#65: The Leopard

The Leopard (Visconti, 1963)

The Leopard is about a rich family over the time Italy changed from a monarchy to a democracy. At the beginning, when the revolution is going on, everybody is in complete denial that anything significant is happening. They all live their sheltered lives as normal assuming everything will go on as normal. Later in the film when democratic elections are introduced, they continue to live their lives as if culture still revolves around them, as if nothing has changed. The only one who displays any actual awareness of any change is the main character played by Burt Lancaster. He's just as arrogant and self-important as everyone else at the beginning, then at the end becomes cynical and starts to see his ignorant, sheltered life for what it really is. He says "We were the leopards, and they are the jackals", referring to the demagogues who are now in power.

But through a majority of the film, the focus isn't on any of the political intrigue. The camera focuses on the internal melodrama of the main character's wealthy family, and the politics are in the background, reflected on by the characters. His daughter is courted by a soldier who is the son of a friend, and his wife says he's not good enough to marry into the family. She wanted their daughter to marry a rich cousin. He's going to give the soldier a big estate along with his daughter. As they explore the big empty house he remarks "Any mansion where you know every room isn't worth living in". He's been drawn into the same sheltered self important world as everyone else.

The movie can be a little bit dry and conversational at times, over three hours, but the dull parts are carried by Lancaster's performance. The dialog can be very clever, but it's a hard movie to get all the way through in one sitting.

Rating: *** 1/2 / 5

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