this film perfectly captures that feeling that is universal even though i and most people haven't experience it in such a grand fashion, under such circumstances and beautiful settings. the distance from the rest of the people having a good time was perfectly captured. lancaster played it beautifully.
shareYes. The ballroom sequence is so beautiful and melancholic at the same time. It was an amazing experience!
"If you can't afford LSD, try color TV"
Yes, Lancaster plays his most brilliant role of his career. I agree with out that he is able to transmit that sense of twilight and dettachment in the midst of the dancing and enjoyemnt of the rest of the people at the party. Still, he never loses his poise and as he very well states, "Here I am, here I must stay."
sharethe look he gives in the mirror at the end and his exchanges with claudia cardinale are the best.
sharehis whole portrayal is excellent - the aristocratic detachment, the overwhelming emotion that always lies beneath, that never seeps over into sentiment. How he reads a paper, how he waves; everything BL does just embodies class and sophistication - an excellent film and an excellent performance..
shareThe scene is unquestionably one of the greatest moments of film. More is said in the expressions of Lancaster's face than in the combined dialogue of over 99% of movies. What an amazing piece of cinema.
shareLuchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate-Pozzolo (1906-1976), was the son of an Italian duke, descended from the feudal rulers of his native Milan. He was in a position to know everything about the class of people who populate this film.
It is said that Burt Lancaster perfected his manner and style in this role by closely observing and imitating Visconti himself.
Snobbery is a form of romanticism, the chastity of the perfectionist
Shirzevor
His courtliness with Angelina under the uneasy watch of Tancredi provides rivetting screen tension. We have to put aside today's perceptions of 'old'. Imagine a nephew today seeing his 45 yr-old Uncle make that intrusive 'pass'! The tolerance of the nephew in allowing his 'fading Uncle' to indulge a controlled sexual rapport is exquisitely depicted.
Agreed. Those moments of him walking around and watching the other people enjoying themselves at the ball with such detachment and melancholy are beautifully captured by Visconti's elegant direction and Lancaster's wonderfully unsentimental portrayal. Possibly my favourite scene within the entire film, and I have my fair few of those! Just an incredibly poignant and relatable moment.
This must be where pies go when they die.
Yes, it's handled very tellingly here, there's a perfect balance between the beauty and happiness of the majority of the guests and the isolation and unease of the Prince. He, of course, knows almost everyone present but he can't or won't join in their happiness. There's a similar yet different feeling that's probably common today ehen you *don't* know anyone at a party or a club gathering in a personal way, except for a very few. They're all strangers, more or less, but they know each other, and the whole effort of trying to belong is thrust upon you because you're supposed to just melt in and be happy or grateful that you're there, that you've "made the pass".Arriving at a a party without having more than one or two people to hook up on (and those may not have arrived yet!) and without having been invited to a "pre-party get-together" is actually not easy, but in our hypersocial age it's highly taboo to admit to this kind of unease - you risk getting instantly branded as a "social phobic" or a pitiable bore simply because you don't know the local cocktail language well enough to keep a smooth face and a flow of talk whilst chatting up complete strangers. And then, the music today is a lot louder than it was at the Leopard's ball, so sometimes you may basically have to shout your pick-up lines in the ear to even make people notice.
Mr.Hitler has made life very difficult for Shakespearian companies.
Truly one of Burt's finest moments.
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