Top Movies #27

The Leopard (1963)

“We were the leopards, the lions, those who take our place will be jackals and sheep, and the whole lot of us - leopards, lions, jackals and sheep - will continue to think ourselves the salt of the earth.” - Prince Don Fabrizio Salina

Visconti’s The Leopard tells the sad story of revolution during Italy’s Risorgimento period. Not only the revolution of Garibaldi, but also the personal revolution that surrounds the aristocratic Prince Don Fabrizio Salina, who must watch his nephew, Tancredi Falconeri, marry a young woman, Angelica Sedara (played by the always-gorgeous Claudia Cardinale), from the lower class. This is a necessary act, as Fabrizio states, “Things must change so that they can stay the same.” This is the ultimate motto of the film. For the aristocratic class to maintain some semblance of power and influence in Italy in the wake of the conquering middle class, they must relinquish many traditions of old in place of new ways of being.

Tancredi represents the encroaching new generation. He has no sense of honour, dignity, or loyalty: qualities which are most prominently represented by the aristocratic class in the film. In almost every scene he is wearing a different uniform, declaring allegiance to a different and often opposing faction, or has spontaneously changed his opinion or political beliefs to support the mass sentiments of the period. He represents that man who will forever side with whoever has the most power and influence. Reputation and principle have little value for him. This is Visconti’s way of declaring his own resentment over the loss of aristocratic values, after all, Visconti himself comes from a very affluent Italian family that descended from aristocratic lineage.

The absolute perfection of craftsmanship permeates every single frame of this film, but no scene captures this point more fully or pristinely than the ballroom dance sequence in the film’s final act. It’s been called one of the most moving mediations on personal mortality in the history of cinema, and its set-pieces have rarely been duplicated. What is brilliant about this scene is that all of the films plot lines, character arcs, and themes are neatly resolved, but almost none of this is accomplished through dialogue. It is done with dance and body language, a longing look from the Prince here, and a moment of silent contemplation there. The detail, both physical and thematic, is exquisite: you feel like you are watching something very special.

Prince Don Fabrizio Salina is one of Burt Lancaster’s best roles; Lancaster himself cites it as the best performance of his career. This is quite a claim considering all of his lines are dubbed in Italian, but Lancaster does all the acting with his graying, statuesque-face and deep sad eyes. What is Fabrizio thinking as he looks at an old portrait in his study? He is sad and alone: his country is changing, and, aesthetically, he must adapt, but in his heart nothing has changed.