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The Leopard (1962)

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20:00-23:00 Sun 14th Dec 2008 180m
BBC4

Synopsis

Beautifully photographed by master cameraman Giuseppe Rotunno (Fellini's Roma, Casanova, All That Jazz), this opulent period classic sees director Luchino Visconti revisit the Risorgimento of the 1860s that he had previously explored in Senso (1954). Burt Lancaster is in tremendous form as the scion of a noble Italian family about to be brought down by a republican movement in this contemplation of Italian history and Visconti's own role - as an aristocratic Marxist - in it. The casting is splendid (Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale) and some moments - such as the elaborate ballroom scene - are awash with visual splendour. The film went on to deservedly win the Palme D'Or at Cannes but, despite huge acclaim in Europe, was dubbed and shortened for its American release. Visconti died in 1976, but Rotunno went on to supervise the film's restoration in the 1990s and this new print can now be seen in all its sumptuous widescreen glory.