Will Gal Gadot Finally Show Us Who Cleopatra Was?
Cleopatra has long been one of the historical characters that fascinate us the most. The Egyptian Queen and the empire’s last Pharaoh has been brought to life in many forms of entertainment, yet we still have no idea who she really was. Could Gal Gadot be the person who finally shows the true Cleo?
The Entertainment World’s Complicated Relationship with Cleopatra
For many people, Elizabeth Taylor dressed as the exotic Queen in the 1963 movie Cleopatra is the first image that comes to mind when thinking of her. With Richard Burton as Mark Antony and Rex Harrison playing Julius Caesar, this blockbuster was one of the most expensive films ever made and received generally positive reviews at the time of its release. A more recent look back at Cleopatra from The Guardian suggests that it’s funnier than expected and that Taylor provides a vampish, modern version of the Queen, but the feeling persists that this is 1960 Hollywood’s idea of Cleo rather than an authentic history lesson.
Netflix released Queen Cleopatra in 2023, directed by Jada Pinkett Smith, as part of the African Queens series. Despite taking a very different approach to the lush, Hollywood extravaganza from the 1960s, it was also criticized for being historically inaccurate. This leads to the question of who Cleopatra really was and whether a modern audience would recognize the real Cleo if they saw her.
Her image as a fashion icon and powerful, independent woman has also led to Cleopatra appearing in other parts of popular culture. From Whoopi Goldberg playing the role in a TV advert to Marilyn Monroe dressed as the Queen for Life magazine and Kim Kardashian doing the same for Harper’s Bazaar, it’s easy to find interesting images. She has also inspired games in this NJ online casino, where the Cleopatra slot is listed on the home page along with table games and other themed slots. Digging deeper into the lobby, we find The Asp of Cleopatra and Cleopatra Megaways listed. Ancient Egypt is featured as the setting for many other slots, with Cleopatra popping up as a symbol or background image in some of them.
Will This New Movie Change Our Ideas?
The big question is whether this year’s new Cleopatra movie starring Gal Gadot will help to show us the real woman behind the legend. The actress said that there’s more to the Egyptian leader than the “seductive woman” we see in past movies. Gadot said that they’ve got a beautiful script that is going to bring the character to life and show us who she was. Filming is reportedly scheduled to take place in Morocco, but we’ve yet to learn who else will be starring in the movie or what part of her life it will be focusing on.
Despite being a household name all over the planet, Cleopatra remains a mysterious figure that most people know little about. Hopefully, the Gal Gadot film will help to reveal some of the different aspects of her character and show us why she has remained so popular for so long.
