Cleopatra: Screenshot

In this scene, they are using the camera technique of the long shot. You are able to see Cleopatra and her wide range of servants and advisors spread out on either side of her. In the foreground, you can see Mark Antony’s back as he kneels in front of her. This shot is important because it shows the amount of power Cleopatra has in this moment, and the complete lack of power Mark Antony has. It plays directly along with the scene, where she is commanding that he kneel. They also utilize the low angle shot, looking up from almost as low as Mark Antony. This too shows Cleopatra’s power in this moment.


As for lighting and color, the background is a mix of dark and light colors (mostly blacks or blues and whites or golds) in a slight shadow. Even Mark Antony, in the front, is in a dark red. The red is a show of power, but it doesn’t compare to Cleopatra. She is in more light than all the other objects in the shot, and she is dressed in mostly white with a red crown-piece on her head. She is also sitting on a shining gold throne, drawing all the attention to her figure in this moment.


Mise-en-scène is also important for this shot because Cleopatra is directly in the middle of the shot, along with Mark Antony. This shows how they are the two main important characters in this scene, but having Cleopatra higher up and facing forwards makes her more important than Mark Antony, who is kneeling and facing her. This, heightens the understanding of Cleopatra’s importance in this scene, and shows her position of power over Mark Antony.