“The Leopard” The extraordinary spirit of “authenticity” that pervades Visconti’s masterpiece

"The Leopard" synopsis

The Duke of Salina (Lancaster), head of the prestigious aristocratic family that rules Sicily, Italy, which is in the midst of a war to unify the Kingdom of Italy, feels that the end of his era is near. Meanwhile, Tancredi (Deron), whom the Duke has his eye on, joins the revolutionary army in anticipation of a new era. Afterwards, he falls in love with Angelica (Cardinale), the daughter of a rising bourgeoisie, and the duke supports him. And then the grand ball begins...

Index

• As a movie fan, it's a mountain I have to climb someday.
• The extraordinary man that is Burt Lancaster
• Things depicted in the ball scene, which occupies one-third of the total.

As a movie fan, it's a mountain I have to climb someday.

Everyone has something they forget in life. Especially for movie fans, there are too many movies that they know are masterpieces, but end up leaving behind a bookmark and thinking, ``Someday I'll have the chance to watch it.'' The masterpiece ``The Leopard'' released in 1963 by the Italian master Luchino Visconti is perhaps the most important work of all. I'm sure if there was something like ``50 must-see films in movie history,'' I would definitely enter it. Or maybe you could say it's in my top 10.

The ``The Leopard'' in the title refers to the animal that adorns the coat of arms of the prestigious Sicilian aristocracy, the Duke of Salina. Italy in the 1860s was in the process of being unified as a modern nation, and in Sicily, the setting of this work, the Bourbon dynasty army was repelled in the War of Unification, and the era was about to change from the old system to the new system. For the aristocracy, which has continued to exist since ancient times, this is a threat to its survival. What does the main character, Don Fabrizio, Duke of Salina, think now after experiencing the turbulent times, the ever-changing situation, the transformation of people's values, and the rise of young people? This is a story about the changing hearts of a privileged class that has inherited a long line of blood.

The turbulent history of Italy is rarely brought to the center stage of the film (in this regard, it would be easier to understand if you keep in mind the situation in the 1960s), and the camera focuses solely on the nobility of the Duke of Salina. I continue to take pictures of facial expressions filled with joy. The original story is based on a novel written by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, who came from an aristocratic background, so you can see the vivid feelings of an aristocrat who stands between two eras, and the film will be made by Luchino Visconti, who also came from an aristocratic background. That's why it's irresistible.

I currently have a book in my possession called `` Portrait of Luchino Visconti '' published by Kinema Junposha in 2016. Among them was an article written by the famous Nagaharu Yodogawa about this film (originally included in the theater pamphlet for Equipe de Cinéma 49 ``The Leopard'' when it was released in 1981), so I was extremely humbled. I would like to quote it.

``The original author and the director of ``The Leopard'' are the real stories of aristocrats.If you don't like the expression, then there is no one who can write that can show the reality in a more sophisticated way. It is a masterpiece in the history of film, full of luxury and harshness. I have no words to express my gratitude to Visconti. ”

The word ``honmono'', which Mr. Yodogawa also uses, is the perfect word to describe the movie ``The Leopard'', and when you touch the main story, you can understand with a certain overwhelming feeling. After all, no compromises are allowed in all aspects, from costumes, tableware, interior decoration, and meals to the lifestyle of the aristocrats, language, civility, manners, and dignity. A real story by a real story. The elegance and sophistication of that culture is highlighted by contrasting it with the turbulent times, and the vivid truth is engraved here, including the parts that would have appeared extravagant, exaggerated, and incomprehensible to the people's psychology at the time. It is rare.

The extraordinary man that is Burt Lancaster