Other Titles • The Taming of the Shrew (1967) • Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung (1967) • La Bisbetica domata
Synopses for The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
1.
Liz and Dick (a.k.a. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) almost seemed to be importing the psychodramas of their marriage into this 1967 film (of course, the same was true of every film they made together). Adapted from Shakespeare's play and directed by Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet) with his usual eye for sumptuousness, this version of Taming features a particularly boisterous, bawdy, fun performance by its stars. Composer Nino Rota--best known for scoring several of Fellini's best-known works--received a National Board of Reviews award for his vivid soundtrack. --Tom Keogh
2.
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.
3.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton sparkle and amuse as Katharina and Petruchio in William Shakespeare's comic look at male chauvinism and women's lib in the 16th century. Petruchio, a poverty-stricken gentleman from Verona, journeys to Padua in search of a wealthy wife. There he encounters the fiery Katharina, a self-willed shrew who leads Petruchio on a merry chase before he successfully circumvents her attempts to avoid marriage. Their honeymoon becomes a humorous battle of wit and insult with Kate as determined to maintain her independence as Petruchio is to "tame" her. When the embattled couple returns to Padua, Kate helps Petruchio win a wager that his is the most obedient way to dominate her mate.
4.
The 1967 Franco Zeffirelli film of The Taming of the Shrew had all the ingredients to make it a high point in Shakespearian cinema. In Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor it starred the most bankable couple in Hollywood history as the sparring leads in the Bard's quick-firing comic battle of the sexes; and in Zeffirelli, it had a director with a Shakespearian pedigree second to none. But the reality is that this is Burton's picture all the way. His Petruchio is a weighty performance of such intelligence that the whole film is thrown off-kilter whenever he is on screen and the other performers just can't keep up. Apart from Michael Hordern's wonderfully distracted Baptista, Burton is the only actor in total, effortless command of the language. Taylor's bosomy glamour and fiery spirit are ample compensations for her occasionally murderous treatment of Katharina's verse. Whether or not she is really tamed by the end is another matter: those legendary violet eyes suggest otherwise. Ultimately it's a rich, bawdy and colourful romp, with Burton at the peak of his powers.
The DVD includes the theatrical trailer, a "making-of" featurette and filmographies. --Piers Ford
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