Movies-TV

Beg to differ

I really like Liz and Dick, but this movie is crap. Silly and dated direction, weak screenplay, and highly questionable post production make this one almost unwatchable. I really don't understand the four and five star ratings. Another lame studio product hiding behing the great the Shakesphere cannon. Check out "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" Amazing.

This Shrew Remains Untamed

It's very difficult to be very critical of such a roisterous, good-natured version of Shakespeare's rowdiest play, and in truth one has to admit that this is probably the first of the truly modern Shakespeare films. There are some real assets here -- Zefferelli's eye has never lighted on a landscape more beautiful, more seductive, and Nina Rota's score fits beautifully.

But Shakespeare, even on film, stands or falls on the acting. This version -- with one exception -- is filled with one-note performances (they're very GOOD notes, but single notes nonetheless). Let's deal with the exception first -- Elizabeth Taylor is a delightful, intelligent Katarina. Her development is exactly what Shakespeare obviously intended, and if her early scenes are a bit uniformly shrill, the case could be made that that's what the Bard wrote. In general, she's an admirable Kate.

Burton, however, is something else entirely. Despite his acknowledged skill with Shakespeare (his Hamlet was glorious), he takes a monochromatic approach to Petruchio, with an annoyingly stagey laugh running through virtually every scene. By halfway through the film, you tend to want him to get off screen so you don't have to listen to that "manly" laugh any longer. Unfortunately, much of Kate's dialogue was cut (the assumption being, I suppose, that Taylor would have trouble with the language) while too much of Petruchio remains.

The secondary characters, if cut from different bolts of cloth, are all a single color. Michael Hordern bumbles his way through Baptista the same way he did in countless other movies. Michael York and Natasha Pyne as the young lovers are efficient and attractive, but not particularly engaging. The suitors are a group of living cliches. Even the humor is raggedly overdone to the same degree in almost every scene.

There are things to appreciate in this movie, and there's no better Shrew available, but I'd recommend finding another of Shakespeare's comedies until a better version of this rowdy comedy comes along -- someone's bound to get it right soon.

Spectacularly entertaining movie based on Shakespeare's politically incorrect play

+++++

This movie is based on William Shakespeare's play, the romantic comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" (written circa 1590).

The movie and play only have five major characters:

(1) Baptista Monola (Michael Hordern): a rich gentleman of Padua. He insists that his elder daughter (a shrew or what we today call a "bitch") marry before his younger daughter does.
(2) Katharina (Elizabeth Taylor): his beautiful, elder daughter, "as brown as hue as hazel nuts," whose "only fault, and that is faults enough, is that she is intolerable curst and shrewd and forward." She is also called KATE.
(3) Bianca (Natasha Pyne, her movie debut): her younger sister, as modest and gentle as Kate is wild and unruly. She has a few suitors after her.
(4) Petruchio (Richard Burton): "a mad-brain rudesby" and a "swearing Jack," yet a gentleman of Verona, resolved to "tame" Kate. (It's this taming that makes the play and movie politically incorrect today.) He has two servants.
(5) Lucentio (Michael York, his movie debut): a young man, "a proper stripling an amorous," in love with Bianca. He has two servants.

To appreciate this movie fully, you must realize that Elizabeth Taylor and the late Richard Burton were ever-quarrelling lovers (just as Kate and Petruchio are) in real life in the 1960s with their on-again, off-again marriage. Thus, some say that these were the best movie roles of these two great actors.

These two lovers play out their own love affair in period costumes, and we're never allowed to forget that we're watching a movie with two famous stars (just as in the original play we are never allowed to forget that Kate and Petruchio are playing a part).

Director Franco Zeffirelli has cut some stuff found in the original play but to compensate, he provides more physical action thus making this comedy more accessible to the modern movie watcher. As well, he has left intact the boisterous vitality of the play and most of its poetry.

Despite its raucous energy, this movie is tame and non-controversial but still sexy with lots of broken crockery and high-spirited taming. There's no hint of the underlying cruelty that makes the play so controversial today.

This movie lacks intellectual bite but it's a flamboyant spectacle that makes few demands on the viewer. Since Shakespeare wanted to appeal to public taste, this movie probably comes closest to his own intention.


The speech uttered is brilliantly alive by all actors (especially by Burton and Taylor). Costumes are dazzling. The actual location shots add realism. The cinematography is beautiful. The background music adds to each scene.

