In this war drama set in 1860s Sicily, Prince Don Fabrizio Salina (Burt Lancaster) attempts to hold onto the glory he once knew, while his nephew, Tancredi Falconeri (Alain Delon), has joined opposition forces and is being heralded as a war hero. As Falconeri begins to fall for Angelica (Claudia Cardinale), the daughter of the town’s new mayor, Don Calogero Sedara (Paolo Stoppa), Salina must learn to accept his changing political status.
Garibaldi landed in Sicily in 1860 (at the time of our civil war). Burt Lancaster (speaking Italian) is a Sicilian prince who can never adjust to the new egalitarian order. The film beautifully recreates the book. But the pace is very slow and you really might have to be motivated to watch this film. In my case I read “Il Gatopardo” in Italian.
This sprawling Italian drama sweeps from the ’60s to the 21st century,
tracking the journey of two brothers, Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio) and
Matteo (Alessio Boni). The two take different paths: After traveling,
Nicola becomes a successful psychiatrist, while Matteo becomes a policeman
intent on catching criminals. Their politics diverge as well, straining
the family bond. Originally aired as a miniseries on Italian television.
NetFlix offers this Italian TV miniseries on 2 disks. There are subtitles. You really do get the modern history of Italy in a memorable way by watching the series. You realize how much Italy has suffered (floods, Italian terrorists, etc). The characters are appealing. Warning: do not expect a happy ending. Life just goes on.
