The Leopard

The other film on Scorsese's list of his five favorite films I hadn't seen was The Leopard, from 1963, directed by Luchino Visconti. I haven't seen any other films by this director, so I don't have a wealth of knowledge about him or his work. As with The Red Shoes, I admired more than loved this film.

I saw the Italian version. For its release in the States, it was truncated from its three-hour length and dubbed into English. The star, Burt Lancaster, spoke his lines in English (which are heard in the American version) but dubbed in Italian in the original, which is a bit strange to experience for one familiar with his voice. But that passed quickly, and it was interesting to watch his very poignant performance, which came across clearly in any language.

The story is set in 1860 in Sicily. There is a movement afoot to reunify Italy, which had been broken into two kingdoms. The leader of the movement, or revolution, depending on your point of view, is Garibaldi. Lancaster is the Prince of Salinas, and opposes Garibaldi, but when his favorite nephew (Alain Delon) joins the cause, he comes around. Still, he is saddened by the inevitable end of his way of life. As he puts it, his type were the lions and leopards, but they are being replaced by jackals and hyenas.

The film is operatic in scale, with large battle scenes and opulent balls. I was struck by how similar in tone, if not necessarily in plot, it was to the Godfather (certainly the Sicilian connection works). Lancaster is very much like Don Vito Corleone, watching over a family and adhering to a time-honored code. He just doesn't have anybody whacked.

Judging by The Leopard, Visconti was a master of composition. He brings a very painterly eye to the work, particularly replicating the impressionists (one picnic scene suggests Manet's Le Dejeuner sur L'herbe). The camera work, by Giuseppe Rotuno, is also brilliant, with some breathtaking use of deep focus.

However, I found it all a bit dry. Lancaster's character is a very interesting one, but much of the film was a chore for me. There are long scenes of dialogue concerning the Italian government. Whereas The Godfather was brimming with passion, The Leopard is far more intellectual (perhaps because it is based on a literary novel rather than a potboiler). It is a must-see for hard-core cinemaphiles, but I would imagine a general audience would be bored to tears.