Il gattopardo (1963)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa (novel)
Suso Cecchi d'Amico (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 July 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

Luchino Visconti's Enduring Romantic Adventure

Plot:

The Prince of Salina, a noble aristocrat of impeccable integrity, tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860's Sicily.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | 1860s | Noble | Sicily | Aristocracy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Prince Don Fabrizio Salina
Claudia Cardinale	...	Angelica Sedara / Bertiana
Alain Delon	...	Tancredi Falconeri
Paolo Stoppa	...	Don Calogero Sedara
Rina Morelli	...	Princess Maria Stella Salina
Romolo Valli	...	Father Pirrone
Terence Hill	...	Count Cavriaghi (as Mario Girotti)
Pierre Clémenti	...	Francesco Paolo
Lucilla Morlacchi	...	Concetta
Giuliano Gemma	...	Garibaldi's General
Ida Galli	...	Carolina
Ottavia Piccolo	...	Caterina
Carlo Valenzano	...	Paolo
Brook Fuller	...	Little Prince
Anna Maria Bottini	...	Mademoiselle Dombreuil, the Governess

Also Known As:

The Leopard (UK) (USA)
Le guépard (France)

Runtime:

187 min | Spain:151 min (cut version) | UK:161 min (cut version) | USA:165 min (cut version) | France:195 min (Cannes Film Festival) | 205 min (premiere version) | West Germany:161 min (cut version)

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M (TV rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | Norway:12 (re-rating) (1985) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:U (original rating) | USA:PG (certificate #20553) | Hong Kong:IIB

Filming Locations:

Ariccia, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Titanus

Trivia:

While the film was photographed in Technicolor's large format Technirama wide screen system, 20th Century-Fox changed the credit on their prints to reflect it was in CinemaScope and Color by DeLuxe.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: There is much kissing of hands during the movie. According to the book "Histoire de la politesse de 1789 à nos jours (History of good manners from 1789 till today)" by F. Rouvillois, the kissing of hands only appeared at the turn of the XXth century when the story in the movie was supposed to take place in 1860-1862, more than 40 years before.

Quotes:

Prince Don Fabrizio Salina: You know what is happening in our country? Nothing... simply an imperceptible replacement of one class for another. The middle class doesn't want to destroy us. It simply wants to take our place... and very gently.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in An Opera of Violence (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Polka

Exhausting, rewarding

Luchino Visconti directed this rich, emotional, and intellectually rewarding study of the aristocracy in 19th century Sicily. Starring Burt Lancaster (his voice well-dubbed in his very best role), this would qualify as a character study if its canvas weren't so large.

As Garibaldi burns his way to a possible worker's revolution, the upper class seems to circle in a different orbit, taking vacations while the situation is at its least stable. With mutton chops beard and careful bearing, Lancaster is very much the Leopard, slyly shifting alliances when it's to his advantage. That's why his protégé (Alain Delon) is so likable to him, a young leopard certain to earn his own place.

This is more a film of character and theme, taking its time to show the contrasts between rich and poor, young and old. The famous ballroom sequence at the end of the film ties it all together with sensitivity and sadness.

The Leopoard requires some patience, but there's much to like. Fans of classic Italian cinema would be advised to seek out the full-length version.