Amazon.co.uk Review
A light farce dressed up as a lush 18th century costume drama, Casanova gives a fictional spin to the exploits of history's most rakish seducer of women. As played by Heath Ledger, this Casanova bears no resemblance to Donald Sutherland's unrepentant portrayal in Fellini's Casanova, filmed 30 years earlier. Instead, the great ladies' man of Venice is just biding time by bedding women, waiting for true love (and the return his long-absent mother) to settle down into blissful monogamy. He finds true love in Francesca (Sienna Miller), a feminist who initially resists Casanova's affections while director Lasse Hallström serves up a variety of lightweight subplots including Casanova's flight from the Vatican's inquisitor (Jeremy Irons); a host of mistaken identities involving, among others, the portly "Lard King of Genoa" (played with scene-stealing perfection by Oliver Platt in a blubbery fat suit); and the romantic negotiations of Francesca's mother (played by Hallström's wife, Lena Olin) and a young bumbler named Giovanni with his own promising future as a lover of women. It all adds up to a good-looking and harmless diversion that barely warrants an R-rating, and it makes a fine double-bill with the more enjoyable Dangerous Beauty, another Venetian lover's tale that was also blessed by the presence of Platt, who gives this Casanova the majority of its entertainment value. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Surprisingly innocent and funny.......2006-11-17
I rented this film expecting from the reviews that it would be mildly diverting. In the event I found it laugh-out-loud funny: I have not laughed so much while watching a film for months if not years. And most of the time I was laughing with the film, not at it.
In more than one way this film was surprisingly similar to a film on the same subject which Bob Hope had made more than fifty years previously (Casanova's Big Night, 1954). In both cases the film is built around the same central joke, that Casanova's mere reputation as a great lover is enough to have every woman in Venice throw herself at him, including those who appear to be extremely respectable and virtuous, with precisely one exception - the woman he wants.
The quality of the acting, from the big names down to the complete unknowns, was superlative throughout - Heath Ledger in the title role and Jeremy Irons as Bishop Pucci, the inquisitor who is trying to hang Casanova, were particularly good.
The music, scenery and costumes were also fantastically beautiful. Venice is one of the most visually wonderful cities in the world, and the production team made full use of this, both in the scenes which were shot on location and in the backdrops. The latter included some beautiful buildings which we can appreciate today only in the paintings of Canaletto and his contemporaries, but which have since fallen down or been demolished. Some of the scenes which were shot on location in Venice had to have the dialogue re-recorded in a studio and added back in, as the background noise was too loud and modern - the production team did a brilliant job of this.
Set up research for the background scenes appears to have been very thorough indeed. During the opening sequence Casanova's mother (Helen McRory) leaves Venice while he is still a boy. A panoramic view of Venice is seen behind her barge: the most prominent building in this view, the Campanile of the church of S. Maria della Carita, actually fell down in 1744, twelve years before the main action of the film, but it would still have still been standing in Casanova's boyhood. I didn't spot it again in the backgrounds showing Venice in 1756, which suggests someone did some very careful work on what would and would not have been seen at particular times.
The musical soundtrack is wonderful, and all of the Baroque style of the period. Of course there is a lot of Vivaldi's music used, but there is also excellent music from many other 18th century composers including George Frederic Handel, Tomaso Albinoni, Corelli, and Teleman. The music track is almost worth buying the film for on it's own, though it is also available as a CD from Hollywood records, and if I don't decide to buy the film I will probably buy the music CD.
The plot is a romantic farce which does not try to take itself too seriously. At several stages of the story Casanova appears to be in grave danger of being executed, but the viewer can assume that he will somehow escape, because the film begins with a very elderly Casanova finishing his memoirs. We hear the voice of the aged rake referring to the ten thousand women with whom he had affairs, and then reminiscing about the one love affair, back in 1756, which he has left out - the love affair of Casanova and Francesca.
Each of the characters bring their own brand of humour to the film, but the film seldom goes for more than a few moments without something to make you laugh. After Casanova escape from a nun's bedroom one step ahead of the Inquisition, the head inquisitor Dalfonso, (played by Ken Stott) scowls at the nun and exclaims "An eternity of damnation for one night with Casanova!" As soon as he has left the room she pulls a wry smile and says "Seems fair!"
Jeremy Irons as the sinister Bishop Pucci who soon replaces Dalfonso, has the most brilliant dry understatement which he uses to underline the menace of his threatening statements, interspersed with throw-away lines. To make some of these work required some equally brilliant support from Pucci's assistant Andolini, played by Ben Moor, who has to alternate from one moment to the next between playing Adolf Eichmann to Pucci's Reinhard Heydrich, and acting as Jeremy Irons' straight man.
Heath Ledger plays Casanova as a sophisticated English public school rascal, wonderfully supported by Omid Djalili as Casanova's servant and companion Lupo. I would suggest that Lupo is Jeeves to Casanova's Bertie Wooster except that Casanova, unlike Bertie, is the brains of the outfit. But the scrapes they get up to are equally farcical.
