Review of The Leopard (1963) by J J — 26 May 2011

The Leopard - 8/10.

The Prince of Salina, ageing patriarch of his family and a man of impeccable integrity and great respect, tries to preserve his aristocratic way of life amongst a revolution in the 1800's whilst coming to terms with his own morality. The story reaches it's conclusion with a mesmerising, grandiose 45 minute ballroom dance sequence which is as good as any of the greatest scenes out there. Burt Lancaster gives an extraordinary performance with the perfect amount of subtlety and emotion along with a commanding screen presence required for the type of character he's playing. Alain Delon was also excellent as The Prince's roguish nephew. Also stars Claudia Cardinale at the height of her beauty. The restored Bluray version that I watched was a joy to look at with top notch cinematography, capturing the essence of old Sicily's beautiful landscapes and historic buildings. Reminded me of The Godfather in many ways. Not sure if I should give it an 8 or if it's worthy of a 9. Certainly not far off.