Queen Cleopatra documents the rise and fall of Egypt’s last pharaoh, Cleopatra, who spent her life protecting her empire and dynasty. The docuseries is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
A young Cleopatra spent time studying languages in the library of Alexandria until her father, Ptolemy XII, passed away. Before leaving the world, he told his favorite daughter that no one in the room can be trusted.
According to his will, Ptolemy XII intends to see Cleopatra, his favorite daughter, rule Egypt alongside her brother, Ptolemy XIII. Cleopatra had a crisis on her hands. To keep the wishes of her father, Cleopatra marries her brother Ptolemy XIII.
At the same time, Cleopatra has every reason to be afraid of her siblings. Unlike Cleopatra, her siblings are very much affected by the eunuch who raises them. Most of the time, the decisions of her siblings are not necessarily their own.
Historians talk about how Cleopatra navigated through family warfare while forming alliances with rulers from Rome in an attempt to protect her kingdom and dynasty until the day arrived when she had to surrender to the enemy or kill herself.
Positives
Queen Cleopatra definitely has its dramatic recreations on point when it comes to how the story should be shown. The drama created is engrossing, and viewers are left on the edge of their seats as the people surrounding Cleopatra feel like legitimate threats to her.
The documentary puts more focus on Cleopatra being a diplomat who can rival the knowledge of rulers at that time, and Queen Cleopatra certainly gets the job done. The credit also goes to Adele James, who portrays Queen Cleopatra in the recreated scenes.
Negatives
Queen Cleopatra makes claims about Cleopatra being black, a statement that kicks off the show. The viewers need to understand that the documentary only speculates on the possibility of her being black. So, it’s fine, but it feels like it is trying to force these speculations on the viewers.
Also, in an attempt to balance the documentary and drama elements of the docuseries, the show struggles to stay on course. The words of the historians do support the scenes taking place in dramatic recreations, but there is always a slight disconnection one can feel.
The viewers are left wanting either the drama or the discussion of the historians, and Queen Cleopatra makes a blunder by trying to incorporate both.
The supporting cast fails to leave the same impact that Adele James, as Cleopatra, does. It’s clearly noticeable how hard they are trying to act.
Verdict
Queen Cleopatra fails in its attempt to use this semi-documentary style to tell the story of Cleopatra. The dramatic recreations could have promised a great drama series. These discussions between the scenes, though informative, only kill the story-telling.
Queen Cleopatra
Director: Tina Gharavi, Victoria Adeola Thomas
Date Created: 2023-05-10 12:30
2.5
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