Tim McInnery plays the Doge (ruler) of Venice so well that he finally banishes the ghost of Percy from Blackadder. I was unable to take McInnery seriously in some of his recent roles because I kept thinking of his role as Edmund Blackadder's second hapless sidekick. However, this time, despite wearing a historically accurate costume which is as silly as anything he had to wear for the former roles, McInnery manages to summon enough gravitas to be plausible as the Doge. The Doge is Casanova's friend, but warns him that he will have to marry a respectable woman or leave Venice.
The apparently respectable virgin who Casanova decides to marry is Victoria Donato, played by Natalie Dormer. Her father is initially horrified when the notorious rake Casanova asks for the hand of his virtuous virgin daughter, and is about to refuse. However, as soon as she hears that Casanova himself has asked to marry her, Victoria throws respectability to the four winds and demands that her father accept the proposal. Natalie Dormer is a little under-used in this story, and her character is played strictly for laughs. But if she can reproduce in a wider range of contexts the performance she gives in this film, changing in a moment from the aspect of an innocent virgin to that of a woman who is positively smouldering with overwhelming desire, she is guaranteed a successful career om Hollywood. The one slight problem with Natalie Dormer's performance is that she is in danger of upstaging the heroine - most men watching this will wonder why Casanova should make such an effort to pursue a woman who despises him, even if she is as beautiful as Sienna Miller, when he's about to marry an absolute firecracker like Victoria Donato.
But he does. Unfortunately, Casanova has no sooner agreed his engagement to Victoria when fate throws the proto-feminist Francesca Bruni, played by Sienna Miller, in his path - and the fact that she despises him seems to make her irresistible to him.
There are too many other excellent performances in the film to list them all, but they include those of Lena Olin as Francesca's beautiful widowed mother, Charlie Cox as her brother, and Oliver Platt as her fiancee, the wealthy lard merchant Paprizio.
There are some minor negatives. It's obviously not a very serious film. Apart from the costumes, sets, and music it bears very little resemblance to historical reality. Some viewers with a sophisticated sense of humour will find this too farcical. Others who were hoping for something a little more risque might be disappointed by the fact that this film is surprisingly innocent and has very little nudity - the 12 certificate is if anything on the strict side, this could almost be a PG.
However, overall I would have to rate this as one of the funniest films I have ever seen and very entertaining indeed.
Carry On Casanova.......2006-07-26
If you're old enough to have seen the "Carry On" movies the first time around, or have watched them on DVD on "oldies night", (don't worry, we're not going to ask your age) you'll see the resemblance to this funny take on the world's greatest lover. Slapstick, double entendres and misunderstandings abound, as Heath Ledger tries to fill the trousers of the legendary lothario without getting a broken back in the process.
It takes place in 1753 in Venice, a time when no woman is safe from the charms of Casanova, not even those confined to the convent. Luckily for him he has friends in the right places and escapes being strung up for debauchery (a big word which in the movie means that he shakes a lot of bedsprings without the benefit of a marriage license)
After going one conquest too far, his friend the Doge insists that Casanova get married ASAP, or face exile from Venice. Exile is not a possibility, as we learn early in the movie that he has a very good reason for sticking around, so marriage it is, and the lady to whom he pledges his troth is not only a virgin, but extremely willing to be wed. In a classic case of bad timing, he then meets the one woman worthy of his affection, and she turns out to be a cross-dressing (but only when necessary to prove a point) feminist writer who hates every bone in his body. She unfortunately is betrothed to a corpulent but very wealthy lard merchant (Oliver Platt) whom she has never set eyes on before, the union having being arranged by her late father as an insurance policy for the family fortune.
If you're still with me after all that, things get even more complicated when Jeremy Irons shows up as Inquisitor Pucci, out for the bewigged head of Casanova as a gift for the hangman's noose.
The important thing is not to attempt to take this movie seriously as a period piece, or as a factual account of the life of Casanova. It is a historically set spoof of the life and especially the times of Casanova and should be taken with a pinch of salt - or was that lard?
Amanda Richards
An enjoyable romp.......2006-06-11
I couldn't remember the newspaper reviews for this movie and on the basis that it made no great splash didn't have high expectations for it. But I found it a total delight - funny, fast-moving, slyly anachronistic (a la Shakespeare in Love which it somewhat resembles) and sumptuous to look at. If you come to it expecting a distillation of Casanova's endless memoirs covering the length and breadth of Europe then you'll be disappointed and better advised to get the recent BBC series. This is basically a Venetian romp which simply hinges on the gent's reputation, but as such most enjoyable (and unlike another reviewer here I loved the baroque music!)
The music is one of the actors.......2006-06-08
As the movie opens we approach Casanova from behind as he is about to reveal a story that is not his to tell. Based loosely on the known history of Casanova this play takes place and is filmed in Venice. It is one of those farces of mistaken identity and opportunity.
Everyone did an excellent portray of the characters and the time. However I must say I was very much taken by Victoria (Natalie Dormer) the Genoa virgin. I wonder how she makes her nostrils flair like that. And that was a cute scene when she broke the wooden bridge that was made just for that scene.
Aside from the great music, much of it original, there are some beautiful panoramas and sunsets. And for those that like adventure you will not be disappointed.
