Tagline: He won every woman’s heart. She won his.
1700s Venice – He was the legendary adventurer whose amorous dalliances would go on to inspire countless lovers throughout the centuries. She was the most virtuoso writer of her time who was waiting to find that rare man with a true understanding of steadfastness and passion. When Giacomo Casanova (Heath Ledger) discovered Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller), he met his ultimate romantic match, succumbing to the only woman ever to refuse his charms… until he could prove himself to be the one man worthy of her romantic ideals.
With CASANOVA, Academy Award nominated director Lasse Hallström (Cider House Rules, Chocolat) creates a sharp, sophisticated modern comedy from the long-running legend of Giacomo Casanova, the Renaissance-era spy, soldier, writer, philosopher and adventurer who became famed as a notorious lover of women.
Though Casanova’s life and loves have been explored in dozens of screen incarnations, he has never been seen in so essentially human a predicament: befuddled by his stolen heart and trying to become a better man in his own clever fashion. The film is at once the director’s most delightfully romantic and comedic work to date – as well as a playful exploration into the timeless conflicts between repression and sensuality, disguises and identity, desire and love.
The Story of Casanova
The notion of the world’s greatest lover falling head over heels for a woman who considers him unworthy – and setting out on the ultimate romantic quest of his life – was first imagined by screenwriter Kimberly Simi. Simi’s early draft of CASANOVA drew the attention of producer Leslie Holleran, whose long-time collaboration with Lasse Hallström has included such films as “The Cider House Rules,” “Chocolat” and “The Shipping News.” Knowing Hallström’s work so intimately, Holleran knew that CASANOVA would be an exciting change of pace, allowing the director the chance to push into brand new directions.
“Lasse has always been known for his unfailing sense of human nature and for being an extraordinary observer of the small moments in life,” Holleran notes. “Now he takes on a larger story full of romance, mischief and humor – but with that same empathy for people and that same fascination with the reasons why people do the things that they do.
Down the road, the screenplay was purchased for the Mark Gordon Company to produce, and Gordon too was quickly smitten with the story’s potential. “We felt this story would bring a contemporary and comic spin to the famous tale,” recalls Gordon. “What I thought was so wonderful about this CASANOVA is that you have this great lover who manages to completely lose his heart – yet to the only woman who won’t succumb to his charms. There’s so much going against these two coming together that Casanova has to wage a tremendous and very funny battle in the name of love. From Kim’s original script we did a number of different drafts with Michael Cristopher and Jeffrey Hatcher.”
As the script for CASANOVA was developed, Hallström became even more enamored with its clever dialogue, deliciously pointed humor and light-hearted ambiance of romance. The film was like nothing else Hallström had ever done, yet it also offered the kind of rich characters and magical setting that have always drawn the award-winning director.
“This is a big departure for me because it is probably the most outright comedy I’ve ever made,” Hallström comments. “The final script was rich, comic and very clever – and I welcomed the challenge to create a tone I’ve never tried, mixing a kind of classical comedy together with very strong dramatic and romantic elements. Ultimately, we had a really great script, a really great cast and in Heath Ledger, a superb Casanova.”
The producers in turn were thrilled to have Hallström at the helm of CASANOVA. “There’s always something so magical about his movies,” says Gordon. They have this almost indescribable quality of joyous wonder to them – and they can be incredibly moving as well as being very funny and charming. Ever since I saw `My Life As A Dog,’ I’ve been entranced by his work.”
For Hallström, the story was also a chance to tackle a favorite literary and Hollywood legend from an original and very contemporary point-of-view. Observes producer Betsy Beers: “We present a much more upbeat portrait of Casanova than any that has been seen before – one that is irresistibly clever yet also very believable. In some ways, it’s a very modern story of an extraordinary man who finally meets a woman who isn’t impressed with who he is. By transporting that idea to Venice in the 1700s it becomes something full of surprises.”
Beers continues: “It’s also a timeless story that’s very much about disguises and who people really are underneath the masks they wear. In CASANOVA, you have all of these people desperately trying to be someone else before coming to the conclusion that they can get their heart’s desire is by being themselves. That’s an important theme that is woven throughout the film’s characters, from Casanova to Francesca and beyond.”
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Casanova (2006)
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
Starring: Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin, Oliver Platt, Natalie Dormer, Helen McCrory, Stephen Greif, Tim McInnerny, Charlie Cox, Leigh Lawson
Screenplay by: Jeffrey Hatcher
Production Design by: David Gropman
Cinematography by: Oliver Stapleton
Film Editing by: Andrew Mondshein
Costume Design by: Jenny Beavan
Set Decoration by: Anna Pinnock
Art Direction by: Susanna Codognato, Robert Guerra, Luca Tranchino
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
MPAA Rating: R for some sexual content.
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures
Release Date: January 6, 2006
Visits: 148
