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The Leopard

Il gattopardo

1963

Luchino Visconti

Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Paolo Stoppa ...

7.8

16,941

Drama Set in 1860s Sicily, it portrays the decline of an aristocratic family under the crushing weight of political change. The film traces the waning of the noble home of Fabrizio Corbero, Prince of Salina (the Leopard) and the corresponding rise to eminence of the enormously wealthy ex-peasant Don Calogero Sedara. The prince himself refuses to take active steps to halt the decline of his personal fortunes or to help build a new Sicily but ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"Magnificent (...) The cinema at its best can give us the illusion of living another life, and that's what happens here (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Dave Kehr Chicago Reader	"[It is] not only Visconti's greatest film but a work that transcends its creator, achieving a sensitivity and intelligence without parallel in his other films."	POS
United States	Bosley Crowther The New York Times	"A stunning visualization of a mood of melancholy and nostalgia at the passing of an age"	POS
United Kingdom	Derek Malcolm The Guardian	"There is a sensuousness about the direction that perfectly matched the ideas behind the film (...) It is probably his greatest film."	POS
United Kingdom	Jamie Russell BBC	"Capturing the beauty and grandeur of this rich, lavish world, Visconti's visuals (...) show a painter's eye for detail and lighting (...) A masterpiece (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Tim Robey Telegraph	"Hard to imagine a finer stab at Lampedusa’s magnificent novel (...) A must (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Trevor Johnston Time Out	"The writing and Burt Lancaster’s majestic performance add ideological complexity and emotional resonance (...) but the film’s greatness lies in the way it makes the 1860s live (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Kim Newman Empire	"It has a magnificence that’s undeniable (...) Lancaster, grizzled but perfectly coiffeured, is the heart of the film (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times	"A dazzling yet profoundly reflective adaptation (...) The film is a glittering triumph of personal expression at its most elegant and opulent."	POS
United States	Eric Henderson Slant	"'The Leopard' is more than a tad too pleased by its own spots, but in this case the source material and its director’s intentions were almost accidentally an appropriate match (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS

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