Nice scenery.......2006-05-16
The story opens in 18th century Venice, where Casanova (Heath Ledger) is shocking the citizenry with his amorous adventures. After dallying with a young nun, the clergy wants him tried for heresy and put to death. He decides to marry a suitable young girl, but only moments later he's smitten with the feisty Francesca (Sienna Miller), a bold, feminist writer who is betrothed to a wealthy merchant (Oliver Platt). There are several cases of mistaken identity as Casanova tries to keep ahead of the Inquisitor (Jeremy Irons), but true love prevails in the end.
With a stellar cast and the timeless beauty of Venice as a backdrop, this should have been a very good comedy. Unfortunately, for me, the script was poorly written, confusing, had too many subplots and characters, and was neither funny nor romantic. It ctually became tedious. I didn't care about any of the characters, even Casanova, who didn't seem very Italian. Aside from a few fleeting moments at the beginning, there was nothing sexy about the movie. I'm a fan of Ledger, but he wasn't appealing in this part, mostly, I suppose, because the plot was so chaotic and overloaded with subplots that he didn't have a chance to develop his character. I give the movie two stars for the beautiful costumes and Venetian scenery.
Customer Reviews:
More heartless, witless Tripe by Russell T Davies.......2008-02-20
I really went into this wanting to like it, but when I realized he was the writer I wasn't expecting much, and that's what I got. I LOVE the cast, and the original diaries this is based upon. OTHER THAN THAT, it was nausiating fluff with no nudity, no substance and no interest for me anyway. Maybe I'm just bias from watching the BRILLIANT Fellini version or the more acurate Dennis Potter TV movie from 1972 which had MUCH more sex, nudity, violence heart, wit and substance than this 30 years later.
The Most Beautiful Thing I Have Ever Seen.......2007-08-30
After sitting at my labtop for around twenty minutes trying to decide the best way for me to tell you how amazing Casanova is... I decided to summerise it in a single sentence.
Indescribably enjoyable, a very powerful masterpiece and simply the most beauiful thing I have ever seen.
IN FACT TWO NUNS ACTUALY.......2007-08-18
Absolutely brilliant, Peter O`Toole is remarkable as Giacomo Casanova in his twilight years telling his life story to a young serving girl played by Rose Byrne, but the ultimate accolade must go to David Tennant for an incomparable portrayal of the young Casanova. A strong supporting cast and the usual BBC quality provide a banquet of entertainment that lasts for three hours and leaves you full to capacity but still wanting more.
wow.......2007-06-17
This is an absolutely awesome series. The wonderful Peter O'Toole plays the old Casanova, the sparkle still in his eyes as he tells a young maid the story of his youth, and David Tennant stars as the promiscuous but basically good young Casanova. This is a story that covers two beautifully told love stories, the French Revolution, the National Lottery, the fall of Venice, and, of course, lots of sex. And apart from being an excellent drama and very funny, it's got David Tennant in!
Brilliant.......2007-06-08
woah its funny
Ladies its worth and night with the girls * No Men *
David Tennants is in it,yall see david taking his *kit off *
Toned abs, Rufferly hair, Legs and Eyes Even that firm bum !! :)
* Phowar !! *
its good as a birthday prezzie,xmas prezzie even better get it for any
David Tennant fans *like me *
Amazon.co.uk Review
Drunken Master is a film that, following Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) (made with the same ensemble cast and director Yuen Woo Ping), consolidated Jackie Chan's position as the new Hong Kong kung fu action star of the late 1970s. Set in the late 19th century, Chan plays the great Chinese hero Wong Fei Hung as a loveable young rogue who is always getting into fights or embarrassing his family. Eventually his father decides the only way to make a man of Chan is to send him for training with an old drunken drifter played by Yuen Siu Tien. Just as they did in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, the pair make a fine double-act, though this time there is much surreal entertainment to be had from the older man teaching the younger the fine art of drunken kung fu. Learning to fight like the Eight Drunken Gods before the final confrontation with Hwang Jang Lee causes Chan considerable problems, though Yuen Siu Tien simply fights better the more he drinks. Yuen Siu Tien would reprise the role in his final film, Magnificent Butcher (1979) yet with Chan he finds a perfect blend of slapstick comedy and creatively staged action which makes Drunken Master a genuine kung fu classic.
On the DVD: The picture is generally strong though inevitably there is a fair amount of grain. Unfortunately the original 2.35-1 film has been reformatted to 1.77-1 widescreen TV ratio. This has been done more skilfully than usual but is still a misrepresentation of the original cinema release and does mar both the landscape photography and the fast moving action scenes. The sound is perfectly acceptable mono. Soundtrack options are the original Mandarin with English subtitles, or an English dub. Extras include the original English language theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own trailer, plus promos for further releases and a photo gallery. There is a detailed text biography and filmography of Jackie Chan, a biography of Yuen Woo Ping and a text interview with producer Ng See Yuen. Also included is a text biography of Hwang Jang Lee linked to a kicking showcase which is another short fight scene. Most of these features are identical to those on the Snake in the Eagle's Shadow DVD. --Gary S Dalkin
Customer Reviews:
Re-Dubbed Master.......2008-01-30
Oh My God, they have re-dubbed a lot of the characters with proper English speaking voices. This takes a way the comedy timing, they have re-scripted
a lot of the dialogue this also spoils the comedy element, but worst of all they have changed Sam Seed's name too something sounding like, so hi. After watching it a gain the newly dubbed version isn't too bad. Still prefer the original english dubbed, like Jackies speech at the end before he beats thunder legs. Still my favourite kung fu flick.
