Dangerous Beauty
| Dangerous Beauty | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Marshall Herskovitz |
| Produced by | Marshall Herskovitz Edward Zwick Arnon Milchan Sarah Caplan |
| Written by | Screenplay: Jeannine Dominy Novel: Margaret Rosenthal |
| Starring | Catherine McCormack Rufus Sewell Naomi Watts Oliver Platt Fred Ward Jacqueline Bisset Moira Kelly |
| Music by | George Fenton |
| Cinematography | Bojan Bazelli |
| Editing by | Steven Rosenblum |
| Studio | Regency Enterprises |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. (USA/Canada) 20th Century Fox (International) |
| Release date(s) | February 20, 1998 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | USD$8,000,000 (estimated) |
Dangerous Beauty (1998) is a biographical drama film directed by Marshall Herskovitz. It is adapted from the non-fiction book The Honest Courtesan, by Margaret Rosenthal, (also the title of the UK video release), about the life of Veronica Franco (played by Catherine McCormack), a courtesan in 16th century Venice.
A stage musical version of the film premiered on July 25, 2008 at Northwestern University's Ethel M. Barber Theatre. The musical features book and verse by Jeannine Dominy (the screenwriter of the film), lyrics by Amanda McBroom, and music by Michele Brourman under the direction of Sheryl Kaller.[1]
The musical version of Dangerous Beauty will premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse in February 2011, starring Jenny Powers as Veronica Franco.[2]
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[edit] Plot
Veronica is an adventurous, curious, slightly tomboyish young woman in Venice. Her lover Marco (Rufus Sewell) cannot marry her because her family is not wealthy enough to provide a good dowry. Marco, a future Senator, marries a foreign noblewoman instead. Veronica's mother (Jacqueline Bisset) must think of the future and her family's financial security, as she still requires dowries for her younger daughters and money for her son's commission. Rather than go to a convent, Veronica's mother suggests she become a courtesan, a highly paid, cultured prostitute like her mother and grandmother before her. At first Veronica is repelled by the idea, but once she discovers that courtesans are allowed access to libraries and education, she tentatively embraces the idea.
Veronica quickly gains a reputation as a top courtesan, impressing the powerful men of Venice with her beauty, wit, and compassion. Marco finds it difficult to adjust to his new wife, who is nothing like Veronica, and becomes jealous as she takes his friends and relatives as lovers. After Marco's cousin Maffio, a poor bard who was once publicly upstaged by Veronica, attacks her, Marco rushes to her aid. They rekindle their romance and Veronica stops seeing clients.
War breaks out between the Ottoman Empire and Venice, and the city appeals to France for aid. Veronica seduces the king of France and secures a military alliance. Marco becomes despondent that she has broken her promise of fidelity. Veronica points out that she sacrificed their love for the good of the city, while he only did it to protect his family's political standing, and Marco leaves for war angry. While the Senators are fighting at sea, a plague hits the city. Religious zealots take the war and plague as punishment for the city's moral degradation, and Veronica's home is quarantined and almost ransacked by a mob.
Veronica is summoned to appear before the Inquisition on charges of witchcraft and refuses to name her clients. When it appears that she will be executed, Marco publicly shames the Venetian ministers and senators into standing. Bewildered by the extent of sin in the city, the Inquisitor drops the charges of witchcraft, and Marco and Veronica reconcile.
[edit] Cast
- Catherine McCormack as Veronica Franco
- Rufus Sewell as Marco Venier
- Oliver Platt as Maffio Venier
- Fred Ward as Domenico Venier
- Naomi Watts as Giulia De Lezze
- Moira Kelly as Beatrice Venier
- Jacqueline Bisset as Paola Franco
- Melina Kanakaredes as Livia
[edit] Critical and commercial reception
The film opened in limited release on 20 February 1998 to mixed but mostly positive reviews, receiving a 69 percent freshness rating on the movie critics website Rotten Tomatoes. Jack Mathews of the Los Angeles Times described it as "both blessed and cursed with inspiration."[3] In its first week it did well, earning a per theater average of $10,598 across ten theaters. Dangerous Beauty eventually opened across 313 theaters, but failed to live up to its initial promise, earning only 4.5 million domestically.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (2008-07-25). "New Musical Dangerous Beauty Unleashed at Northwestern July 25". Playbill.com. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/119811.html. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
- ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141313-Pasadena-Playhouse-to-Present-New-Musical-Dangerous-Beauty-in-2011
- ^ http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie980219-4,0,5809537.story
- ^ http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dangerousbeauty.htm
