Nothing captured opulence, grandiosity and intrigue in Cleopatra’s private and public life quite like the 1963 film Cleopatra. At the time, the Hollywood blockbuster starring Elizabeth Taylor became the most expensive film ever made, costing around $31mn. With its 65 costume changes and a huge production, the movie was extravagant and dramatic – on and off stage – much like its subject matter. During filming, Taylor entered into an affair with Richard Burton, who played Mark Antony, adding to the tabloid intrigue and scandal. They later married for 10 years. Taylor’s Cleopatra, with her smoky, heavily lined black kohl eyeliner and decadent jewels designed by Bulgari, had a lasting influence on fashion. The eyeliner, headwear, capes and arm cuffs later became synonymous with its leading actress. The film won four Academy Awards, in production design, cinematography, visual effects and costume design, but it was not without controversy, especially in the Arab world. Taylor, who had converted to Judaism a few years earlier, was an outspoken and ardent public backer of the state of Israel. That led to her films being banned across several countries in the Middle East, which saw Israel as an enemy state. While most of the filming of Cleopatra took place in Rome, there were plans to shoot scenes in Egypt. Those plans were scuppered by Taylor’s ban from entering the country. But Egyptian officials reportedly liked the film so much, and its 122 mentions of Egypt, that the travel ban was later lifted. (20th Century Fox)