The greatest.......2007-06-06
Better than any bruce lee film this was my first proper martial arts film and is pure brilliant this film rocks
I am now a fan!.......2006-10-27
Before wathcing Drunken Master, I was not a great fan of martial art films nor Jackie Chan. It is safe to say that after watching it and then again the next morning I am now a fan! This film is great. I was really not expecting such a degree of prefection in what I thought was going to be a boring picture. The story, the dialogue, the fight sequences were all just perfect. I will now be looking into similar films, Drunken Master has opened up a whole new field of viewing for me and I recommend it to all.
Simply the best.......2006-03-04
I am a big fan of all jackie chan films, but this one takes the cake. After watching this film, I liked it so much, I watched it again the next day and the day after, it is the best, no dout about it ful stop.
Jackie and Yuen Woo-Ping magic.......2005-10-22
What can I say about Drunken Master? Well it is directed by Yuen Woo-Ping (Iron Monkey and Magificent Butcher) who has been influenced by his dad Yuen Sui Tein (who also stars as the Drunken Master) who use to take him to set of films which is where he gained all his film making knowledge. Yuen Woo-Ping directed Jackie Chan in Snake in the Eagles Shadow which is the film that made Jackie Chan the star he is today, so if you enjoyed Snake you will enjoy this. Drunken Master delivers on all levels for fight fans and Jackie fans as in action/comedy
It is pretty much the same cast from Snake Jackie Chan, Yuen Sui Tein and Hwang Jang lee, Hong Kong Action cinema fans will notice the supporting actors as they appear in so many other HK action films for example long time Bruce Lee friend Wa Mah Ching who stars in Fist of Fury as a japanese fighter with Bruce and also appears in tons of Sammo Hung films such as Spooky Encounters, The Prodigal Son and Heart of the Dragon.
Sorry for rabbiting on but the others reviews just tell you about how good Drunken Master is and they are all right buy this DVD. Apart from the film the DVD has a good number of extras but sadly no commentry from Bey Logan.
Just to add I love the Wong Fei Hung theme tune which you can hear in so many films and features in Drunken Master during the training scenes.
Customer Reviews:
Early, and therefore good, Potter.......2008-01-10
Dennis Potter was responsible for many TV dramas, and to my mind, his later work became self-indulgent, overly autobiographical and embarrassingly repetitive. Here, in his first long series, Potter's obsession with sex and nudity doesn't get in the way, it gives an extra dimension to the story. His dialogue is a joy to hear ("Feldkirchner - how that name trips off the tongue") and he presents a surprisingly accurate and sympathetic view of Casanova. Frank Finlay acts reasonably well, Norman Rossington hams it up superbly as the sadistic gaoler, and the shoddy production values actually help the slightly tawdry nature of the story.
they don't make 'em like this anymore.......2005-09-26
Casanova doesn't fizz and sparkle quite in the same manner as 'Pennies From Heaven' or 'Singing Detective' but it is well worth the taking the effort. Frank Finlay is very very good, especially in the prison scenes, but probably isn't the modern idea of a Casanova figure. The whole thing has inevitably dated, but this isn't a bad thing; it adds an extra dimension to a series that takes as one theme the balance between repression and permissiveness. I guess Dennis Potter was saying something about human nature in the 18th century and in 1971; we can watch it in 2005 and judge the truth of it today.
Early sequences of bare-breasted lovelies suggest we are going to watch a good-natured romp with an 18th century man of feeling. Wrong! Casanova is a tortured soul caught between heaven and hell, the sublime and the sordid, pleasure and pain (you get the picture). He is a man who struggles to articulate the depth and purity of his feelings and, when he does succeed, he finds only indifference in the people around him. Casanova is compelled by nature to fulfil his own desires; the irony for him is that his success as a libertine does not bring him liberation.
Well, I enjoyed it.
Casanova.......2004-06-05
This is no Sunday teatime costume drama, but an interesting, idiosynchratic series by critically acclaimed dramatist Dennis Potter. Potter was always essentially an autobiographical writer, so it is unsurprising that his Casanova is subjected to the torments of confinement, memory and guilty libido that would later become the themes of such seminal dramas as Pennies From Heaven and The Singing Detective. But even among Potter efficienados, this is a somewhat neglected work, probably on account of its thin skin of period drama trappings. The production values date the piece, of course, but accepting the back projections and once fancy (now clumsy) editing techniques, we still have a compelingly written, well acted drama. It shares with all Potter's finest work the sense that it is an intensely felt work; sensual, visceral, oddly frightening one minute and earthily funny the next. No Potter fan should be without it and anyone tired of the inspipidity of modern television will relish the opportunity to see what can be done with the medium when a little imagination and a lot of heart are applied.