The DVD itself is flawless in picture and sound quality. It has minimal extras.


BOTTOM LINE:

This is a worthy addition to the Bard's cinematic canon.

(1967; 2 hr; widescreen; 28 scenes)

+++++

How Fares Thee, Kate? Answer: Fine!

In Italy, Franco Zeffirelli is best known for his work in grand opera, and he brought all his experience in this larger than life art form to bear upon the two films for which he is best known, the 1968 ROMEO AND JULIET and the 1967 THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.

Scholars usually consider Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW to be among the playwrights lesser works, but it has been an audience favorite since its first known performance in 1594. Although many suitors beg for Bianca's hand, her widowed father is determined that she may not marry until her elder sister Katherine is wed--and Katherine is a hot tempered, willful, and vicious woman who makes life miserable for all who cross her path. Fortunately for Bianca, Petruchio is in need of money, and he is more than willing to marry Kate, no matter how resistant Kate herself is to the whole idea.

Shakespeare's original script has been trimmed here and there, and while purists may scream about it the result not only works for film, it also manages to capture the flavor of Shakespeare's language much better than any other film version of SHREW both before or since. And the look of the thing is beautiful: Zeffirelli brings his mastery of opera's larger than life visuals to bear upon the project, and the result is eye-popping production values, most particularly in reference to the costuming. Every cent spent shows on the screen.

Although she was a very fine screen actress, Elizabeth Taylor is not a name one would expect to find playing Shakespeare--but she carries it off in fine style, kicking, snapping, and snarling with tremendous panache in the first portion of the film, and then making Kate's "taming" seem entirely plausible in the latter portion. Unlike many later Shakespeare plays, SHREW is not greatly noted for its language; even so, Katherine's final speech is widely known and extremely memorable, and Taylor pulls it off with such credibility that one wishes she had done other classical roles as well.

Taylor's then-husband Richard Burton co-stars as the deliberately uncouth Petruchio, who sets out to tame a shrew and finds himself as much tamed by her as she by him. Burton, of course, was accustomed to the classics in general and Shakespeare in particular, and he plays with tremendous bravado. The supporting cast, which includes a young Michael York, is also very fine, and when all is said and done the 1964 THE TAMING OF THE SHREW is a tremendous amount of fun even if you don't like Shakespeare.

The DVD transfer is very nice. The picture has the occasional blemish, most often in the opening titles and closing credits, but on the whole it is remarkable, showing every detail of every set and every costume to fine effect. The sound is also quite good. Sad to say, there is really nothing in the way of bonus material, but the film is the thing, and Taylor, Burton, York, and Zefirelli do it up brown. More than just worth watching: worth owning.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Its just a movie.

And that is all it is. You get the Taylor and Burton being their big star selves. You get very good supporting performances. You get a signature big plush production from Franco Zeffirelli. You also get a very skimpy serving of Shakespeare to go with the heaping plate of stars and stuff. I would be surprised if I did an actual count and found half the text in the movie script. Large sections of the primary story line and even key speeches, such as Kate's final speech about duty to husbands are hacked up or omitted. I am not a purist or completist, still I was amazed at how much star pandering and material production value tromped all over the play. It does manage to be funny from time to time. But taken as a whole this movie is for fans of Taylor, Burton, and good looking movies for their own sake.

Fortunately, one can do better, much better.

If you want to see Taming of the Shrew with great acting, great direction, broad humor, and most of what Shakespeare wrote, I recommend the Broadway Archive DVD of William Ball's San Francisco ACT production with Marc Singer. This is the best and funniest production I have ever seen. (Yes, it is actually funny.) I urge you to get it while you can, there is no better. I plug it here because I do not think it is well known and it should be. I was overjoyed to find that this production that I saw on PBS(do not let any politicians kill PBS) before there were VCR's was not lost to the public forever.

Burton/Taylor vehicle

Lovely costumes and nice to see "location" shots but this really is just a loud romp for the famous couple. The other characters don't get much of a chance to shine. Bonus points for keeping the iambic pentameter going.

Want to hook kids on the comedy of Shakespeare?

I use this version in a middle school classroom and the kids actually laugh at it like it was a modern day movie. It's a great idea to also show 10 Things I Hate About You to them. The story is the same and the kids actually realize that Shakespeare's stories are still told today. I like to have them list as many similarities as they can. They gain a new appreciation for the relevance of classic literature.

