The Leopard
The Leopard
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.
Charles London reviewedMarch 10, 2025
This eye-catching historical drama by Luchino Visconti is a visually-stunning masterpiece. Though be forewarned, it does take some commitment to enjoy. It's 3 hours plus long and in Italian (Burt Lancaster's dialog is dubbed in Italiano) with English subtitles. If that doesn't scare you away, the film can be an enriching experience. In all honesty, I had to watch it a second time (I'm very committed) to fully appreciate it's elegance, historical significance, and cinematic greatness. Therefore, I cannot grant the movie that elusive 5th star due to the work involved. After all, investing oneself in a film is a give and take process.
Fun Fact: Martin Scorsese has cited "The Leopard" as one of his top-5 all-time personal favorites.