Customer Reviews:
The not-so-great lover.......2006-04-12
Where else could you expect to see Donald Sutherland, Chesty Morgan, Dudley Sutton, a hunchbacked nymphomaniac, a couple of dwarves, numerous Germans on giant stools playing organs and a bloke from Are You Being Served? playing the world's greatest lover's brother than a Fellini film? Even Ken Russell could only enviously dream of such a line up. Fellini's Casanova - or to give it its more appropriate literal translation, The Casanova of Federico Fellini owes more to the Confessions and Carry On films in its treatment of sex than eroticism or even its antihero's own self-aggrandizing memoirs, but pretty much delivers everything you'd expect from latter Fellini: grand, often deliberately artificially theatrical design, over the top performances and tatty decadence on a grand scale.
In Donald Sutherland's vainglorious and ineffectual Casanova, he also has his most pathetic central character, a man with aspirations but no great genius who is reduced to little more than a performing seal by those who see through his own pretensions in an age where instant gratification is all anyone thinks about but can never really achieve. He's not much of a lover, his education and intellect rarely aspire higher than the groin and no-one pays much attention to anything he has to say - not just the perfect 70s hero but also possibly the most vicious self-portrait of an artist since Joseph Conrad poured all his self-loathing into Verloc in The Secret Agent. It's hard not to see the director's own fear that he too will be remembered as a pathetic self-parody successful only in the most trivial of his endeavours, only able to find some small delusion of fulfilment in dreams and automatons.
Fremantle's 2-disc UK DVD is a pretty decent presentation, offering Italian, English and French soundtracks, which is handy because Sutherland's performance is better dubbed into Italian than in the English-language version where he uses his own voice rather unconvincingly, something the star is quite open about in the surprisingly good 45-minute interview with him on the second disc.
Grotesque and outrageous ode to Enlightenment values........2005-11-15
It is a common misconception that Fellini became worthless after his grand-masterpiece 8 ½, with most critics dismissing all but Amarcord as lightweight, over-blown odes to pretension, not fit to hold a candle to the low-key delights of La Strada, Nights of Cabiria, etc. Though it's true to say that Fellini's interest in "straight" cinema post-8 ½ did wane slightly, with films like Juliet of the Spirits, Roma, Satyricon and The City of Women all substituting character depth and clear storytelling for grand gestures and theatrical stylisation, there were at least a few of his later films that have aged surprisingly well and can, in some respects, be viewed in hindsight as being as interesting and artistically relevant as those earlier, more acclaimed works.
Casanova is one such film, as far as I'm concerned. Certainly, the film can be seen as excessive in the most self-indulgent way possible, what with the stylised set-design, reliance on theatricality, over-the-top performances, and all manner of outrageously comedic, wildly frivolous, fornication. Fellini carefully mixes the highbrow (discussions of art, philosophy and the notions of freewill) with the lowbrow (clowns, carnivals, sex contests and the kind of innuendos usually reserved for Benny Hill), structuring his film in a highly episodic fashion so that it (at times) feels more like a collection of scenes as opposed to one long cohesive films (though, having said that, pretty much all of Fellini's later films were defined by their episodic structures). It certainly won't be a film that every one will appreciate. The middle-part of the film (in which Casanova falls in with the carnival set and the seductive giantess) drags a little, whilst younger audiences might find some of the more earnest scenes laughable (the ending is particularly touching).
Like all of Fellini's films from La Dolce Vita on, the cinematic design is absolutely impeccable, with the director creating his usual (or should that be unusual?) fantasia of abstract architecture, theatrical lighting and seas made of shimmering sheets of plastics, in which he drops characters chosen more for their physical look and presence, rather than their acting ability. This adds to the overall dreamlike (or nightmarish) atmosphere that the film seems to play on, with the only real anchor to the story found in the humanistic performance of Donald Sutherland as the titular anti-hero. Now, before anyone starts to question the casting of Sutherland - instead visualising a Heath Ledger type of blonde locks and rippling muscles - it is important to note Fellini's obsessions with the grotesque; in both the physical and the mental. His image of Casanova is of a lanky, gaunt, balding buffoon, who peers down his jagged roman nose at the intellectual cretins who are supposedly his equals. He's strangely reminiscent of Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, what with the whole look and attitude, but... instead of letting him becoming yet another Fellini-esque caricature, Sutherland allows shades of depth and humanity to permeate the arrogant and pompous exterior.
So, on the one hand, we have Casanova as a pompous, strutting, impotent grotesque, but on the other hand, we also have a man capable of intellectual discussion, poetic thought and moments of intense loneliness. After two hours of epic spectacle, painterly visuals and more slapstick sex than you can shake a 'Confessions Of...' at, we begin to see what Fellini intended with his depiction of Casanova, with the underlining concept of unrequited love and the notion of sex and death, sex as loneliness (etc) and the ultimate downfall of a man who'd built his entire reputation on lust and virility slowly brought down by the ravages of old age and the scorn of a younger generation. The most touching scene in the film for me - and the entire reason as to why I view Casanova as a minor-masterpiece - comes towards the final act of the film, when the aging Casanova breaks off from a rowdy dinner engagement and finds himself alone with a mechanical ballerina. Consumed by a deep desire for the marionette, which reminds him of a lost love from the past, Casanova watches the doll dance and twirl and states that something so beautiful should be spared the indignity of seduction... however, he later sleeps with the doll, ultimately beginning the downward spiral that will bring us to the end of the film.
