Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)

The acting in this telling of the relationship between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra is weird but interesting. Vivien Leigh’s Cleopatra is of course gorgeous, but she portrays the queen as a weak, petulant child. In response, Claude Rains’s Caesar is a smirking father figure, manipulating the impulsive Cleopatra to his own gains. The film is pretty to look at, but it also boring. The action is dull with the most interesting parts spoken instead of shown.

Oscar Nomination: Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color