View source for Cleopatra (film)

== Liberal Opposition to this Film ==

[[Liberals]] may have punished this movie as their backlash against the record-breaking success of the [[conservative]] ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)]]''.  [[Liberals]] disliked the successful run of epic [[conservative]] movies in the 1950s, from ''The Ten Commandments'' to ''[[Ben-Hur]]'', and in Cleopatra there was an opportunity to kill off the epic movie genre by ruining it at the [[Oscar]]s and box office.  Also, Cleopatra was contrary to feminist ideology emerging at the time of the film.