The Leopard
Il gattopardo
Directed by:
Luchino ViscontiCinematography:
Giuseppe RotunnoComposer:
Nino RotaCast:
Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Paolo Stoppa, Rina Morelli, Romolo Valli, Pierre Clémenti, Terence Hill, Giuliano Gemma, Evelyn Stewart (more)VOD (2)
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Luchino Visconti's The Leopard (Il Gattopardo) is one of the treasures of 20th century cinema. Based on the renowned novel of the same name by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, it chronicles the tumultuous years of the Risorgimento, when Garibaldi’s red-shirts swept through the Italian provinces, uniting them under a single flag - and king - for the first time. Burt Lancaster stars as Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salina, an ageing Sicilian aristocrat who, from his family palazzo, senses that the old order cannot continue for much longer. His hopes for the future of the nobility reside in an advantageous marriage between his nephew Tancredi (Alain Delon) and the beautiful Angelica (Claudia Cardinale), daughter of a vulgar nouveau riche mayor. Sumptuously designed and costumed, The Leopard’s depiction of the opulence and squalor of 1860 Sicily is one of cinema’s true masterpieces, crowned by Lancaster’s complex, enigmatic portrayal of the title character. (Madman Entertainment)
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A very long showcase of beautiful images and actors that speaks volumes about the historical era it covers and abounds in almost poetic dialogues of considerable depth, but that as a whole only left me again with Claudia Cardinale’s eyes. The first two hours were still interesting, and I was curious about the fate of the characters, but Visconti deals mostly with the era and the manners of the aristocrats, without bothering to let the viewer get close to the characters. The ending didn’t interest me and the last hour was so tiring that I don’t think I will ever give it another chance. 70%
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A magnificent and truly beautifully shot film, which has captivating colors that were not so typical for Italian cinematography and yet suited it so well. However, it is not a big drama, it is still a human drama, focused on individual characters and how their destinies change and how they themselves must change.
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