Not a fan of Liz but...

I really dislike Elizabeth Taylors voice, which I find a little shrill and not really suitable for an actress particularly for Shakespeare. That aside I love this film and she makes a reasonable job of Kate (and she was always stunning to look at).I love the way the whole thing looks and Burton is magnificent in spite of what the theatrical snobs (who never forgave him for leaving the theatre) say. WS is difficult to make a popular movie-going choice for most people and Zefferelli had the talent to do it. His Romeo and Juliet was exemplary too. Victor Spinetti and Michael Hordern were never better and it is a pleasure to see that talented actor Alfred Lynch as a young man in a great movie.Likewise Michael York. I love the music too and I recommend this as an introduction to the bard. Before you shoot me down, you purists should welcome the fact that the plays are sometimes rendered intelligible to the unwashed masses!! Shakespeare was never so precious as the literary set would have him be.

Entertaining

This was an entertaining movie to watch. Elizabeth Taylor was voluptuous in this role as Kate, the elder daughter of Baptista, chased her suitors away with her sharp-tempered manner. Those dark eyes and dark hair characterized her as scolding and seething. Her younger sister, the beautiful and sweet Bianca, played by Natasha Pyne, has many suitors but can't marry unless her sister gets married. In comes Lutencio, played by Michael York, falls in love with Bianca and is determined to marry her. Petruchio, played by Richard Burton, comes into town looking like a joker, is willing to marry Katherina, despite her short-temper. It's a cat and mouse chase as Petruchio claims Kate as his bride. It's a party for the city when Kate is married to Petruchio and is whisked away to his dark and dingy estate. Lutencio is able to marry Bianca but his father doesn't know until he comes into town.

Another Franco Zeferelli creation, Shakespeare's play about a woman whose shrewdish behavior is not only unladylike, but isolates her from enjoying life and the people in it. Despite the limited roles women had during that time period, Kate had to be the one to change herself from being a shrew to a respected lady. Another exaggerated version of the movie is the episode from the 1987 television series "Moonlighting". Bruce Willis was Petruchio riding a horse with a Mercedes cover and Sybil Sheperd was Kate.

Required watching

If there is a better adaption of this great play I'm not aware of it.

The personal relationship and tension between Taylor and Burton combined with their own great acting ability (plus many good supporting performances from such as York and Holden who never seems to get credit) turn this into a tour de farce that is both a visual feast and a lession of how to act.

Watch this and drink in a an all time classic.

asses are made to bear and so are you

I was 'forced' to watch this for my english lit. A level. At first I remembered how much I had hated romeo and juliet, but once the movie started I was amazed! I actually ENJOYED a Shakespeare adaption. No doubt thanks to the gorgeous Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. Katherina is one of the most compelling characters to have ever been thought up, and as much as I despise Petruchio for his complete torture of kate, I find him an amusing and wonderful character. Unfortunatley the film is let down by cutting half of Katherina's lines, and becase they KEPT Shakespeare's appauling ending... (it's late and I don't remember accuratly but something to the effect of 'yeah, stand on my hand if it makes you feel better, Petruchio dearest.' Could that be any more degrading to such a strong-willed intelligent character?)
Great film and play.

Only Love Tames the Shrew ....

Turbulent star-crossed lovers Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were the leads in this 1967 take on Taming of the Shrew. Taylor gives a fiesty performance as the one who won't be taken ... who cannot seem to give (to quote Bette Midler's The Rose) ... while Burton's ravishing maestro of a character is the (finally) successful shrew tamer. Comedy that tells us why only love can tame a shrew ...but for how long?

Excellent

The best 'Hollywood' (via Italy) ever did for Shakespear. Burton and Taylor were married at the time and played off exceptionally well together. Finally, Elizabeth Taylor in her final speach once again established herself as an actress over being a just celebrity.

My problem is with Shakespeare, not the movie.

The movie is gorgeous to watch and listen to, and the acting is great. I would have enjoyed this movie a lot more if about a month ago I hadn't happened to have been reading some books on abusive men and their distorted perceptions of female realities. I know that Taylor & Burton are playing caricatures. The problem is, there is truth in caricatures. For some reason it is supposed to be funny when the man chases his hoped for bride, does a full body restraint on her, painfully twists her arm, makes what are essentially sexually harrassing remarks, acts like a fool on the wedding day and tricks her into being married, then keeps her from eating on her wedding night after an exhausting trip, rips up a dress she had her heart set on after he tempts her with it, and on and on.

