film, and would accept only George Stevens or Joe Mankiewicz. That, combined with her $1 million fee, made everything she said or did of endless fascination to the celebrity news journalists of the time.

Features on Disc Three

"Cleopatra": The Film that Changed Hollywood Anyone who's a fan of Hollywood history, and the perceived 'glamour days' of the industry, will be rooted to the spot by this two-hour dissection of a movie known as the most expensive of all time. The production was so huge that building materials became scarce in Italy due to the building of the vast sets. The impact of Liz Taylor's protracted illness and near brush with death caused incredible problems as the movie threatened to bankrupt Fox. Filled with behind-the-scenes shots, footage, and interviews, this is a sumptuous documentary.

The Fourth Star of "Cleopatra" This 1963 featurette takes a look at the 'fourth star' of the movie, the production itself, from the 79 sets, to the 26,000 costumes. A thousand crew were involved in bringing the film to life, and there's plenty of behind-the-scenes material that will make your jaw drop. It really is hard to be impressed with any CGI 'demonstrations' on other DVDs when you can see fantasy for real on this disc.

Trailers and Movietone Footage Here's a gallery with six trailers and Movietone reports from the US East and West Coast premieres. Tickets to the West Coast show were $200 each, and that was in 1963!

Stills Galleries A mass of images for you to flick through in the following categories: Costume Concept and Research, Excerpts from Original Exhibitor's Campaign Book and Manual, Excerpts from Commemorative Theatre Programme, British Lobby Cards, Billboard Art, and Miscellaneous Key art and Japanese Poster.

Region: 2
Chapters: 52
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Technical Features: Scene selection, animated menus, multiple language subtitles, and English captions for the hearing impaired.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.