Cleopatra

Cleopatra (1963) is Joseph L. Mankiewicz's sweeping historical drama, and you can watch it online on iFILM. Elizabeth Taylor plays the Egyptian queen who sets out to charm Rome itself into saving her throne.

Her first conquest is Julius Caesar, played by Rex Harrison. Their alliance points toward a single empire spanning two civilizations — until assassins' blades end that dream. Cleopatra then turns to Mark Antony, and the smoldering chemistry between Taylor and Richard Burton spilled straight off the screen into a real-life affair that filled tabloids for years. As Antony reaches for power, Caesar's heir plays a longer game, and both nations slide toward war.

The production nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox: the budget ballooned, the shoot dragged on, and Cleopatra's procession into Rome remains one of the most lavish sequences ever staged. All that excess paid off with four Academy Awards, taking the cinematography, costume, art direction and visual effects prizes. If old-school costume epics are your thing, this three-hour spectacle delivers. Stream Cleopatra (1963) online on iFILM.