The Lovers Of Verona

The Lovers Of Verona (French: Les amants de Vérone) is a 1949 French drama 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.[1] 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.

The Lovers Of Verona
Directed byAndré Cayatte
Produced byRaymond Borderie
Written byAndré Cayatte
Jacques Prévert
StarringSerge Reggiani
Anouk Aimée
Pierre Brasseur
Music byJoseph Kosma
CinematographyHenri Alekan
Edited byChristian Gaudin
Production
company
Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique
Distributed byLes Films Corona
Release date
  • 7 March 1949 (1949-03-07) (France)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench

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.

It was shot at the Billancourt Studios in Paris and on location in Venice. The film's sets were designed by the art director René Moulaert.

Critical reception

TV Guide called it "An intriguing romance",[2] but Bosley Crowther did not like the film, calling it, "a story set within a weird and grotesque frame of contemporary morbidness in Venice and gaudy film-making in Italy."[3] 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."[4]

Main cast

References
  1. Les Amants De Verone, Review Summary, New York Times
  2. The Lovers Of Verona TV Guide, 1949 Movie Review
  3. Review by Bosley Crowther 'The Lovers of Verona,' Modern Paraphrase of Romeo and Juliet, at Cinema 48, New York Times, 12 March 1951
  4. 5001 nights at the movies by Pauline Kael
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.