The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew
by Franco Zeffirelli

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Movie Reviews of The Taming of the Shrew

Movie Review: Oh Sweet Kate!
Summary: 5 Stars

So onto Pauda during the Italian Renaissance, this tale of Kate and her love begin...

Did I say LOVE? Well, let's not begin there. Let's begin at the beginning, as J.R.R. Tolkien likes to say..

There once was a wealthy man with two beautiful daughters. The sweet and virtuous Bianca, so fair and trite. The other sister being as wicked and wild as the color of her hair...raven black.
Her name to all is Katherine (Elizabeth Taylor), but otherwise known to the small community as the wild "Kat".

Bianca, fair and true has fallen in love. Her father wants her married to a wealthy man, but Bianca has other plans. She wants to marry the young, handsome boy (Michael York) that caught her eye in the town square. But Alas, much to Bianca's dismay, her father says "Not till' your sister marries first!" I say, poor Bianca..because WHO in their right mind would marry such a wild and hateful woman?

Kate is wild indeed, spending her time torturing her sister with whips and abuse. She despises her younger sister for her vanity and spoiled ways. Bianca is truly one of literature's first "daddy's girl", maddening Kate futher with her "Oh Daddy!" weepy ways.

As revenge, Kate promises Bianca she will NOT marry just despite her. All hope seems lost. Bianca's many pursuers come up with a plan. They will indeed find someone who will woo and marry Katherine. The person they they have in mind is the stinky, obnoxious, fat, and loathesome Petruchio (Richard Burton).

Will the plan work? While Bianca and her suitors watch through literally closed doors, the wooing begins. Petruchio WILL have Kate as a bride, for her father has promised him a large sum of money if he wins her hand.

Petruchio finds he must literally trap and force Kate into marriage. The scenes of his pursual of Kate are nothing short of comical-he even dares to call out the most famous words: "Kiss me Kate!", as she is slapping and hitting him. She finds him disgusting...shutting herself away in her room. Petruchio is so certain of his charm, that he waits at the altar for his beloved Sweet Kate to arrive...dressed like a clown to add insult to an already frightful situation...he awaits her arrival( and wait and wait he does). Bets are placed. Will she show? Has Petruchio tamed the wild shrew or will she leave him at the altar?

This is as far as I dare go...the comedy that insues from this point on is nothing short of hardy laughs. Sweet Kate (as he calls her) surprises everyone throughout the length of this sumptuously beautiful movie. She does not disappoint!

William Shakespeare has filled this wonderful of tales with proper sarcasm and all the right comedy one needs to fall in love with this movie. It is truly a classic. The setting, the elegant clothes, and of course the acting between Liz and Richard surpass many Shakespearian movies. I highly recommend this as one to own and enjoy forever.

Summary of The Taming of the Shrew