The final scenes of Casanova are very vague, and I'm certainly not going to pretend that understood everything that Fellini was trying to say. Ultimately, the film worked for me because I understood what the director was trying to say in regards to unrequited love and I felt that Sutherland's performance (certainly one of the most neglected performances he gave in the 70's) managed to undercut the more over-bearing elements of Fellini's direction, and gave us a real character filled with pain, fear and emotional contradiction. The pace and structure of the film and the idea of a central character as a writer telling the story as it unfolds is reminiscent of La Dolce Vita, something that other viewers and critics have pointed out elsewhere, with the idea that the two films are merely different variations on the same story.
The film is flawed, without question, but at the same time I find it absolutely fascinating and beautifully put together. It's appeal will no doubt be limited by the theatricality of the design and the stark, caricatured performances, though I feel the film will, regardless, appeal to those viewers who appreciated the director's other key-works from the same era, particularly that nightmarish cornucopia of excess, Satyricon, the free-form reminisces of the picaresque Amarcord, and the grand-allegory of ...And the Ship Sails On. It's also worth a look for Sutherland's central performance as the libidinous wretch, and for anyone who appreciates difficult, highly-visual, European cinema.
I've never tried doing it with candles on my head........2005-10-23
I first saw Fellini's Casanova some years ago and remember its strong sense of atmosphere and period. I also love anything with Donald Sutherland and this film is one of his best.
Fellini was also new to me, and I soon had to look up other films by the great Italian director.
The costumes, style, and look of the film are amazing. At one point Fellini uses black plastic sheets to simulate a stormy sea at night. This might sound tacky but the world he presents is truly absorbing.
Don't expect the bright and breezy Casanova of the recent BBC version, Fellini described him as living a void and almost pulled out of the project. Hence the film presents a dark, confused and tortured figure - but it's the detail and sumptuality of this version that truly delights.
Very unusual and not like any other film I can think of . . . hold on let me think . . . no, truly unusual.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Zeffirelli's 1963 Milan production of La Boheme, preserved in this 1965 film, provides a richly satisfying take on Puccini's much-loved romantic tragedy. The staging is opulent, not least in the way Zeffirelli opens up the Cafe Momus and turns it into a warm, vibrant haven for the bohemians and their followers. But it's the relationships which really matter here. Puccini's score--conducted with restrained passion by Herbert von Karajan--develops in a wonderfully linear way, with some of his most intensely moving arias and duets underpinning the evolution of the bohemian artists, particularly Rodolfo and Marcello, from immature egotists to rounded human beings, touched by tragedy.
The film does look dated now--Mirella Freni's Mimi, sung with moving clarity, has the doe-eyed look of a 1960s pop star and the camera work is a tad unsophisticated--but the singing still puts the listener through the wringer. Gianni Raimondi's Rodolfo ("Che gelida manina") struggles manfully to come to terms with his emotional shortcomings and Adriana Martino (Musetta) has some fine comic moments before playing her vital part in the overwhelming sadness of the final scenes. Soul food for the tragically inclined.
On the DVD: La Boheme has no extras here, but excellent booklet notes accompany the disc. The PCM Stereo soundtrack has been digitally remastered to decent effect. The 4:3 picture format inevitably imposes some limitations and the 1960s video quality is a little dull, but after all, this is a product of its time and a vital record of one of Zeffirelli's most successful productions.--Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
La Boheme........2007-09-05
This was my first opera DVD, I got it last Christmas and I thoroughly enjoy it. A great delight in every way, do buy it. This opera works well as a film instead of a stage production in such capable hands. The tenor Gianni Raimondo as leading male Rodolfo is not quite as strong as baritone Rolando Panerai as Marcello but is suitably tender so who cares.
A poigniant and moving story. So good you think you are dreaming. You will love Mirella Freni, so charmingly sweet and Musetta will drive you crazy with her antics, dressed like a dogs dinner! Such drama, so picturesque, such beautiful music. Well done to Mr Zeffirelli. If anyone can convert you to opera it is he.
Customer Reviews:
Classic.......2007-07-27
.The film concentrates on the style of Wing chun decribing its origins and history, at the begining.This film has everything you want from a kung fu film,great fighting and plenty of it with Sammo hung, Leung kar yan and the unsong Cassanova Wong in the main roles,excellent traing sections some humoures moments and a classic end fight.The plots ok, pretty standard revenge formula, with Cassonava wong playing the hero in need of some training from the reluctant wing chun master played brilliantly by leung kar yan, to go after the bad guys who want him dead,Sammo plays 1 of the wing chun students who obviously gets in on the action.Made in the 'Golden period' of kung fu when decent money was spent on old skool movies ie 1980-85,the filming and sound are as good as it gets.Aside from a couple of silly fights this is an all time classic and should be in any kung fu fans collection.
