| Casanova | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lasse Hallström |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Oliver Stapleton |
| Edited by | Andrew Mondshein |
| Music by | Alexandre Desplat |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Release dates | |
Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $37.7 million[2] |
Casanova is a 2005 Americanromance film directed byLasse Hallström starringHeath Ledger and loosely based on the life ofGiacomo Casanova. The film premiered September 3, 2005, at theVenice Film Festival.[1] It received mixed reviews andflopped at the box office.[citation needed]
A young woman tearfully leaves her son to live with his grandmother and promises to return to him someday. Several years later, in 1753, inVenice, Casanova is notorious for hispromiscuity with women, his adventures being represented inpuppet theatres around the city. TheDoge, the ruler of the city, is a friend to Casanova, but cannot be too lenient on him as he wishes to avoid trouble with the Church. He warns Casanova to marry soon, or he will beexiled from the city. Casanova gets engaged to Victoria, famous for her virginity, to save himself from exile.
Casanova later meets and falls in love with Francesca Bruni, who writes illegalfeminist books under a male pseudonym, Bernardo Guardi, and also argues forwomen's rights as Dr. Giordano de Padua. Francesca mistakes Casanova's name for Lupo Salvato (Casanova's servant) and Casanova humors her since she despises the ill-reputed Casanova. Francesca and her mother are heavily in debt, and her mother pressures her to marry rich Paprizzio fromGenoa, a union arranged by her late father. When Paprizzio arrives in Venice, Casanova lies to him and says that the hotel he booked is closed and he persuades him to stay at his house. Casanova also lies and says that he is indeed Bernardo Guardi. While Paprizzio asks his advice on how to impress Francesca, Casanova lures him to stay at home while receiving treatment for weight loss. Casanova visits Francesca, pretending to be Paprizzio and tells her that he lied to her before to make sure she is not in love with someone else and marrying him only for his money. Francesca is initially suspicious but gradually begins to trust him.
During theVenetian Carnival, Francesca recognizes the real Paprizzio from his publicity posters which force Casanova to confess his true identity making her angry. Casanova is arrested by the Venetian Inquisition for crimes against sexual morality, such asdebauchery,heresy, and fornication with anovice. He saves Francesca by pretending to be Bernardo Guardi, which cools her anger. At his trial, Francesca confesses that she is the real Bernardo Guardi, and both are sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Francesca's mother and the real Paprizzio fall in love.
Just as Casanova and Francesca are about to be hanged in thePiazza San Marco, they are saved by an announcement that the Pope gave amnesty to all prisoners who were to be executed on that day, as it was the Pope's birthday. It is later discovered that the "Cardinal" who gave the announcement was actually an impostor who happens to be Casanova's stepfather, wedded to his long-lost mother who came back for him just as she promised when Casanova was a child.
As they all escape on Paprizzio's boat, Francesca's brother, Giovanni stays behind to marry Victoria and to continue Casanova's legendary womanizing. The real Casanova spends the rest of his life as a stage actor touring with his family and the Paprizzios.
DirectorLasse Hallström had long wanted to make a film aboutCasanova but postponed the project to makeAn Unfinished Life withRobert Redford. The script was originally written by Kimberly Simi. It was later redrafted byMichael Cristofer.[3][4]Tom Stoppard gave the script an uncredited polish.[5] Producer Leslie Holleran also polished the script.[6]
Filming began on July 9, 2004, and the finished film was released in the United States on September 3, 2005. Visual effects for the film were produced by Custom Film Effects and Illusion Arts. Period costumes were supplied by four different Italian costume houses:Tirelli Costumi,Nicolao Atelier,Costumi d'Arte, and G.P. 11, and shoes were manufactured byL.C.P. di Pompei. Wardrobe was also rented fromSastreria Cornejo ofSpain.
The film was shot on location in Venice.[7]Additional scenes were filmed inVicenza, particularly theTeatro Olimpico, theRenaissance theater known for its intricateforced perspective stage design.Thehot air balloon scene was created usingComputer Generated Imagery (CGI).[6]
OnRotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 45% based on reviews from 136 critics. The site's consensus states: "This frothy, oddly bloodless film does a disservice to the colorful life of the realCasanova."[8] OnMetacritic it has a score of 57% based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[9] Audiences surveyed byCinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A to F.[10]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave it 2 out of 4 and wrote: "That the new Casanova lacks such wit is fatal. Heath Ledger is a good actor but Hallstrom's film is busy and unfocused, giving us the view of Casanova's ceaseless activity but not the excitement. It's a sitcom when what is wanted is comic opera."[11][12][13]A.O. Scott ofThe New York Times called it "a delightful respite from awards-season seriousness" and rated it 4 out of 5.[14]
Hallstrom has also committed to "Casanova" the Touchstone Pictures period tale of the famed Lothario
Most of it ended up being created by computer. The only thing that was real was the basket and the actors in it.
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