Les amants de Vérone
Encyclopedia
Les amants de Vérone is a 1949 French film directed by André Cayatte
and loosely based on the William Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet
. The film was a joint project of
screenwriter Jacques Prevert and director Andre Cayatte and enjoyed great international success. it was released in Italy in 1949, then internationally in 1951. This time the story is set in post war Italy and involves Angelo, a glass-blower
from Murano
, and Georgia Maglia, the daughter of a fascist magistrate.
Angelo and Georgia are thrown together when they become stand-ins for the stars of a film version of Romeo and Juliet being shot on location in Venice
. Inevitably they fall in love and their affair parallels the Shakespeare tragedy. The principal difficulty is the scheming of Rafaële, the Magia family's ruthless consigliere. In the end, Angelo is killed and Georgia dies at his side.
called it "An intriguing romance" but Bosley Crowther
did not like the film, calling it, "story, set within a weird and grotesque frame of contemporary morbidness in Venice and gaudy film-making in Italy" Pauline Kael
said, "The film's sensuous poetic elegance contrasts with the seamy elements it encompasses...You may feel you've been made too aware of the film's artistic intentions, and the romanticism can drive you a little nuts"
André Cayatte
André Cayatte was a French New Wave filmmaker and lawyer, who became known for his films centering on themes of crime, justice, and moral responsibility, themes which Cayatte persisted in affirming regardless of changing contemporary attitudes.Some of Cayatte's earlier films that covered these...
and loosely based on the William Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
. The film was a joint project of
screenwriter Jacques Prevert and director Andre Cayatte and enjoyed great international success. it was released in Italy in 1949, then internationally in 1951. This time the story is set in post war Italy and involves Angelo, a glass-blower
Glassblowing
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
from Murano
Murano
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about 1.5 km north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 . It is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking...
, and Georgia Maglia, the daughter of a fascist magistrate.
Angelo and Georgia are thrown together when they become stand-ins for the stars of a film version of Romeo and Juliet being shot on location in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. Inevitably they fall in love and their affair parallels the Shakespeare tragedy. The principal difficulty is the scheming of Rafaële, the Magia family's ruthless consigliere. In the end, Angelo is killed and Georgia dies at his side.
Critical reception
TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
called it "An intriguing romance" but Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther was a journalist and author who was film critic for The New York Times for 27 years. His reviews and articles helped shape the careers of actors, directors and screenwriters, though his reviews, at times, were unnecessarily mean...
did not like the film, calling it, "story, set within a weird and grotesque frame of contemporary morbidness in Venice and gaudy film-making in Italy" Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
said, "The film's sensuous poetic elegance contrasts with the seamy elements it encompasses...You may feel you've been made too aware of the film's artistic intentions, and the romanticism can drive you a little nuts"
Cast
- Serge ReggianiSerge ReggianiSerge Reggiani was an Italian-born French singer and actor. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight...
: Angelo (Romeo) - Anouk AiméeAnouk AiméeAnouk Aimée is a French film actress. Aimée has appeared in 70 films since 1947. She began her film career in 1947 at age 14. In 1958 she portrayed the tragic artist Jeanne Hébuterne in the film Les Amants de Montparnasse...
: Georgia (Juliet) - Martine CarolMartine Carol-Biography:Born Marie-Louise Jeanne Nicolle Mourer in Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, , she studied acting under René Simon , making her stage debut in 1940 and her first motion picture in 1943. One of the most beautiful women in film, she was frequently cast as an elegant blonde seductress...
: Bettina Verdi, the star of the movie - Pierre BrasseurPierre BrasseurPierre Brasseur , born Pierre-Albert Espinasse, was a French actor.He was the son of actor Georges Espinasse and actress Germaine Brasseur while the latter was married to Albert Brasseur. His grandfather, Jules Brasseur, was an actor as well...
: Rafaële - Marcel DalioMarcel DalioMarcel Dalio was a French character actor. He had major roles in two of Jean Renoir's most famous films, Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game.- Biography :...
: Amedeo Maglia - Marianne OswaldMarianne OswaldMarianne Oswald was the stage name of Sarah Alice Bloch, a French singer and actress born in Sarreguemines in Alsace-Lorraine. She took this stage name from a character she much admired, the unhappy Oswald in the Ibsen play Ghosts...
: Laetitia - René GéninRené GéninRené Génin was a French film actor. He appeared in 134 films between 1931 and 1965.-Selected filmography:* Nuits de feu * Port of Shadows * Girls in Distress...
: The guardian of the tomb - Yves DeniaudYves DeniaudYves Deniaud may refer to:*Yves Deniaud , French comedian*Yves Deniaud , French politician...
: Ricardo, an actor - Charles BlavetteCharles BlavetteCharles Blavette was a French film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1933 and 1966.-Selected filmography:* Angèle * Toni * The Baker's Wife * Girl and the River...
: The head of the glassworks - Marcel PeresMarcel PérèsMarcel Pérès is a French musicologist, composer, choral director and singer, and the founder of the early music group Ensemble Organum. He is an authority on Gregorian and pre-Gregorian chant....
: Domini, a glass blower
External links
- Les Amants De Verone at FandangoFandango (ticket service)Fandango is a corporation in the United States that sells movie tickets over the telephone and Internet, enabling customers to ensure ticket availability and avoid lines at the movie theater.-Services:...