Surprisingly disappointing.......2007-02-07
Despite claims from (inevitably) Bey Logan that Warriors Two is one of the greatest and most groundbreaking martial arts films ever made, the reality is a tediously cliché-ridden revenge/sifu-student number from the days when fight scenes in Hong Kong movies looked like unconvincingly choreographed Morris dancing displays where the protagonists go out of their way NOT to hit anyone. For the first 70 minutes or so the style is horribly formal and unconvincing - even when one of the heroes is fighting stabbed in the back and with a bear trap on his leg he's more concerned with hitting his marks than his opponents - before overstretched director/writer/co-star/action choreographer Sammo Hung starts to show some imagination, and even then it's a long, long way from his best. The main thing keeping you awake until then is playing "guess the soundtrack," with cues misappropriated from Jerry Goldsmith's Bandolero!, Coma and Capricorn One, Roy Budd's The Wild Geese and Elmer Bernstein's The Sons of Katie Elder getting a vigorous workout - not to mention a deliriously insane moment where the period picture opts for a rock'n'roll number for a teahouse scene! Still, it gets an extra mark for making the villain a bank manager.
A classic Wing Chun movie and an all-star cast.......2005-02-05
Sammo Hung's 'Warriors Two' is a period kung-fu pic about a bank cashier named Wah (Korean kicking sensation Casanova Wong ['Iron-Fisted Monk']) who goes into hiding after he unwittingly listened in on a dastardly plot by his boss Banker Mok (Fung Hark-On, ['Police Story']) to completely take over the whole town of FoShan and become its Village Head by trying to arrange an 'accident' for the current one. Unfortunately a trap is set for Wah and is savagely beaten half to death by Mok's goons, and he is taken to kung-fu teacher Sifu Leung Jan (Leung Kar-Yan) -- who is a Wing Chun Master (who would be played by Yuen Biao in 1983's classic 'The Prodigal Son') -- for treatment and protection until his injuries recover.
However, Mok tries to lure Wah out of hiding by killing his mother (in Chinese traditions of this era it was the done thing to avenge the deaths of murdered friends and family). However, Fatty (Sammo Hung), a student of Leung Jan, tries to improve his chances by getting Sifu Leung to take Wah on as his student. The request is initially rejected due to the vengeful intentions (a no-no in martial arts disciplines), but, after a disgraceful and humiliating attempt at Fatty acting as Sifu (a scene worthy of a chuckle), Sifu Leung capitulates and teaches the various Wing Chun principles and techniques. But more trouble lies ahead for Leung himself...
Released in 1978, this movie still has what it takes to be considered a classic of the period kung-fu movie genre, and Sammo's usual flair for directing and choreographing superlative martial artistry really shows for the first time here, and other martial talent adds to the fun, such as Lam Ching-Ying ['Mr Vampire, The Prodigal Son'], Yuen Biao ['The Prodigal Son, Project A'], Lau Kar-Wing ['Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars; Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon'] and Lee Hoi-San ['Game Of Death 2, Magnificent Butcher, Project A'] as an Iron Bell fighter who seems to be impervious to any blows, be they from fists, feet or weapons. We also have Dean Shek playing his usual weasel-like twisted bad guy that became popular when he appeared in 'Snake In The Eagle's Shadow' and 'Drunken Master'.
Casanova Wong's performance overall is not as good as those of other great Hong Kong cinema performers in terms of acting (normally he played bad guys), but this is his biggest movie role, and he does a very good job of the combat scenes, and his much-talked-about jump-spinning back kick over a table remains a memorable moment to this day.
Lead bad-guy player Fung Hark-On gets what I reckon is his best baddie role outside of Jackie Chan's 'Police Story', and he too is very memorable here (also providing a twist near the end).
The revenge formula itself is familiar, but what Sammo has done is inject some broad (sometimes dark) humour and put some little twists into it to make it a bit different. Also, as fans will know, Sammo's choreography brings out the best in any on-screen performer, usually making them look nothing but their very best (you only have to look at Jackie Chan's performances in the movies where he was choreographed by Sammo for further testament to this).
The biggest surprise for me was just what a wonderful job Hong Kong Legends did of restoring the picture quality. It was so crisp that you would scarcely believe it was made as far back as 1978!
Extras include Bey Logan's non-stop feature length audio commentary, plus a Making-Of documentary featuring interviews with Sammo Hung, Casanova Wong, Leung Kar-Yan, Fung Hark-On and Wing Chun teacher Sifu Guy Lai. You also get the usual trailers (both the UK Promotional and the Original Theatrical Hong Kong one) and those of other current and future titles from Hong Kong Legends and Premier Asia, as well as a choice between English dubbing and Cantonese with remastered English subtitles.
If you love period kung-fu pics, especially if you liked 'The Prodigal Son', you absolutely must consider this. It's a classic.
Customer Reviews:
Typical Bob Hope, but very funny.......2006-11-17
This was never going to win any Oscars as a high minded production or awards for historical accuracy. But if you like Bob Hope style comedy it's certainly good for a laugh. Don't expect it to be too naughty - most of the humour is either innocent or indirect even by 1950's standards.
I was reminded of this old Bob Hope farce when I watched the version of "Casanova" which came out in 2005 with Heath Ledger and Jeremy Irons.
If you enjoyed the modern version you will almost certainly enjoy the surprisingly similar comedy which Bob Hope and his team had put together more than fifty years previously.
