When the battle turns against him, Antony deserts his own troops to follow Cleopatra s ship, fearing that she is abandoning him. The humiliation of the ordeal eventually leads him to suicide. Mankiewicz s film retains the reason of Shakespeare, if not the rhyme. The miniseries, produced by Hallmark Entertainment, premiered in the United States on ABC, then was sold to foreign television and released on video and DVD internationally. Technologically revamped, Cleopatra sails in a digital vessel.
Aggression dominates the barge scene.
The ship is masculine in character propelled by a team of burly black masculine ship-hands and galley slaves. When he realizes his own face appears on the medallions along with Cleopatra's, Antony becomes furious and storms her bed chamber. Then be strong. Thus, Cleopatra encourages Antony s aggressive, assertive nature. Showing no ambivalence, Antony resolutely smashes a plaster bust of Caesar and proceeds to take Cleopatra forcibly.