''Casanova'' is a 2005 American

romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

directed by Lasse Hallström starring

Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video director. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to ...

and loosely based on the life of

Giacomo Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

. The film premiered September 3, 2005, at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

. It received mixed reviews and flopped at the box office.

Plot

A young woman tearfully leaves her son to live with his grandmother and promises to return for him someday. Several years later, in 1753, in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

, Casanova is notorious for his promiscuity with women, his adventures being represented in

puppet theatre Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a performan ...

s around the city. The

Doge A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics". Etymology The ...

, the ruler of the city, is a friend to Casanova, but cannot be too lenient on him as he wishes to avoid trouble with the Church. He warns Casanova to marry soon, or he will be exiled from the city. Casanova gets engaged to Victoria, famous for her virginity, to save himself from exile. Casanova later meets and falls in love with Francesca Bruni, who writes illegal feminist books under the pseudonym of a man, Bernardo Guardi, and also argues for

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

as Dr. Giordano de Padua. Francesca mistakes Casanova's name for Lupo Salvato (Casanova's servant) and Casanova humors her, since she hates the ill-reputed Casanova. Francesca and her mother are heavily in debt, and her mother pressures her to marry rich Paprizzio from

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

, a union arranged by her late father. When Paprizzio arrives in Venice, Casanova lies to him and says that the hotel he booked is closed and he persuades him to stay at his house. Casanova also lies and says that he is indeed Bernardo Guardi. While Paprizzio asks his advice on how to impress Francesca, Casanova lures him to stay at home while receiving treatment for weight loss. Casanova visits Francesca, pretending to be Paprizzio and tells her that he lied to her before to make sure she is not in love with someone else and marrying him only for his money. Francesca is initially suspicious but gradually begins to trust him. During the

Venetian Carnival The Carnival of Venice ( it, Carnevale di Venezia) is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy. The carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday (''Martedì Grasso'' or Mardi Gras), which is the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The festival i ...

, Francesca recognizes the real Paprizzio from his publicity posters which force Casanova to confess his true identity making her angry. Casanova is arrested by the Venetian Inquisition for crimes against sexual morality, such as

debauchery Debauchery may refer to: * Corruption *Libertinism *Lust * Binge drinking * Currency debasement *Debauchery (band), a German death metal band See also *''Sodom, or the Quintessence of Debauchery'', a 1684 closet drama. *LGBT rights in Kuwait ...

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

, and fornication with a

novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...

. He saves Francesca by pretending to be Bernardo Guardi, which cools her anger. At his trial, Francesca confesses that she is the real Bernardo Guardi, and both are sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Francesca's mother and the real Paprizzio fall in love. Just as Casanova and Francesca are about to be hanged in the

Piazza San Marco Piazza San Marco (; vec, Piasa San Marco), often known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as ''la Piazza'' ("the Square"). All other urban spaces in the city (exc ...

, they are saved by an announcement that the Pope gave amnesty to all prisoners who were to be executed on that day, as it was the Pope's birthday. It is later discovered that the "Cardinal" who gave the announcement was actually an impostor who happens to be Casanova's stepfather, wedded to his long-lost mother who came back for him just as she promised when Casanova was a child. As they all escape on Paprizzio's boat, Francesca's brother, Giovanni stays behind to marry Victoria and to continue Casanova's legendary womanizing. The real Casanova spends the rest of his life as a stage actor touring with his family and the Paprizzios.

Cast

Production

Director Lasse Hallström had long wanted to make a film about ''Casanova'' but postponed the project to make "

An Unfinished Life ''An Unfinished Life'' is a 2005 American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, and based on the Mark Spragg novel of the same name. The film stars Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman. It is the story of a gruff Wyoming rancher ...

" with Robert Redford. The script was originally written by Kimberly Simi. It was later redrafted by

Michael Cristofer Michael Cristofer (born January 22, 1945) is an American actor, playwright and filmmaker. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for '' The Shadow Box'' in 1977. From 2015 to 2019, he played the role of Phillip ...

. Tom Stoppard gave the script an uncredited polish. Producer Leslie Holleran also polished the script. Filming began on July 9, 2004, and the finished film was released in the United States on September 3, 2005. Visual effects for the film were produced by Custom Film Effects and Illusion Arts. Period costumes were supplied by four different Italian costume houses: Tirelli Costumi,

Nicolao Atelier Nicolao Atelier is a costume manufacturer and supply house based in Venice, Italy. The company has created costumes for the films ''The Wings of the Dove'', ''The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespear ...

, Costumi d'Arte, and G.P. 11, and shoes were manufactured by L.C.P. di Pompei. Wardrobe was also rented from Sastreria Cornejo of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. The film was shot on location in Venice. Additional scenes were filmed in

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a thr ...

