Monday, June 12, 2017
163 - The Leopard, 1963, Italy. Dir. Luchino Visconti.
The Leopard is a historical epic masterpiece and the kind of film made for Visconti to direct.
Its setting is grand, its pacing steady, its acting nuanced.
It is the story of a great man who has come to the end of his life and who watches as his way of life begins to fade away.
It is set in Sicily in 1860, with a backdrop of war.
Prince Don Fabrizio Salina confers with his priest, supports his nephew, attends his Summer palace, indulges the local mayor, consents to his nephew's engagement with the mayor's daughter, declines an offer to join the Senate, and accepts an offer to dance with his nephew's fiancee as he slowly comes to accept the inevitable passage of time.
The Leopard stars the American Burt Lancaster, the French Alain Delon, and the Italian Claudia Cardinale, all at the peak of their powers.
It is lush and rich and beautiful, and it is played with sincerity, and without irony.
It is worth watching the three-plus hour film and then watching it again with the Peter Cowie commentary turned on.
This film is an example of one kind of great filmmaking.
No comments:
Post a Comment