''I, Don Giovanni'' (Italian: ''Io, Don Giovanni'') is a 2009 Spanish-Italian-Austrian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (4 January 1932 – 10 February 2023) was a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. With Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be among Spain's great filmmakers. He had a long and prolific career th ...

. The film narrates the life of

Lorenzo da Ponte Lorenzo Da Ponte (; 10 March 174917 August 1838) was an Italians, Italian, later American, opera libretto, librettist, poet and Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest. He wrote the libretti for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Wolfgan ...

, an Italian Freemason who wouldn't give up his libertinism, despite being ordered to do so as a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. When the

Holy Inquisition The Inquisition was a Catholic judicial procedure where the ecclesiastical judges could initiate, investigate and try cases in their jurisdiction. Popularly it became the name for various medieval and reformation-era state-organized tribunals ...

accused da Ponte of having betrayed the Christian faith through his licentiousness and publication of criticisms against the church (influenced by Casanova), condemning him to the exile, his close friend

Giacomo Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (; ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer who was born in the Republic of Venice and travelled extensively throughout Europe. He is chiefly remembered for his autobiography, written in French and pu ...

wrote a presentation letter for

Antonio Salieri Antonio Salieri (18 August 17507 May 1825) was an Italian composer and teacher of the classical period (music), classical period. He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subje ...

, before da Ponte had to leave

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

for

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. Here, Salieri introduced him to Mozart, and da Ponte wrote le ''

Nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...

''. At the intervention of Casanova, da Ponte persuaded Mozart to publish a second edition of the ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'', which was performed in presence of the Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...

, to great success.

Cast

Lorenzo Balducci Lorenzo Balducci (born 4 September 1982) is an Italian actor. He appeared in more than thirty films since 2001. Life and career Balducci was born in Rome, Italy. He began taking acting classes when he was 14 and in November 2001 he made his stag ...

Lorenzo Da Ponte Lorenzo Da Ponte (; 10 March 174917 August 1838) was an Italians, Italian, later American, opera libretto, librettist, poet and Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest. He wrote the libretti for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Wolfgan ...

Tobias Moretti Tobias Moretti (; born Tobias Bloéb; 11 July 1959) is an Austrian actor. Biography Born in Gries am Brenner, Tyrol, Moretti is the eldest of four brothers, including Thomas, Christoph and fellow actor Gregor Bloéb. Since 1997, he has been mar ...

* Lino Guanciale as

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

Ennio Fantastichini Ennio Fantastichini (20 February 1955 – 1 December 2018) was an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Gallese, province of Viterbo, Fantastichini studied acting at the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico. His breakout role ...

Francesco Barilli Francesco Barilli (born 4 February 1943) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and painter. He is known to cult horror film fans for his ''Man From Deep River'' (1972), ''The Perfume of the Lady in Black'' (1974) and ''Pensione Paura' ...

as Vescovo

External links

* 2009 biographical drama films 2009 films Spanish biographical drama films Italian biographical drama films Austrian biographical drama films Biographical films about writers Films about classical music and musicians Films about opera Films set in the 1780s Films set in Venice Films set in Vienna Films directed by Carlos Saura Films based on Don Giovanni 2009 drama films Films about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart {{bio-film-stub