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Cleopatra(1970 film)

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Cleopatra
Japanesefilm poster
Japanese name
Kanjiクレオパトラ
Transcriptions
Revised HepburnKureopatora
Directed by
Screenplay byShigemi Satoyoshi
Story byOsamu Tezuka
Produced byYasuhiko Yoneyama
Starring
CinematographyKatsuji Misawa
Edited byMasashi Furukawa
Music byIsao Tomita
Production
company
Distributed byNippon Herald Films
Release dates
  • September 15, 1970(1970-09-15)(Japan)
  • April 24, 1972(1972-04-24)(New York)
Running time
112 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Cleopatra(Japanese:クレオパトラ,Hepburn:Kureopatora)is a 1970 Japanese adultanimefantasy filmdirected byOsamu TezukaandEiichi Yamamoto.[1]The film is the second part ofMushi Production's adult-orientedAnimeramatrilogy, followingA Thousand and One Nights(1969) and precedingBelladonna of Sadness(1973).

The film was a critical and commercial failure. A manga adaptation of the film, also from Tezuka andHisashi Sakaguchi,was released later that same year in October exclusively inCOM,and was reprinted in late 2018.[2]

Plot[edit]

In the far future, three humans—Jirou, Hal, and Maria—discover that an alien race called the Pasateli intends to conquer humankind with the mysterious "CleopatraPlan ". Using a time machine, the three transport their minds into the bodies of members of the historical Cleopatra's court to discover and stop the plan. Hal, however, vows to use the opportunity to secure the title of the greatest lover who ever lived by having sex with Cleopatra.

In the middle of the Roman conquest of Egypt, a group of Egyptians secretly plot a rebellion to overthrowJulius Caesar.The group plans to send Cleopatra to seduce and murder Caesar. The Romans discover the group and attack them. Cleopatra escapes, along with her handmaidens Libya and Apollodoria. Cleopatra goes to an ancient priestess, who magically grants her an irresistibly seductive body for her mission.

It is at this point when Jirou, Hal, and Maria arrive: Maria is now Libya; Hal finds himself in the body of the priestess' pet leopard Rupa, thwarting his plans to seduce Cleopatra; and Jirou finds himself in the body of Ionius, a Greek man captured and enslaved by the Romans. Ionius frees himself and the other slaves by using his knowledge of future technology to make modernhand grenades.They accompany Cleopatra to meet Caesar, who is so overcome by her beauty that he makes her queen of Egypt. Caesar recaptures Ionius and, amused by his fighting skills, orders him to fight in thegladiatorial arena.He gives Ionius a modern-day handgun to ensure his victory. Ionius proves so popular with the Roman public that Caesar's own popularity soars, leading his senators to conspire to murder both him and Ionius to end their influence.

Libya and Apollodoria insist Cleopatra must murder Caesar; Cleopatra, however, has had a change of heart and keeps putting off the assassination in favor of sex. They accompany Caesar back to Rome, just in time for him to be assassinated by his own senators. Caesar's adopted son, Octavian—soon to be calledAugustus—takes command. Cleopatra tries to continue the plan by seducing Octavian, only to learn that he is homosexual and impervious to her charms. Meanwhile, Caesar's right-hand man,Marcus Antoniusor Anthony, falls in love and has sex with Cleopatra. Octavian, on the other hand, is attracted to Ionius and spares his life.

Finally, during theBattle of Actiumwhere Octavian's fleet defeats Anthony's Egyptian fleet, Anthony kills himself. Octavian goes to Cleopatra to persuade her to surrender; she is taken into custody by the Romans. Distraught and disappointed by the rejection after Anthony's death, Cleopatra commits suicide using an asp's venomous bite.

The time travelers return to the future and report that the Cleopatra Plan is a scheme by the Pasateli to assume the form of beautiful human women to seduce and destroy Earth's most powerful male leaders. The Pasateli have already taken their human forms and are poised to strike when this information arrives, but Earth is able to root them out and save the world in time.

Cast[edit]

Release[edit]

In 1972,Mushi Productions,who made the film, accepted a deal with Xanadu Productions Inc., a small distributor,[3]to release a subtitled version of the film in the United States to try to save themselves from bankruptcy. When it was released in theUnited States,Xanadu changed the title toCleopatra: Queen of Sexand released it with a self-appliedX-ratingon April 24, playing at theBijoutheatre and presumably other theatres.[4]It was advertised as the first X-rated animated movie in the United States. However,Fritz the Catcame out with its X-rating from theMPAAbefore it on April 18 of the same year.[5]

The film was not received well by audiences in America, and was not a success at the box office, due to false advertising claiming it to be a "pornographic" movie, which caused people who saw the film to want refunds. It was not successful in its native Japan either.[5]

Critics give it mixed reviews.Howard ThompsonofThe New York Timessaid it was basically a movie that involved "mostly a voluptuously drawn Cleopatra and a bevy of cuties that trot around bare-breasted", but praised the "lavish backgrounds" and some of the imagery and color.Varietycalled the movie "partly sophomoric", with "emphasis onvulgar low comedy",but praised it for having good animation and color.[6]

Cleopatrawas not submitted to theMPAA,and might not have received an X-rating if it had been.[7]

In its native country, it has been released onVHS,VHD,[8]Laserdisc,[9]andDVD(bundled withA Thousand and One NightsandBelladonna of Sadnessor released separately) throughout the following years.Third Window Filmsreleased the film bundled withA Thousand and One NightsonBlu-rayfor the first time and on DVD on June 18, 2018, forRegion BandRegion 2territories.[10]Discotek Mediareleased the film on Blu-ray forRegion Aterritories on October 27, 2020.[11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Lenburg, Jeff (2009).The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons(3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. pp. 171–172.ISBN978-0-8160-6600-1.
  2. ^"Osamu Tezuka's Erotic Cleopatra Manga Gets Limited Edition Reprint".Anime News Network.RetrievedApril 19,2020.
  3. ^"With Xanadu Productions Inc. (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)".IMDb.RetrievedNovember 5,2015.
  4. ^"at the movies".d.merrill. November 28, 2015.RetrievedApril 19,2020.
  5. ^ab"Tezuka's Adult Features:" Cleopatra "(1970)".Fred Patten. Archived fromthe originalon September 22, 2019.RetrievedNovember 5,2015.
  6. ^Cohen, Karl F. (October 18, 2013).Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America.McFarland.ISBN978-1-4766-0725-2.
  7. ^Michael Barrier."The Filming ofFritz the Cat".Funnyworld, Nos. 14 and 15.RetrievedJanuary 15,2007.
  8. ^https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cleopatra-1970-Osamu-Tezuka-Nakayama-Chinatu-Used-Anime-movies-VHD-Japan-release-/264453970887,eBay.Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  9. ^https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e337120869[permanent dead link],Yahoo!Japan.Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  10. ^"Animerama: 1001 Nights / Cleopatra Limited Edition [Blu-ray]".June 18, 2018.RetrievedApril 19,2020– viaAmazon.
  11. ^Mateo, Alex (August 6, 2020)."Discotek Licenses New Getter Robo OVA, Isuca Anime, Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure Special".Anime News Network.Archivedfrom the original on August 7, 2020.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.

External links[edit]

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