Luchino Visconti's film "The Leopard" from 1963 tells the story of forming a new Sicily.
Burt Lancaster, in a beautiful performance, is Fabrizio Corbero, the Prince of Salina (the Leopard) and watches as a former peasant, Don Calogero Sedara, comes to social prominence.
The prince's nephew, Tancredi (Alain Delon, better looking than the scenery) is a modern thinker and wants to go with the new Sicily. Fabrizio is behind him and knows he is going to be a political force. Tancredi, Prince of Falconeri, solidifies his position in the new regime by marrying Don Calogero's beautiful daughter Angelica (Claudia Cardinale).
The big scene is the huge ball which lasts for 40 minutes at the end of the film.
Gorgeous cinematography, lush locations, sumptuous costumes - no expense was spared for this film. Burt Lancaster is magnificent, delivering humorous lines ("Angelica is not a slut. She might become one, but right now..."/ on marriage: "Ah, yes, one year of flame and 30 years of ashes," and my favorite, "I've had 7 children with her and I've never seen her naval."
Toward the end of the film, he gives a wonderful speech about leopards and lions and hyenas. This is followed by a scene of peasants, with the sounds of the party in the distance. The classes are going to mingle. Lancaster also says a prayer that is poignant and magnificently delivered. A very successful performance despite being dubbed in Italian.
This is the kind of films most Americans find difficult. It has three characteristics that many European films have: It's long, it's slow, and it's multilayered. And for me, it was over the top without giving us a sense of the actual revolution. Even the battle scenes for some reason did not convey it -- everyone seemed outside of it, like a quiet overthrow. Visconti was trying to show the aimlessness of the rich by having them twirl and dance, but it was too much.
Not enough happens to show us the political fight and a contrast between the new and old worlds.
But it does capture the theme that this particular leopard, Fabrizio, cannot change his spots or refuses to, feeling too old, out of touch, and seeing himself become a relic. People past a certain age can connect with this. When my sister turned 65, she said, "It's not my world anymore." I said, "It hasn't been your world since you were 49." And it's tough to take.
Tancredi, on the other hand, changes his spots more than once - he likes to be where the power is. But he's young, and he can go with the tide or be a relic starting at the age of 28.
Some classic themes couched in a beautiful-looking film, the type of movie some people look at and, when it's over, say "what was that about?"
Burt Lancaster, in a beautiful performance, is Fabrizio Corbero, the Prince of Salina (the Leopard) and watches as a former peasant, Don Calogero Sedara, comes to social prominence.
The prince's nephew, Tancredi (Alain Delon, better looking than the scenery) is a modern thinker and wants to go with the new Sicily. Fabrizio is behind him and knows he is going to be a political force. Tancredi, Prince of Falconeri, solidifies his position in the new regime by marrying Don Calogero's beautiful daughter Angelica (Claudia Cardinale).
The big scene is the huge ball which lasts for 40 minutes at the end of the film.
Gorgeous cinematography, lush locations, sumptuous costumes - no expense was spared for this film. Burt Lancaster is magnificent, delivering humorous lines ("Angelica is not a slut. She might become one, but right now..."/ on marriage: "Ah, yes, one year of flame and 30 years of ashes," and my favorite, "I've had 7 children with her and I've never seen her naval."
Toward the end of the film, he gives a wonderful speech about leopards and lions and hyenas. This is followed by a scene of peasants, with the sounds of the party in the distance. The classes are going to mingle. Lancaster also says a prayer that is poignant and magnificently delivered. A very successful performance despite being dubbed in Italian.
This is the kind of films most Americans find difficult. It has three characteristics that many European films have: It's long, it's slow, and it's multilayered. And for me, it was over the top without giving us a sense of the actual revolution. Even the battle scenes for some reason did not convey it -- everyone seemed outside of it, like a quiet overthrow. Visconti was trying to show the aimlessness of the rich by having them twirl and dance, but it was too much.
Not enough happens to show us the political fight and a contrast between the new and old worlds.
But it does capture the theme that this particular leopard, Fabrizio, cannot change his spots or refuses to, feeling too old, out of touch, and seeing himself become a relic. People past a certain age can connect with this. When my sister turned 65, she said, "It's not my world anymore." I said, "It hasn't been your world since you were 49." And it's tough to take.
Tancredi, on the other hand, changes his spots more than once - he likes to be where the power is. But he's young, and he can go with the tide or be a relic starting at the age of 28.
Some classic themes couched in a beautiful-looking film, the type of movie some people look at and, when it's over, say "what was that about?"