Both stories are set in Venice, and both are based around the same basic joke. This is that Casanova's mere reputation as a great lover is enough to have every woman in Venice throw herself at him, including those who appear to be extremly respectable and virtuous, with precisely one exception - the woman he wants. Also shares with the later film some brilliant period costumes, though they don't look as magificent with the cinematic technology of 1954, multiple false identities, and an action packed fighting escape from the scaffold after "Casanova" is sentenced to death.
Bob Hope plays Pippo Popolino, Casanova's tailer,who is persuaded to impersonate the real Casanova (Vincent Price) so that he and Casanova's other creditors can get their money back. Near the start of the film Bob Hope's character arrives in Venice in a gondola as Casanova, strumming a mandolin as if it were a guitar and singing a love song, which immediately results in hundreds of beautiful women in elegant costume jumping into the canal to try to swim out to his boat.
In this story "Casanova" is hired by a rich and elderly dowager to test the fidelity of her son's fiancee by seeing whether he can seduce her. An indication of the humour in the film is the dowager's acerbic aside to her son as they leave the meeting,
"To think that I met him - fifty years too late !"
Her son replies in horror "Mother!"
But the son's fiance appears to be the only woman in Venice who is not willing to call into the arms of "Casanova" the instant he expresses an interest. Of course, having accepted the job because he needs the momey, at this moment the girl becomes interesting to him in her own right ...
This ridiculous romp was never intended to be taken seriously and has no pretensions to be more than a light-hearted series of jokes. But if you enjoyed either other Bob Hope films, or the 2005 film, or both, this is quite likely to amuse you.
UK DVD:
- Casino [1996]
- Cast Away (2 Disc Set) [2001]
- Charmed - Series 1
- Charmed - Series 3
- Charmed - Series 5
- Crossroads [1986] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Season 3 - Part 1 [2001]
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Season 3 - Part 2 [2001]
- Dallas - Season 7
- Dallas: The Complete Season 1 and 2 (5 Disc Box Set) [1978]
UK DVD List
UK DVD
![Casanova [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21YWZW0AR0L.jpg)
All Action & Adventure
|
Action & Adventure
|
Categories
|
DVD
|
Video
![Candy [2006]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000LMPG24.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Candy [2006]
![The Sin Eater [2003]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00013YQCO.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
The Sin Eater [2003]
![Ned Kelly [2003]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00014WAE4.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Ned Kelly [2003]
![Four Feathers [2003]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00006LA7J.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Four Feathers [2003]
Heath Ledger - His Beautiful Life and Mysterious Death
![Casanova [2005]](http://www.bill88.com/buy.gif)
![Being Considered [2000]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000062Y68.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Learners [2007]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000TYCX2A.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Drunken Master [1978]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21HPZ3KZPDL.jpg)
![The Young Master [1980]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000078552.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Armour Of God [1986]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000050YK0.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Project A [1983]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000067A97.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Snake And Crane Arts Of Shaolin [1978]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005NB2N.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Police Story (Special Collector's Edition) [1985]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005Q3Z1.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Casanova: Complete BBC Series [1971]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/215E45CFJJL.jpg)
![Brimstone And Treacle [1987]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0001P1BA2.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Pennies From Heaven [1978]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0001P1B8E.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Fellini's Casanova [1976]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21WMVCBWFKL.jpg)
![Fellini's Roma [1972]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00008OP6L.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Amarcord [1973]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0002KRU0G.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Ginger And Fred [1986]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000EGD5KW.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![And The Ship Sails On [1984]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000EGD5L6.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Puccini - La Boheme [1965]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/219U%2BtY7BNL.jpg)
![Massenet - Manon - Adam Fischer [2007]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000I8OFKK.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Johann Strauss - Die Fledermaus - Karl Bohm/Wiener Philharmoniker [2008]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000UVLJJA.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Verdi - Otello (Von Karajan) (Region 0) (NTSC) All these Universal Reissues are Region 0/NTSC and will be sold in Europe [1974]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0007P0LP2.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Beethoven - Fidelio - Leonard Bernstein [2007]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000I8OFKA.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Puccini - La Boheme (Welser-Moest, Zurich Opera House Orch.) [2007]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000J20W70.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Prodigal Son [1983]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000068OWI.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![The Iron-Fisted Monk [1977]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005OW2K.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![The Magnificent Butcher [1979]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005KH53.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Eastern Condors [1986]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000558QB.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Casanova's Big Night [1954] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31JAYV8W3KL.jpg)
![The Princess and the Pirate [1944] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0007O3902.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Monsieur Beaucaire/Where There's Life [1946] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00006LHB8.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![The Great Lover [1949] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00004YS6Y.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Fancy Pants [1950] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0001ZWLTC.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Louisiana Purchase/Never Say Die [1939] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00006LHB9.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Big Boss Of Shanghai [1979]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000189KZM.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Casanova '70 [1965]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31rWTNf3LXL.jpg)
![Era Notte A Roma [1961]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000Z63ZCY.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![The Serpent [2007]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0012L2WLG.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Rocco and his brothers [Masters of Cinema] [1960]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0010NWANG.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Hitchcock - The British Years [1925]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00113NWUK.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)