Fellini's Casanova on DVD (1976)

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A customer from Roma, Italy , 20/02/2007

Fellini's Casanova is a film that deserves some consideration. The director is after all, a legend and it won an Oscar for costume. However, having read l'histoire de ma vie, Casanova's autobiography, (which is superb) I can only consider the man who distilled from it such empty, tawdry, mindless idiocy, an utter moron.

Fellini has the luxury of a truly memorable historical character and a genuine sequence of events that transcend mere fictional screenwriting. However, from the rich tableau that was Casanova's life, he serves only a watered down and abysmally 'postmodern' filtrate, undoubtedly heavily nuanced by his own limitations and insecurities.

It is in this sense that his surrealist schemata is shown to be deviod of any charm - the disparity between the text and the film reveals only the prejudice and baseness of the director.

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most imprssive

chungking from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 21/01/2006

A slow starter for me but as it went along I got into it. Very theatrical and sometimes operatic. Sets and designs all great. Donald Sutherland is very good, sauntering around like he owns the world and the world is lucky to have him, when in truth he’s a deeply superficial, arrogant failure of a man. His character is a reflection on an often empty society and its decedent existence. Full of great set pieces, a large stone head being raised from a river, candles being lowered from the ceiling of a theatre, but my favourite was Sutherland dancing with a life-size mechanical woman. Throughout the film with all the women he’s been with, the mechanical doll is the purest relationship he has with anyone in the film. Quality.

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Il Casanova Di Federico Fellini

Richard Rule from Whitley Bay , 11/11/2005

When this film was made in 1976, Fellini was so well known as a director that he got his name into the titles of his films.Although this is not one of his best, its still eminently watchable, especially if you're a fan.

Like John Malkovich in 'Dangerous Liaisons', Donald Sutherland is not the most obvious actor to play the great lover. But clearly Fellini felt that Sutherland, suitably attired and in extraordinary makeup and wigs looked the part. He is often seen in profile or striking a pose, and in fact the whole film could be seen as a pose. This is not a realistic account of the life of the 'Great Italian Lover', nor a romp like the recent BBC version, but a highly imaginative series of stylised episodes loosely based on Casanova's autobiography.

Like everything in the film, the sex scenes are very unrealistic, and for the most part rather unsexy. If you're looking for a bawdy romp like 'Tom Jones' this is not the film for you. But if you like Fellini in all of his many aspects, there is much here to savour.

The film is a bit long, but mostly entertaining, and always great to look at with its fantastical sets, costumes and colour. Sometimes its a bit like a Ken Russell movie, but mostly its Fellini: stylish, funny, elegant, titillating, grotesque, touching, and ultimately quite sad.

Ciao Federico !

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Something of a Folly

Chatterbox from Lancashire , 23/08/2008

Fellini at his most indulgent and OTT. A very stylised take (more so than the recent BBC TV series with David Tennant) on the life of the legendary lover based on his memoirs. Still oddly watchable though, but grotesque and crude rather than the stylish decadance of say 'La Dolce Vita'. One of Donald Sutherland's misfires in his most interesting decade as an actor.

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Il Casanova Di Federico Fellini

Richard Rule from Whitley Bay , 11/11/2005

When this film was made in 1976, Fellini was so well known as a director that he got his name into the titles of his films.Although this is not one of his best, its still eminently watchable, especially if you're a fan.

Like John Malkovich in 'Dangerous Liaisons', Donald Sutherland is not the most obvious actor to play the great lover. But clearly Fellini felt that Sutherland, suitably attired and in extraordinary makeup and wigs looked the part. He is often seen in profile or striking a pose, and in fact the whole film could be seen as a pose. This is not a realistic account of the life of the 'Great Italian Lover', nor a romp like the recent BBC version, but a highly imaginative series of stylised episodes loosely based on Casanova's autobiography.

Like everything in the film, the sex scenes are very unrealistic, and for the most part rather unsexy. If you're looking for a bawdy romp like 'Tom Jones' this is not the film for you. But if you like Fellini in all of his many aspects, there is much here to savour.

The film is a bit long, but mostly entertaining, and always great to look at with its fantastical sets, costumes and colour. Sometimes its a bit like a Ken Russell movie, but mostly its Fellini: stylish, funny, elegant, titillating, grotesque, touching, and ultimately quite sad.

Ciao Federico !

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Dull but beautiful

JamesMc from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 15/09/2008

This film looks fantastic. Every frame is like a picture. But there is precious little characterisation or plot, and overall it's just boring.

Even the presence of Donald Sutherland and lots of breasts can't make up for this joyless telling of the world's greatest lover's story. Go for the Russell T Davies version. That rocks.

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