Thursday, June 17, 2010

Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra?













Kleopatra VII was Greek/Macedonian, and Angelina Jolie has already played the Greek Olympia, mother of Alexander the Great, the dude responsible for Greek/Macedonian rule in Egypt via Alexandria (which he founded) and the Ptolemaic dynasty.  (Weird to think also that Kleo died only about thirty years before the "Christian Era" or "Common Era" began -- lots of Greek culture at the time. But that's for another post).   

The "controversy" over Jolie's selection for the role of Kleopatra seems like much ado about nothing, but if it means people learn even a little more about history in between the squawking, I'm all for it.  What's your take?













Kleopatra by Karen Essex (German translation by Bettina Zeller), Marion Von Schröder, 2006. Upcoming -- Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff, Little, Brown and Company, November 1, 2010.  As with Helen of Troy, the fascination with Kleopatra seems universal and enduring.

Let's not forget Rachel Weisz in the role of Hypatia, another famous woman of Greek lineage who resided in Alexandrian Egypt, in Alejandro Amenábar's film Agora (2009/2010).

Today's Rune: The Mystery Rune.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

IT IS HARD TO FILL THE SHOES OF LIZ TAYLOR BUT ANGELINA HAS A VERY CHARISMATIC AURA AND SHOULD DO WELL. IF CLEO HAD BEEN BORN DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF CHRISTIANITY WOULD SHE SUFFERED THE SAME FATE AS HYPATIA, BEING SKINNED ALIVE BY A CRAZY "CHRISTIAN" AND HIS FOLLOWERS? WHY ARE SOME MEN SO AFRAID OF BEAUTIFUL AND INTELLIGENT WOMEN?

Lana Gramlich said...

I think she'll be fine. I mean, why not?

Charles Gramlich said...

People need to stop confusing movies with reality.