Cleopatra's Procession

The procession in the 1963 Cleopatra film is one of the
most expensive scenes in the most expensive movie of the time. At almost a
million dollars, it’s easy to see where all that money went into. Even though
it a relatively short moment in a long film the procession is one of the most
famous scenes.
=== Creating the Scene ===
=== The procession lasts about seven minutes and is shot
from a few angles, particularly straight forward so the arch is always in view.
The setting for the scene is the Forum, in front of all of Rome. The Forum was
built inside of the Cinecittà studios. Hermes Pan choreographed the entire procession
and the entire process took about 11 months. He was given free reign budget
wise and wanted to create something spectacular and unforgettable. ===
The result of Pan’s work was a scene full of soldiers
on horses, dancers, archers, magicians, and many colorful costumes. Starting
with the calvary, each group of performers gets less than a minute to show off.
There are several different groups of dancers, some that were meant to represent
tribal dances. The splendor we see on screen is actually
less than what Pan envisioned. Most of the animal scenes, save for horses, were
cut out from the final product.  
The final part of the procession is a group of 300
slaves pulling a giant black sphinx past the Arch, the constant in the whole
scene. Sitting right in front of the Sphinx on a gold throne is Cleopatra and
her son Caesarion. Both of them are clad in gold to mimic the godliness and
excessive wealth that Egypt was known for. Elizabeth Taylor’s dress alone cost $6,500
and was made with actual gold thread. 
One of the most important parts of the scene is the
Arch of Constantine, which symbolizes Rome itself. As Cleopatra passes through
the arch she is attempting to put the people in awe and shock, the entire goal
for the giant procession. However, the arch being there is not accurate at all.
In reality the arch was built about three centuries later. The procession
itself is a historical inaccuracy as well since triumphs were reserved for
large military victories. 
=== Themes ===
The scene represents the difference between Egypt and
Rome quite clearly. In an earlier scene we get a vision of Caesar’s triumph through
the arch that is not nearly as extravagant. This scene is the most obvious representation
of all the excess that is associated with Cleopatra and Egypt throughout the
film. The reactions that we see are a part of this. The rich of Rome (save
for Antony and Caesar, both enamored with the Egypt and its queen) seem
outright offended at the display. However, the masses are so excited that they
rush past the guards just to get a closer look.Egypt represents Hollywood in this way. In this age of
film, extravagance was expected. This expectation is what led to Cleopatra and
the filmmakers strive to create such a huge film. The procession is Cleopatra’s
way of winning the people over with materials. This film itself is the studios
attempt to enamor a casual viewer with its grandeur. 
=== References ===
http://artsmeme.com/2015/01/03/cleopatra-enters-rome-courtesy-of-choreographer-hermes-pan/
http://arch-in-film.blogspot.com/2010/03/cleopatra-1963.html
https://mostlyfilm.com/2013/06/24/cleopatra/