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Features: DVD, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1, Mono Audio, English, Subtitled, 3 Discs
Making its long-awaited U.S. home video debut, Luchino Visconti's The Leopard is an epic on the grandest possible scale. The film recreates, with nostalgia, drama, and opulence, the tumultuous years of Italy's Risorgimento--when the aristocracy lost its grip and the middle classes rose and formed a unified, democratic Italy. Burt Lancaster stars as the aging prince watching his culture and fortune wane in the face of a new generation, represented by his upstart nephew (Alain Delon) and his beautiful fiancee (Claudia Cardinale). Awarded the Palme d'Or at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, The Leopard translates Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel, and the history it recounts, into a truly cinematic masterpiece. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the film in two distinct versions: Visconti's original Italian version, and the alternate English-language version released in America in a newly restored special edition.
"An extraordinary movie...the most successful cinematic attempt to interpret spectacular historical events through one person's consciousness." Baltimore Sun
"A magnificent spectacle..." Leonard Maltin
"Burt Lancaster is superb." Time Out Film Guide
Editor's Note
Italian director Luchino Visconti delivers one of his most ambitious works with this sprawling historical drama. Based on the acclaimed novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, THE LEOPARD is set in Sicily during the 1800s, as the aristocracy found itself being suffocated by a newly democratic fervor. Prince Don Fabrizio Salina (Burt Lancaster) tries to hold on to the past, but it appears that his glory days are waning. This is perfectly exemplified by his nephew Tancredi Falconeri (Alain Delon) and his gorgeous wife-to-be Angelica (Claudia Cardinale). As the revolt gathers steam and begins to affect a real change, the aging prince must come to terms with the new world that surrounds him. With THE LEOPARD, Visconti confirms his status as one of Europe's most masterful directors.
| Features | A Dying Breed, A New Hour-Long Documentary Featuring Interviews With Claudia Cardinale, Screenwriter Suso Ceccho D'Amico, Cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno, Sydney Pollack, And Many Others | | An Exclusive Video Interview With Professor Millicent Marcus Of The University Of Pennsylvania On The History Behind The Leopard | | Audio Commentary By Film Scholar Peter Cowie | | New And Improved English Subtitle Translation | | New High-Definition Digital Transfer, With Restored Image And Sound And Enhanced For Widescreen Televisions | | New Transfer Of The 161-Minute American Release, With English-Language Dialogue (Including Burt Lancaster's Actual Voice) | | Optimal Image Quality: RSDL Dual-Layer Edition | | Stills Gallery Of Rare Behind-The-Scenes Production Photos | | Subtitles: English | | Audio: Italian Dolby Digital Mono |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Home Vision/Public Media |
| Release Date: 6/8/2004 |
| Running Time: 185 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1963 | | Catalog ID: 1602-D | | UPC: 00715515015226 | | Number of Discs: 3 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: Italian | | Available Audio Tracks: Italian | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1964) | | | Piero Tosi , Nominee, Best Costume Design, Color | |
Golden Globe (1964) | | | Alain Delon, Nominee, Most Promising Newcomer - Male |
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| | Professional Reviews | Premiere
"[With] wonderful moments, and as a whole, it's just a magnificent experience." 07/01/2004 p.118Uncut
"The colour and detail is so rich it's almost fattening." 11/01/2004 p.158 Los Angeles Times
"[D]azzling....THE LEOPARD moves at a measured pace from one comprehensive and subtle sequence to another..." 05/06/2005 p.E10 Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
The Leopard was written by the only man who could have written it, directed by the only man w - Roger Ebert
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