Casanova (2005 film)
| Casanova | |
|---|---|
 Casanova film poster | |
| Directed by | Lasse Hallström |
| Written by | Jeffrey Hatcher Kimberly Simi Michael Cristofer |
| Produced by | Mark Gordon Betsy Beers |
| Starring | Heath Ledger Jeremy Irons Sienna Miller Oliver Platt Natalie Dormer |
| Edited by | Andrew Mondshein |
| Distributed by | Touchstone Pictures |
Release dates | December 25, 2005 |
Running time | 108 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Casanova is a 2005 American romantic film directed by Lasse Hallström based on the life of Giacomo Casanova, starring Heath Ledger in the title role.
Plot
The film opens with a young woman tearfully leaving her son to live with his grandmother. She promises to come back for her boy. Several years later, in 1753, in Venice, Casanova, portrayed by Heath Ledger, is notorious for his success and promiscuity with women, his adventures being represented in puppet theatres around the city. The Doge, the ruler of the city, is sympathetic to Casanova, but cannot be too lenient to avoid trouble with the church. He warns Casanova that he must soon marry or he will be exiled from the city.
Casanova is in love with Francesca (Sienna Miller), who writes illegal feminist books under the name of a man, Bernardo Guardi, and argues for women's rights as Dr. Giordano de Padua. However, her mother (Lena Olin) pushes her to marry Paprizzio (Oliver Platt), a rich man from Genoa whom she has never seen. 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 his nom de plume is Bernardo Guardi. While Paprizzio, preparing to visit Francesca, stays at Casanova's house, Casanova visits Francesca, pretending to be Paprizzio.
During the Venetian Carnival, Casanova confesses his true identity to Francesca, which makes her angry. Casanova is arrested by the Venetian Inquisition for crimes against sexual morality, such as debauchery , heresy, and fornication with a novice. However, he saves Francesca by pretending to be Bernardo Guardi, which impresses her very much. At his trial, Francesca reveals that it is in fact she who is Bernardo Guardi, and both are sentenced to death. Just as Casanova and Francesca are about to be hanged in the Piazza 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 (Charlie Cox), stays behind to continue Casanova's legendary womanizing.
Cast
- Heath Ledger - Giacomo Casanova
- Sienna Miller - Francesca Bruni
- Jeremy Irons - Pucci
- Oliver Platt - Paprizzio
- Natalie Dormer - Victoria
- Lena Olin - Andrea Bruni
- Omid Djalili - Lupo
- Stephen Greif - Donato
- Ken Stott - Dalfonso
- Helen McCrory - Casanova's mother
- Leigh Lawson - Tito
- Tim McInnerny - The Doge of Venice
- Charlie Cox - Giovanni Bruni
- Lauren Cohan - Sister Beatrice
- Eugene Simon - Young Casanova
Production
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 by L.C.P. di Pompei. Wardrobe was also rented from Sastreria Cornejo of Spain.
Despite being set in Venice, some scenes were filmed in Vicenza, particularly the Teatro Olimpico, the Renaissance theater known for its intricate forced perspective stage design.
