IMDb > Dangerous Beauty (1998)
Dangerous Beauty
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Dangerous Beauty (1998) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 4 NEW)
Dangerous Beauty (1998) -- A Venetian courtesan becomes a hero to her city, but later becomes the target of an inquisition by the Church for witchcraft.
Dangerous Beauty (1998) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Dangerous Beauty (1998) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
Dangerous Beauty (1998) -- Virgin.net Movies - Trailer (WMP)

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   5,720 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers (WGA):
Margaret Rosenthal (book)
Jeannine Dominy (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Dangerous Beauty on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 February 1998 (USA) more
Tagline:
Passion. Seduction. Betrayal. A Scandalous Love Story. more
Plot:
A Venetian courtesan becomes a hero to her city, but later becomes the target of an inquisition by the Church for witchcraft. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
An excellent adaptation of a scholarly work more (103 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Catherine McCormack ... Veronica Franco

Rufus Sewell ... Marco Venier

Oliver Platt ... Maffio Venier

Fred Ward ... Domenico Venier

Naomi Watts ... Giulia De Lezze

Moira Kelly ... Beatrice Venier

Jacqueline Bisset ... Paola Franco
Jeroen Krabbé ... Pietro Venier

Joanna Cassidy ... Laura Venier

Melina Kanakaredes ... Livia

Daniel Lapaine ... Serafino Franco

Justine Miceli ... Elena Franco

Jake Weber ... King Henry
Simon Dutton ... Minister Ramberti
Grant Russell ... Francesco Martenengo
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Honest Courtesan (UK) (USA) (working title)
A Destiny of Her Own (Australia)
Courtesan (USA) (working title)
Venice (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for some scenes of strong sexuality, and for nudity and language.
Runtime:
111 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
During King Henry's visit, a monk is forcibly detained in an attempt to give Henry a paper. In reality, King Henry III was killed exactly so: a monk, under the subterfuge of giving Henry a private message, fatally stabbed him while whispering in his ear. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During the party on Veronica's first night as a courtesan, the lock of hair switches from over her left ear to over her right and back again between shots. more
Quotes:
Marco Venier: Do you not like my kiss?
Veronica Franco: I wish it were not a sin to have liked it so.
Marco Venier: God made sin, though we might know his mercy.
more
Soundtrack:
Zorzi more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
55 out of 58 people found the following comment useful.
An excellent adaptation of a scholarly work, 22 April 1999
10/10
Author: Aleatha from Utah

For me the power of this movie rests in its faithfulness to Margaret Rosenthal's book the Honest Courtesan; which is a well-researched look at Veronica Franco's life and the plight of Venetian women in the 16th century. Dangerous Beauty, while making certain assumptions and taking some literary license, was a talented translation of Rosenthal's careful research into a captivating film. Many of the witty remarks and social commentary come directly from 16th century documents. Surprisingly the most unbelievable aspect of the movie (her escape from the Inquisition and support from prominent Venetian nobles) is historical fact. While the details are unknown and the movie is certainly more romatically dramatic than I would imagine the actual historical event, it was very true to the spirit and feel supported by the evidence we have.

Venetian women, and indeed most medieval women, were in an unenviable position as second class citizens. Veronica Franco's struggle to find an acceptable position in society as a woman of good family but poor, is representative of the moral and societal conflicts of her time. Courtesans were not respected but they were accepted as a necessary evil. Their income was even taxable! In a society where female chastity was considered sacrosanct if she were to marry and a marriage bed was no less for sale than a courtesan's, women's choices were limited indeed. Franco's impassioned cry in the movie "I did what was necessary to survive!" is no less true were it not a verbatim report of her defense. As a penniless girl her options were limited to scullery work, the nunnery or prostitution. Her distinction was that, while she chose to sell her body, she never chose to be dominated by her profession or those who sought her out. In publishing her book of poetry and personal letters, she redefined herself as a woman first and a courtesan second. Using her wit to defend herself in the public arena she skillfully manipulated accepted literary mores of the day to show her mastery of the literary as well as political implications of her position.

Her greatest detractors were courtiers, such as Maffio Venier, who competed with courtesans for the money bestowed by wealthy patrons. As she says in the movie, they must both sing for their suppers. The problem is that while she is willing to accept they are equal in their need of patronage, he is unwilling to be outdone by a woman. His misogynistic works of poetry were directed toward Franco and other courtesans with the intent of parading his own virtue by damning theirs. The greatest irony is that Maffio was ultimately killed by a sexual disease while Franco died of causes unrelated to her sexual practices.

While there are those who might see this movie as an acceptance of prostitution, I believe they are missing the true story behind the sexual facade which they are focusing on. Franco's life was one of courage and honesty. She made choices that we may not understand, but we do not live in her world. And she accepted both the privilege and the degradation that her position brought her. This movie is a powerful tribute to one who sought more in life than mere existence and who faced her trials with the courage of her convictions, whether or not we or others share those convictions is immaterial.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
You Gotta Love Rufus Sewell... mimer74
I rolled my eyes SO many times in this movie... lizzy_m3
What's up with...? Dinobleue
The black courtesan... queenjannine
The Banana callmecrazy341
Summary.... rotkfan555-1
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