Available on YouTube with English Subtitles
The Leopard (Italian: Il Gattopardo) is a 1963 epic historical drama film directed by Luchino Visconti. Written by Visconti, Enrico Medioli, Massimo Franciosa, Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Pasquale Festa Campanile and René Barjavel, the film is an adaptation of the 1958 novel of the same title by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.
The film stars Burt Lancaster as Don Fabrizio Corbera, an aging Sicilian nobleman caught up in the sociopolitical turmoil of the Risorgimento (Italian unification) during the mid-19th century, with Alain Delon as his opportunistic nephew Tancredi, and Claudia Cardinale as his goddaughter Angelica Sedara. Paolo Stoppa, Rina Morelli, Romolo Valli, Terence Hill and Serge Reggiani play supporting roles.
The Leopard is a sweeping and visually stunning film that chronicles the decline of the Sicilian aristocracy and the rise of the bourgeoisie in the wake of Italian unification. The film is also a meditation on mortality, love, and the passage of time.
Don Fabrizio is a complex and contradictory character. He is a man of his time, bound by the traditions and values of his class. But he is also a realist who understands that the world is changing around him. He sees the rise of the bourgeoisie and the decline of the aristocracy as inevitable, and he tries to adapt to the new social order.
Tancredi is a more idealistic and impulsive character. He is a hero of the Risorgimento, and he believes in the new Italy. But he is also seduced by the wealth and power of the bourgeoisie. He marries Angelica Sedara, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, in order to secure the future of his family
The film was a critical and commercial success in Europe, but it was less well-received in the United States. This was due in part to the fact that the American release was a heavily edited version of the film. (YouTube has the full version)
The Leopard is now considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. It is a masterpiece of cinema that is both visually stunning and emotionally resonant.
Mel Ulm
2 comments:
This is one I've read but I had no idea there was a film. It's so helpful to know that the American version was substantially edited; I'll have to make a point of watching the full-length of it to appreciate it as much as you have!
Buried in Print- it is a very good accounting of the novel
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