, particularly the

Teatro Olimpico The Teatro Olimpico ("Olympic Theatre") is a theatre in Vicenza, northern Italy, constructed in 1580–1585. The theatre was the final design by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and was not completed until after his death. The ...

, the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

theater known for its intricate

forced perspective Forced perspective is a technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation ...

stage design. The hot air balloon scene was created using Computer Generated Imagery (CGI).

Music

* ''Assagio No. 1 in G Minor (Andante)'', composed by Johan Helmich Roman * ''Concerto à 5, Op. 9 No. 10 in F Major for Violin, Strings & Continuo (2. Adagio)'', composed by

Tomaso Albinoni Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (8 June 1671 – 17 January 1751) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era. His output includes operas, concertos, sonatas for one to six instruments, sinfonias, and solo cantatas. While famous in his day as an opera comp ...

* ''Concerto à 5, Op. 9 No. 4 in A Major for Violin, Strings & Continuo (2. Adagio)'', composed by

* ''Concerto à 5, Op. 9 No. 2 in D Minor for Oboe, Strings & Continuo (1. Allegro e non presto)'', composed by

* ''Concerto à 5, Op. 9 No. 6 in G Major for 2 Oboes, Strings & Continuo (3. Allegro)'', composed by

* ''Tambourins I/II'' from the tragédie lyrique '' Dardanus'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Overture'' from the tragédie lyrique ''

Zoroastre ''Zoroastre'' (''Zoroaster'') is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau, first performed on 5 December 1749 by the Opéra in the first Salle du Palais-Royal in Paris. The libretto is by Louis de Cahusac. ''Zoroastre'' was the fourth of Rameau's '' tra ...

'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Air Grave'' from the tragédie lyrique ''

'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Menuetts 1 & 2'' from the tragédie lyrique ''

'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Air Gai'' from the opéra-ballet '' Le temple de la Gloire'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Overture'' from the opéra-ballet '' Le temple de la Gloire'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Overture'' from the opéra-ballet '' Les fêtes de Polymnie'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Overture'' from the comédie-ballet ''

Platée ''Platée'' is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Adrien-Joseph Le Valois d'Orville. Rameau bought the rights to the libretto ''Platée ou Junon jalouse'' (''Plataea, or Juno Jealous'') by Jacques Au ...

'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Gavotte'' from the opéra-ballet ''

Les Indes galantes (French: "The Amorous Indies") is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Louis Fuzelier. It takes the form of an ''opéra-ballet'' with a prologue and (in its final form) four ''entrées'' (acts). Following an allegorical prologue, ...

'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Rigaudons en Rondeau'' from the opéra-ballet ''

'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Overture'' from the pastorale '' Acante et Céphise'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Ballet Figure (1st Gavotte)'' from the pastorale '' Naïs'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Overture'' from the pastorale '' Naïs'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Overture'' from the pastorale ''

Zaïs ''Zaïs'' is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau first performed on 29 February 1748 at the Opéra in Paris. It takes the form of a ''pastorale héroïque'' in four acts and a prologue. The librettist was Louis de Cahusac. The score is particularly ...

'', composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Cello Concerto No. 3 in D Minor (2. Amoroso)'', composed by

Leonardo Leo Leonardo Leo (5 August 1694 – 31 October 1744), more correctly Leonardo Ortensio Salvatore de Leo, was a Baroque composer. Biography Leo was born in San Vito degli Schiavoni (currently known as San Vito dei Normanni, province of Brindisi) in ...

* ''Concerto in C Major for Mandolin, Strings & Continuo (1. Allegro)'', composed by Antonio Vivaldi * ''Concerto in D Major for Lute, 2 Violins & Continuo (3. Allegro)'', composed by Antonio Vivaldi * ''Sinfonia'' from the opera ''

Farnace ''Farnace'' is an opera by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, set to a libretto by Antonio Maria Lucchini initially set by Leonardo Vinci during 1724. Vivaldi's setting received its first performance in 1727 at the Teatro Sant'Angelo in Venice. ...

'', composed by Antonio Vivaldi * ''Violin Concerto Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'invenzione, Op. 8, No. 11 in D Major (2. Largo)'', composed by Antonio Vivaldi * ''Concerto for 2 Violins, Cello & Strings L'estro armonico, Op. 3, No. 2 in G Minor (1. Adagio e spiccato)'', composed by Antonio Vivaldi * ''Harpsichord Concerto in B Flat Major (2. Grave)'', composed by

Francesco Durante Francesco Durante (31 March 1684 – 30 September 1755) was a Neapolitan composer. Biography He was born at Frattamaggiore, in the Kingdom of Naples, and at an early age he entered the '' Conservatorio dei poveri di Gesù Cristo'', in Naples, ...

