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Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1, Dolby Digital Stereo, Mono Audio, English, Subtitled, Spanish, Dubbed & Subtitled
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor are perfectly cast in this delightful Shakepearian comedy. Katharina (Taylor) is one of the gorgeous daughters of a wealthy merchant of Padua--but she's as nasty as she is beautiful. The merchant declares that Katharina must be married before any of his other daughters can wed, but no young man is up to the challenge of taming her. Enter Petruchio (Burton), an out-of towner with one desire: to marry a rich woman and let her support him in extravagant style. In spite of her meanness and his motives, they eventually wear each other down, get married and, to the surprise of all, seem to undergo a dramatic shift regarding personality and what really matters in life--much to the surprise of her now-eligible siblings and their suitors. Both Taylor and Burton shine in their roles as the confronational couple--perhaps because they were going through their own marital troubles in real life during the course of the filming. Whatever the reason, the sparks they generate in this lavish and highly watchable production make it a landmark in both their careers--and in the bringing of a Shakespeare play to the motion picture screen.
"Burton and Taylor are... perfectly cast..." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
Editor's Note
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton star in this earthy, robust version of the classic Shakespeare comedy, which was director Franco Zeffirelli's first film. Michael York plays Lucentio, the young student who falls for comely Bianca (Natasha Pyne) and must recruit Petruchio (Burton) to wed her wild and violent older sister (Taylor) before their father will allow Bianca to entertain suitors. Watching two larger-than-life lovers like Burton and Taylor slug it out in their hilarious scenes of "courtship" is something even those with no fondness for Shakespeare can truly relish.
Plot Summary
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor bring gusto and ferocity to their roles as Katherine and Petruchio in this quintessential battle of the sexes, a vibrant adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play. When young student Lucentio (Michael York) wanders into the town of Padua, he promptly falls for the beautiful Bianca (Natasha Pyne), but before Bianca's father will let her be courted, he insists her wild, angry, older sister, Katherine (Taylor) be married. Undaunted, Lucentio and the other would-be suitors of Bianca hit upon the idea of hiring tipsy, flea-bitten nobleman Petruchio (Burton) to step up and woo the untamable "shrew." The roles of these battling lovers are perfectly suited to Burton and Taylor, whose passionate and publicized love affair was in full flower at the time. This makes it a fitting follow-up to their earlier co-starring vehicle, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, and a glorious chance to see two larger-than-life stars having at each other with unfettered glee. The realistic period detail is lovingly photographed by Luciano Trasatti, while Nina Rota contributes a lively score. This was the directorial debut of Franco Zeffirelli, and it's Shakespeare with real zest; a treat to both scholars and film-lovers everywhere.
| Features | Korean Subtitles | | Theatrical Trailers | | Closed-Captioned | | Spanish Subtitles | | Chinese Subtitles | | Thai Subtitles | | Spanish Track | | Portuguese Track | | English Subtitles | | Widescreen/Standard Format | | Dolby Digital Mono | | English Track |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Columbia Tri-Star |
| Release Date: 5/22/2007 |
| Running Time: 122 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1967 | | Catalog ID: 01109 | | UPC: 00043396011090 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Chinese | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 2.35:1/4:3 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1968) | | | John DeCuir, et. al., Nominee, Best Set Decoration | | | Danilo Donati, et. al., Nominee, Best Costume Design | |
Golden Globe (1968) | | | Richard Burton, Nominee, Best Motion Picture Actor Musical Or Comedy |
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| | Professional Reviews | Sight and Sound
"...Burton roars through his role...while Taylor is suitably haughty..." 06/01/2001 p.62Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide 0 of 10
Colorful version of Shakespeare's romp is well served by Richard and Elizabeth, good supporting cast, lovely photography, and fine musical score by Nino Rota... Zeffirelli has succeeded in making a film instead of a photographed stage play.
The Motion Picture Guide 0 of 10
A lusty, bawdy version of Shakespeare's rambunctious comedy... The moment (Richard Burton) meets Taylor, the sparks fly... This is a fine motion picture and Shakespeare might have been pleased, though not necessarily proud, of the way some of the scenes were handled.
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