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Casanova
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Lasse Hallström
Produced by	Betsy Beers Mark Gordon
Written by	Michael Cristofer Jeffrey Hatcher
Starring	Heath Ledger Sienna Miller Jeremy Irons Oliver Platt
Music by	Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography	Oliver Stapleton
Editing by	Andrew Mondshein
Distributed by	Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s)	December 25, 2005(limited) January 6, 2006
Running time	112 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Gross revenue	$37,691,644

Casanova is a 2005 American romantic film directed by Lasse Hallström starring Heath Ledger loosely based on the life of Giacomo Casanova and described by a tagline as "A partially true story about lies told, virtue lost and love found."[1]

Plot

The film opens with a young woman tearfully leaving her son to live with his grandmother. She promises to come back for her boy. Several years later, in 1753, in Venice, Casanova, (Heath Ledger), is notorious for his success and promiscuity with women, his adventures being represented in puppet theatres around the city. The Doge, the ruler of the city, is sympathetic to Casanova, but cannot be too lenient to avoid trouble with the church. He warns Casanova that he must soon marry or he will be exiled from the city^[1].

Casanova is falling in love with Francesca (Sienna Miller), who writes illegal feminist books under the name of a man, Bernardo Guardi, and argues for women's rights as Dr. Giordano de Padua. Her mother (Lena Olin) pushes her to marry Paprizzio (Oliver Platt), a rich man from Genoa whom she has never seen. 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 his nom de plume is Bernardo Guardi. While Paprizzio, preparing to visit Francesca, stays at Casanova's house, Casanova visits Francesca, pretending to be Paprizzio.

Piazza San Marco, Francesco Guardi, 18th century.

During the Venetian Carnival, Casanova confesses his true identity to Francesca, which makes her angry. Casanova is arrested by the Venetian Inquisition for crimes against sexual morality, such as debauchery , heresy, and fornication with a novice. He saves Francesca by pretending to be Bernardo Guardi, which impresses her very much. At his trial, Francesca reveals that it is in fact she who is Bernardo Guardi, and both are sentenced to death.

Just as Casanova and Francesca are about to be hanged in the Piazza San Marco, 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 (Charlie Cox), stays behind to continue Casanova's legendary womanizing.

Cast

• Heath Ledger as Giacomo Casanova
• Sienna Miller as Francesca Bruni
• Jeremy Irons as Pucci
• Oliver Platt as Paprizzio
• Lena Olin as Andrea Bruni, mother of Francesca
• Omid Djalili as Lupo
• Stephen Greif as Donato
• Helen McCrory as Casanova's mother
• Charlie Cox as Giovanni Bruni
• Natalie Dormer as Victoria

Production

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, 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.

Despite being set in Venice, some scenes were filmed in Vicenza, particularly the Teatro Olimpico, the Renaissance theater known for its intricate forced perspective stage design.

Posters

Music

Concerto Grosso in D Minor, Op 3 No 11 (Vivaldi)

Concerto for Mandolin in C Major (Vivaldi)

Concerto No. 1 in C Major (Paisiello)

Concerto in B Flat (Durante)

References

1. ^ The actual Doge at the time when the plot takes place was Francesco Loredan.

External links

• Casanova - The Official Movie Website
• Casanova - The Official DVD Website
• Casanova at the Internet Movie Database
• Casanova at Box Office Mojo
• Casanova at Rotten Tomatoes