Of course it is understood (as in the minds of abusive men and their, uh, "literature") that the woman really likes the rough and humilating treatment she is getting. It is also understood that while the woman's behavior means "she had it comin'" and warrants her being treated like property (which is exactly how Shakespeare has the new husband talk about his wife), the man's bufoonish, violent, alcoholic behaviors get no disapproval from anyone.


I just recently watched a John Wayne movie, McLintock. It seemed to me it might have been based on the Taming of the Shrew, which is why I have watched this movie. I was right. Same drunken loutish man who never improves in any way. Same shrewish woman who turns into a lamb after her husband abuses and humiliates her enough.

I give thanks to Heaven that we are told in Scriptures, "Be considerate of your wives or your prayers will not be answered" and that some men actually treat His daughters with love and respect.

The Taming of the Shrew is not a comedy to me, and I suspect to legions of women who have been "thus treated." It is more like a tragedy.

HE THAT KNOWS BETTER HOW TO FILM A SHREW ...

We never do find out the source of Elizabeth Taylor's 'shrew's' dicontent and the idea of a woman being dominated into submission of behavior doesn't wash today, this still is a highly amusing, greatly acted and lushly filmed version of Shakespeare's comedy. The late Richard Burton is superb and very funny as the oppurtunistic and and reckless Petruchio.

Which shrew was tamed?

When I watched this version of Taming of the Shrew, I got the definite impression that Kate was taming Petruchio, rather than the other way around. At the end of the movie, Kate gets to beat up Bianca one last time by dressing it up in "obedience" to her husband, who then meekly follows her out the door.Now I have to look up the original to see if that reading is supported by the original text. :-)Also, I can't help but wonder if the animators of Disney's Beauty and the Beast might have used parts of this for a visual reference. The opening looked awfully like "Belle"...

Great Fun, Great Autor, Great Actors

Elizabeth Taylor with then husband Richard Burton, both in top acting form, put up the money to produce this fun & well acted adapted version of a Shakespearean comedy. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, who did one of the best versions of Romeo & Juliet, adds his magic touch. The Time period looks correct with many well done setting with the matching fashions. The film starts out rather slow with Michael York as the young scholar, but once Richard Burton comes in as Petruchio, you will be continually laughing. Elizabeth Taylor does well through out matching Richard Burton's skill. For those that don't like Shakespeare, this will be a fine place to start. Only during the last dinner scene did I have to rewind to understand the old English.

At their absolute best

There is nothing finer that a Fellini production - couple this with the two quintessential actors and pleasure will be had by all. The roles speak to the personalities of the actors so there is a duality that is much fun to watch. This is a must for any collection - to be revisited often.

My experience

Our year 11 advanced English class was given this film as a related text to the topic of change, we had to discuss the changes made in perspective and attitude. This film was ideal for a related text comparison. We looked into the techniques and sub-related areas of the film and did a comparison to the original play by Shakespeare. Elizabeth Taylor and Burton portrayed the characters very well and gave our class an insight to the Elizabethan times. The lighting was sometimes hard on the eyes and the characters clothing and props were quite drab but for anyone debating on whether to watch the film i would say definitely because this is a great film with even better actors. Definitely great for a rainy afternoon in front of the telly. Good luck to all and blessed be. Elle

colourful Shakespeare

Shakespeare's bawdy comedy was perhaps the perfect vehicle for the Burtons four years into their real-life stormy marriage. Although Liz Taylor had no experience of playing ‘the bard' she is actually entertaining as Kate, that fiery girl who has no intention of becoming any man's plaything or possession. Richard Burton is on surer ground as Petruchio and doesn't disappoint, this is a rip-roaring performance and one of his best.In Zeffirelli's cast we also see Michael Hordern, Cyril Cusack, Natasha Pyne (as Kate's sister Bianca), and Michael York (making his film debut as Bianca's suitor). The action can drag a bit when away from the leads (who always did tend to swamp other players in their movies), but the wit and mischief of the original play shines through. My only quibble would be with Kate's final speech. Interesting that Taylor plays it this way, but my guess is that it isn't the end of the bumpy ride for these two!