The Leopard (1963)
"Il gattopardo" (original title)

The Prince of Salina, a noble aristocrat of impeccable integrity, tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860's Sicily.

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (novel), Suso Cecchi D'Amico (screenplay),

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Prince Don Fabrizio Salina
Claudia Cardinale	...	Angelica Sedara / Bertiana
Alain Delon	...	Tancredi Falconeri
Paolo Stoppa	...	Don Calogero Sedara
Rina Morelli	...	Princess Maria Stella Salina
Romolo Valli	...	Father Pirrone
Terence Hill	...	Count Cavriaghi (as Mario Girotti)
Pierre Clémenti	...	Francesco Paolo
Lucilla Morlacchi	...	Concetta
Giuliano Gemma	...	Garibaldi's General
Ida Galli	...	Carolina
Ottavia Piccolo	...	Caterina
Carlo Valenzano	...	Paolo
Brook Fuller	...	Little Prince
Anna Maria Bottini	...	Mademoiselle Dombreuil, the Governess

Storyline

In the 1860s, a dying aristocracy struggles to maintain itself against a harsh Sicilian landscape. The film traces with a slow and deliberate rhythm the waning of the noble home of Fabrizio Corbero, Prince of Salina (the Leopard) and the corresponding rise to eminence of the enormously wealthy ex-peasant Don Calogero Sedara. The prince himself refuses to take active steps to halt the decline of his personal fortunes or to help build a new Sicily but his nephew Tancredi, Prince of Falconeri swims with the tide and assures his own position by marrying Don Calogero's beautiful daughter Angelica. The climatic scene is the sumptuous forty-minute ball, where Tancredi introduces Angelica to society.

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Plot Keywords:

prince | 1860s | noble | sicily | ball | 

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Taglines:

Luchino Visconti's Enduring Romantic Adventure

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian Latin French

Release Date:

15 July 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Leopard

Filming Locations:

Ariccia, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

ITL 2,900,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£39,102 (UK) (2 May 2003)

Gross:

£112,329 (UK) (9 May 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Titanus, Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma, Société Générale de Cinématographie (S.G.C.)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

187 min 151 min (cut) 161 min (cut) 165 min (cut) 195 min 205 min (premiere) 161 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Luchino Visconti wanted Laurence Olivier for the title role but his producers insisted on a movie star with clout at the box office and thus, Burt Lancaster was cast.

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Goofs

There is much kissing of hands during the movie. According to the book "Histoire de la politesse de 1789 à nos jours (History of good manners from 1789 till today)" by F. Rouvillois, the kissing of hands only appeared at the turn of the XXth century when the story in the movie was supposed to take place in 1860-1862, more than 40 years before.

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Quotes

Prince Don Fabrizio Salina: We were the leopards, the lions, those who take our place will be jackals and sheep, and the whole lot of us - leopards, lions, jackals and sheep - will continue to think ourselves the salt of the earth.

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Connections

Featured in A Dying Breed: The Making of 'The Leopard' (2004)

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Soundtracks

"I Sogni del Principe / Giovani Eroi / Partenza di Tancredi / Amore e Ambizione / Quasi In Porto"
Composed by Nino Rota

User Reviews

Paintings in Movement

"Il Gattopardo" is another fantastic and grandiose movie of the aristocratic Marxist artist Luchino Viscontti. The story of the decadence of the Italian aristocracy with the unification of Italy, "Il Risorgimento", in 1860, is presented in Sicily through the eyes of the noble and clever Prince Don Fabrizio Salina, magnificently played by Burt Lancaster. It is amazing to see the cinematography and costume design, the details of each scene, which give me the sensation of being in a museum watching pictures at an exhibition, indeed paintings in movement. The shinning beauty of Claudia Cardinale dancing with the elegant Burt Lancaster is simply wonderful. The DVD released in Brazil by Versátil Distributor has 185 minutes running time, was completely restored and has more than two hours of Extras, honoring respectfully the memory of Luchino Viscontti. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Leopardo" ("The Leopard")