This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous productions in film history, Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. A new restoration of the four-hour premiere brought glamour to the Cannes Film Festival that would have made Taylor proud. Jessica Chastain was honored to wear a sapphire and diamond necklace that Taylor wore.
“I didn’t want to know how much it was worth,” the Zero Dark THirty star told People magazine about the iconic Bulgari necklace. “It was so thrilling to wear it, but I was overwhelmed too. It was a little scary. I was the first person to wear it since Elizabeth. I felt as if I was able to spend the day with her today by wearing the necklace.”
Chatain said she was “captivated” by the relationship between Burton and Taylor, which she read about in Furious Love before the screening. “And I loved Richard’s famous quote about how ‘Bulgari’ was the only word Liz knew in Italian. I was just touched by everything about their love.”
According to Women’s Wear Daily, Bulgari and Taylor’s estate also showed off other pieces of jewelry from Taylor’s collection, including pieces from the 2011 auction. There were also mannequins wearing costumes from the film.
Chastain wasn’t the only star at the event. JustJared reports that Adrien Brody, Clive Owen, Gian Luca Passi De Preposulo and Will Forte also showed up for a cocktail party to celebrate on Tuesday.
Cleopatra was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and hits Blu-ray next week.
image: Photo by Ian Gavan/WireImage for Electrolux/image.net