The eye-level camera angle shows the equal power between Anthony and Cleopatra. Anthony is given power by being taller and a man, while Cleopatra’s power comes from her clothes. The choice of green and the snake like features on the gold piece around her head makes her stand out. There is a divide during this scene represented with the statue in between the two. The statue is closer to Anthony almost as if Cleopatra is pushing him back or away from her.
Nice job! I love that you noticed the divider between Cleopatra and Marc Antony, their height differences, and the queen's clothes. The snake, by the way, is a rearing cobra, symbol of the goddess Wadjet and a sign of royalty because Wadjet is the patron goddess of Lower Egypt. But for American viewers, the snake has, of course, also other, less positive symbolic meanings (sneakiness, the snake that persuades Eve to talk Adam into eating from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge).
ReplyDeleteYou didn't talk at all about Marc Antony's dress and the troubled relationship between him and Cleopatra at this point. I think that's what is symbolized by the divider, and the fact that he is more in the shadow may also reflect his mental state.