* ''Harpsichord Concerto in B Flat Major (1. Allegro non troppo)'', composed by

* ''Concerto for 2 Violins, Viola & Continuo No. 8 in A major La Pazzia (1. Allegro)'', composed by

* ''Concerto in C Major for Harpsichord & Strings (2. Larghetto, 3. Rondo)'', composed by

Giovanni Paisiello Giovanni Paisiello (or Paesiello; 9 May 1740 – 5 June 1816) was an Italian composer of the Classical era, and was the most popular opera composer of the late 1700s. His operatic style influenced Mozart and Rossini. Life Paisiello was born in T ...

* ''Overture'' from ''La Madrilena'', composed by

Vicente Martín y Soler Anastasio Martín Ignacio Vicente Tadeo Francisco Pellegrin Martín y Soler (2 May 175430 January or 10 February 1806) was a Spanish composer of opera and ballet. Although relatively obscure now, in his own day he was compared favorably with his ...

* ''Casanova's Lament'', traditional music, original lyrics by

Björn Ulvaeus Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (; born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, producer, a member of the musical group ABBA, and co-composer of the musicals '' Chess'', '' Kristina från Duvemåla'', and ''Mamma Mia!'' He co-produced the films ...

, performed by

Tommy Körberg Bert Gustav Tommy Körberg (; born 4 July 1948) is a Swedish singer, actor, and musician. English-speaking audiences know him best for his role as Anatoly/"The Russian" in the musical ''Chess''. He played the role on the 1984 concept album, and ...

* ''Sonata for Violin & Continuo, Op. 5 No. 11 in E Major (5. Gavotta - Allegro''), composed by

Arcangelo Corelli Arcangelo Corelli (, also , , ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of th ...

* ''Sonata for Violin & Continuo, Op. 5 No. 7 in D Minor (3. Sarabanda - Largo''), composed by

* ''Bourée'' from ''Plaisirs Champêtres'', composed by

Jean-Féry Rebel Jean-Féry Rebel (18 April 1666 – 2 January 1747) was an innovative French Baroque composer and violinist. Biography Rebel, a child violin prodigy, was the most famous offspring of Jean Rebel, a tenor in Louis XIV's private chapel. He late ...

* ''Tastar de Corde, Recercar Dietro'', composed by

Joan Ambrosio Dalza Joan Ambrosio Dalza (fl. 1508) was a Milanese lutenist and composer. His surviving works comprise the fourth volume of Ottaviano Petrucci's influential series of lute music publications, ''Intabolatura de lauto libro quarto'' (Venice, 1508). Dalza i ...

and performed by Christopher Wilson and Shirley Rumsey * ''Rigaudon'' from ''

Water Music The ''Water Music'' is a collection of orchestral movements, often published as three suites, composed by George Frideric Handel. It premiered on 17 July 1717, in response to King George I's request for a concert on the River Thames. Structu ...

, Suite No. 3 in G Major'', composed by

Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

* ''Bourée'' from ''

Music for the Royal Fireworks The ''Music for the Royal Fireworks'' ( HWV 351) is a suite in D major for wind instruments composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 under contract of George II of Great Britain for the fireworks in London's Green Park on 27 April 1749. The ...

'', composed by

* ''Loure'' from ''Tafelmusik 1'', composed by

Georg Philipp Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hild ...

* ''Bella Gioiosa'', composed by

Fabritio Caroso Fabritio Caroso da Sermoneta (1526/1535 – 1605/1620) was an Italian Renaissance dancing master and a composer or transcriber of dance music. His dance manual ''Il Ballarino'' was published in 1581, with a subsequent edition, significantly dif ...

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

the film has a score of 44% based on reviews from 131 critics. The site's consensus states: "This frothy, oddly bloodless film does a disservice to the colorful life of the real ''Casanova''." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

it has a score of 57% based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A to F. Roger Ebert of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...

'' gave it 2 out of 4 and wrote: "That the new Casanova lacks such wit is fatal. Heath Ledger is a good actor but Hallstrom's film is busy and unfocused, giving us the view of Casanova's ceaseless activity but not the excitement. It's a sitcom when what is wanted is comic opera."

A.O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic. He has been chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' since 2004, a title he shares with Manohla Dargis. Early life Scott was born on July 10, 1966 in ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' called it "a delightful respite from awards-season seriousness" and rated it 4 out of 5.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Casanova (Film) 2005 films 2005 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films Films directed by Lasse Hallström Films about Giacomo Casanova Films set in Venice Films set in the 1750s Touchstone Pictures films American historical romance films American swashbuckler films Fiction set in 1753 Films scored by Alexandre Desplat 2000s historical romance films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films