The Lovers of Verona
| Les amants de Vérone | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | André Cayatte |
| Written by | André Cayatte Jacques Prévert |
| Produced by | Raymond Borderie |
| Starring | Serge Reggiani, Anouk Aimée, Pierre Brasseur |
| Edited by | Christian Gaudin |
| Music by | Joseph Kosma |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Les amants de Vérone (The Lovers Of Verona) is a 1949 French film directed by André Cayatte and loosely based on the William Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. The film was a joint project of screenwriter Jacques Prevert and director Andre Cayatte and enjoyed great international success. it was released in Italy in 1949, then internationally in 1951.[1] This time the story is set in post war Italy and involves Angelo, a glass-blower from Murano, and Georgia Maglia, the daughter of a fascist magistrate.
Angelo and Georgia are thrown together when they become stand-ins for the stars of a film version of Romeo and Juliet being shot on location in Venice. Inevitably they fall in love and their affair parallels the Shakespeare tragedy. The principal difficulty is the scheming of Rafaële, the Magia family's ruthless consigliere. In the end, Angelo is killed and Georgia dies at his side.
Critical reception
TV Guide called it "An intriguing romance",[2] but Bosley Crowther did not like the film, calling it, "a story set within a weird and grotesque frame of contemporary morbidness in Venice and gaudy film-making in Italy."[3] Pauline Kael said, "The film's sensuous poetic elegance contrasts with the seamy elements it encompasses... You may feel you've been made too aware of the film's artistic intentions, and the romanticism can drive you a little nuts."[4]
Cast
- Serge Reggiani: Angelo (Romeo)
- Anouk Aimée: Georgia (Juliet)
- Martine Carol: Bettina Verdi, the star of the movie
- Pierre Brasseur: Rafaële
- Marcel Dalio: Amedeo Maglia
- Marianne Oswald: Laetitia
- René Génin: The guardian of the tomb
- Yves Deniaud: Ricardo, an actor
- Charles Blavette: The head of the glassworks
- Marcel Pérès: Domini, a glass blower
References
- ^ Les Amants De Verone, Review Summary, New York Times
- ^ The Lovers Of Verona TV Guide, 1949 Movie Review
- ^ Review by Bosley Crowther 'The Lovers of Verona,' Modern Paraphrase of Romeo and Juliet, at Cinema 48, New York Times, 12 March 1951
- ^ 5001 nights at the movies by Pauline Kael
External links
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