Julius Caesar (1953)

Julius Caesar can be viewed online at amazon.com.  The script comes directly from Shakespeare.  It was directed by Mankiewicz who also directed Cleopatra, but being in black and white it lacks a lot of the pageantry of the later movie.  It more than makes up for it in substance.  Marlon Brando is hypnotic as Mark Antony, especially in the famous "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" scene.  The patterns on the men's clothing were very innacurate, many or them containg bold geometric designs.  Roman men of this period wore plain fabric with stripes indicateing their rank.  This innacuracy is fogivable however considering that period appropriate clothing would appear especially boring in black and white, with everyone wearing basicly the same outfit.

Cleopatra

Cleopatra (1963) is an orgy of beautiful clothes.  It is available for streaming on Amazon, but I suggest seeing it in the highest definition possible.  The acting is decent, if a bit stage-y, and the plot is interesting, although I feel it loses steam after the Navel battle, even when broken up into two viewings.  As for the accuracy of the costumes, it varies depending on the scene, as Elizabeth Taylor has a new dress on every time you see her.  Some of them look very appropriate and some are more fanciful.  One perfectly good dress was ruined by a visible zipper.  But all together if you have four hours to kill and a high definition television I recommend giving it a look.