The Leopard - Criterion Collection
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Movie Reviews of The Leopard - Criterion Collection
Movie Review: Slow, yet haunting
Summary: 4 Stars
During a time of social upheaval in 19th century Sicily, aristocratic patriarch Don Fabrizio (Burt Lancaster) contemplates the impending changes in the social order. A proud and honorable man, he is, as he says, "utterly without illusions"; he knows that men such as himself, who are accustomed to being the center of their universe, have no place in the world that is to come. Director Luchino Visconti presents the Don's dilemma in a very subtle, intimate, closely observed film.
Perhaps too subtle for me. This is clearly a film of great mastery with a magnificent performance by Lancaster at its center. Although his voice is dubbed by an Italian-speaking actor, he uses his eyes, face, and posture to communicate tremendous dignity and melancholy. I simply found the film to be too slow and, early on, I was confused about the nature of the political crisis. I blame myself for being inattentive, perhaps not in the right frame of mind for this film. I find myself still thinking about Don Fabrizio several days after viewing the film. I need to see it again someday.
Movie Review: A fine presentation of the Leopard
Summary: 5 Stars
The Leopard is one of the most sublime films ever made and it is to Criterion's credit that they have given it a treatment that it deserves.
The film is in many ways a happy accident. The surprising choice of Burt Lancaster for the role of the Prince seems to be perfect now, yet he was chosen after Laurence Olivier by director Visconti. It was very much an international production designed to appeal to audiences across the world hence it also stars Alain Delon from France.
In either version - the extended or the edited ones are both in this set - the film is a swirl of brilliant performances and directorial finesse. To my mind, the extended version does not add a great deal to the overall impact of the film, but it interesting to see it.
The only lapse in the translation from Lampedusa's novel, is that you cannot grasp the internal monologues of the Prince as he ruminates on death and the changing situation of the times. Occasionally, Visconti allows the Prince to state these thoughts, but he never delivers the full weight of them. This probably says more about the limits of cinema as an artform. On the other hand, the book does not convey the beauty of the palaces or the visual splendor of Sicily.
In some scenes such as the arrival of Claudia Cardinale, the battle of Palermo, and the final ball, Visconti seems to reach a different level in film making. While some find Visconti slow, I find the detail of each scene so interesting that I actually want more time.
The disc set also has an outstanding commentary by film historian Peter Cowie who completes an excellent presentation of the film. The attached documentary is of minor interest. Overall, a beautiful set in homage to one of the finest films ever made - certainly Visconti's masterpiece.
Movie Review: Picture is cropped?
Summary: 3 Stars
I am not so sure whether this is the "definitive" version of "The Leopard". According to the comparioson on www.dvdbeaver.com the picture of the Criterion release is cropped a lot on the left side. Its not yet sure what went wrong there but it might be best to wait for a corrected version. Maybe Criterion releases a better version some day(There's an Italian region 2 DVD available with no cropping on the left side)Movie Review: THIS DVD IS NOT CUT!!! SOME OF THE REVIEWS ARE ALL WRON
Summary: 5 Stars
criterion gives a real royal treatment to this movie and it is higly earned by it...in some reviews people say that the movie is cut and italian version is better blah blah...what they dont know is this 3 disc set has all two of them...check that out yourself:
DISC ONE
*The Film - Visconti's original Italian version (185:52)
Audio commentary by Peter Cowie (film scholar)
English HoH subtitles (removable)
2.21:1 Anamorphic NTSC (Super Technirama OAR)
Italian Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono
DISC TWO
"A Dying Breed: The Making of The Leopard", a new documentary featuring interviews with Claudia Cardinale, screenwriter Suso Ceccho D'Amico, cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno, filmmaker Sydney Pollack, and many others (61:31)
Interview with producer Goffredo Lombardo (19:30)
Video interview with professor Millicent Marcus of the University of Pennsylvania on the history of the Risorgimento (13:36)
Promotional Materials:
- Stills gallery of rare behind-the-scenes production photos
- Italian newsreel footage (3:11)
- Italian theatrical trailer (3:40)
- American theatrical trailers (2) (3:46)
DISC THREE
*The Film - alternate American release (161:23)Subtitles:NonePicture format:2.35:1 Anamorphic NTSC Soundtrack(s):English Dolby Digital 1.0 MonoCase type:Special CaseNotes:Black Triple Alpha case
Disc 1 is region-free (R0); discs 2 and 3 are encoded R1
Movie Review: Reply to some reviews -The Leopard - Italian full version ??
Summary: 4 Stars
Take a look at www.bfi.org.uk (official site for the British Film Institute). It appears that they are going to release the uncut Italian version on DVD on 27th September 2004.