The Leopard | Il Gattopardo (1963)

Synopsis

Italian director Luchino Visconti delivers one of his most ambitious works with this sprawling historical drama.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, THE LEOPARD is set in Sicily during the 1800s, as the aristocracy found itself being suffocated by a newly democratic fervor. 



Prince Don Fabrizio Salina (Burt Lancaster) tries to hold on to the past, but it appears that his glory days are waning. This is perfectly exemplified by his nephew Tancredi Falconeri (Alain Delon) and his gorgeous wife-to-be Angelica (Claudia Cardinale).

As the revolt gathers steam and begins to affect a real change, the aging prince must come to terms with the new world that surrounds him. With THE LEOPARD, Visconti confirms his status as one of Europe's most masterful directors. -- Yahoo! Movies

Cast: Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Paolo Stoppa, Rina Morelli, Romolo Valli, Terence Hill, Pierre Clémenti, Lucilla Morlacchi, Leslie French, Serge Reggiani

Cannes (In competition): Palme d'Or, Cannes (Cannes Classics), Karlovy Vary (Treasures from the Archives) 

Probably Visconti’s richest, most personal film, The Leopard was adapted from Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s internationally acclaimed novel. A cousin of Lampedusa, who himself was a Sicilian prince, acted as technical advisor. For his spectacular reconstruction of Italy at the time of the Risorgimento, Visconti wove childhood memories with sensual imagery from the novel, creating a monumental portrait of a dying era. Although a Marxist, Visconti’s privileged birth gave him a unique understanding of the aristocracy’s decline.

In a film glittering with powerful set pieces, the justly famous ballrrom scene is a filmic tour-de-force. Set in a sumptuous palazzo, the Palermo nobility played their own ancestors, elegantly attired and served with steaming hot food, the ornate rooms lit by chandeliers glowing with real candlelight, surrounded by flowers that were fresh every day. The director’s obsessive insistence on detail is transformed on screen into stylistic mastery.

Starring Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon, The Leopard won the Cannes Grand Prix in 1963, but fell foul of Hollywood marketing forces. 20th Century-Fox butchered the film for distribution in Britain and the U.S. Crudely dubbed, with insensitive cuts, bleached colour and scaled down from a widescreen format; its director was furious. In the Sunday Times in October 1963, Visconti wrote "It is now a work for which I acknowledge no paternity at all", and accused Hollywood of insulting Americans by treating them like "a public of children". Now presented in its original version, this giant of world cinema is back in all its lavish glory. (BFI).

Read about this film

Country: Italy | France
Language: English | Italian
Color: Color
Runtime: 183 min.