IFF Film Review: "The Leopard" ("Il Gattopardo") (1963).

"Luchino Visconti's Enduring Romantic Adventure" This is The Leopard (Il Gattopardo). This Italian epic historical drama film directed by Luchino Visconti, adapted by Visconti, Enrico Medioli, Massimo Franciosa, Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Pasquale Festa Campanile and René Barjavel, and based on the 1958 novel of the same name by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. As Garibaldi's troops begin the unification of Italy in the 1860s, an aristocratic Sicilian family grudgingly adapts to the sweeping social changes undermining their way of life. Proud but pragmatic Prince Don Fabrizio Salina allows his war hero nephew, Tancredi, to marry Angelica, the beautiful daughter of gauche, bourgeois Don Calogero, in order to maintain the family's accustomed level of comfort and political clout.

In August 1960, Italian studio Titanus Film announced a cinematic adaptation of Tomasi di Lampedusa's 1958 bestselling novel of the same name to be filmed in Sicily the following summer with a budget of $2 million. The film would be an Italian-American co-production, shot in various languages, with a combination of Italian and American stars. Several treatments were reportedly done before Visconti became involved. In July 1961, MGM announced they had signed a co-production deal with Titanus to make the movie. Warren Beatty was in discussions with Visconti to play the nephew, while Visconti approached Laurence Olivier and Spencer Tracy to play the lead. Visconti was told by producers that they needed to cast a star in order to ensure that they'd earn enough money to justify the big budget. The producers recommended that the star should be either Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, Spencer Tracy or Burt Lancaster. In November, Lancaster agreed to play the lead with filming to start in April. The producers chose Lancaster without consulting Visconti, which insulted Visconti and disappointed as felt he was not right for the part. This caused tension between the two during the first few weeks of filming. Visconti's harsh treatment toward Lancaster eventually led to the actor publicly confronting him on the set. Visconti was so impressed with the passion and sincerity that Lancaster displayed during his tirade that the two developed a close and amicable relationship for the rest of the filming process. Principal photography took place in Palermo, Sicily and Rome, Lazio, Italy. All the scenes with Lancaster would be shot in English, and dubbed into Italian for the Italian version; other scenes would be filmed in Italian then dubbed into English for the English version. Lancaster was dubbed by Corrado Gaipa, and his French co-star Alain Delon was dubbed by Carlo Sabatini. In April 1962, 20th Century Fox announced it had bought the distribution rights to the film.

The film stars Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale and Terence Hill. The film is another of Visconti's elegantly composed portraits of the follies of the aristocracy, thanks to the superb performances given by the cast of international talents.

The film is the culmination of Visconti's work, the perfect collision of style, themes and look, and perhaps his greatest film. However long it may be, it can only strengthen Visconti's position as one of the major directors of the contemporary cinema.

Simon says The Leopard (Il Gattopardo) receives: