Taming of the Shrew, The (1967) (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Oct 15, 2024
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Franco ZeffirelliRelease Date(s)
1967 (August 28, 2024)Studio(s)
Columbia Pictures (Imprint Films/Via Vision Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: A-
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: D
Review
[Editor’s Note: This is a Region-Free Australian Blu-ray import.]
For once, the ad campaign wasn’t lying. Original posters for the Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew (1967) called it “The Motion Picture They Were Made For!” And so it was, Taylor as the beautiful but volatile Kate and Burton as the perpetually drunk and rowdy Petruchio, the couple famous for their tumultuous romance and marriage playing the most famous fighting couple this side of Albee’s George and Martha.
The feature debut of director Franco Zeffirelli, and the first of his three Shakespeare adaptations for which he is most remembered (not counting his 1986 filming of the opera Otello—the others were Romeo and Juliet (1968) and Hamlet (1990)—the film is raucous, rowdy fun. Some have remarked that Zeffirelli’s Shakespeare films are more sensual than cerebral, a generalization but essentially correct. It’s a lavish, colorful production, Taylor is way better than one might have expected, and it’s a good introduction for those intimidated by the Bard—of all the film versions of his plays, this one’s probably the easiest to follow.
Italian nobleman Baptista Minola (Michael Hordern) wants to marry off Bianca (Natasha Pyne), the younger of his two adult daughters, but first he must find a suitor for his eldest, the ill-tempered, shrewish Katherina (Elizabeth Taylor). Lusty and drunken Petruchio (Richard Burton), eager to win Kate’s dowry, as bountiful as her bosom, takes up the challenge to “tame” the furniture-throwing beauty.
A subplot, redacted in this version to the point of near-incoherence, follows Lucentio (Michael York, in his film debut), who falls in love with Bianca at first sight, and his attempts to outwit her suitors, including elderly Gremio (Alan Webb) and fey Hortensio (Victor Spinetti).
What stands out most about this Taming of the Shrew, the first since a 1929 film starring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, is the near-constant motion: everybody, especially the leads, gallops from place to place even when a modest canter would do, while Oswald Morris’s camera is also constantly panning and tracking the runaway actors. Almost like a simulation amusement park ride, initially this gives the opening act a real sense of energy, but is so extreme it wears out the audience before the movie is over.
Nevertheless, the film’s opulence, with its outstanding production design by Lorenzo Mongiardino, John DeCuir, Elven Webb, and Giuseppe Mariani and costumes by Danilo Donati (with Taylor’s gowns by Irene Sharaff), is a treat for the eyes, as is Morris’s Panavision lensing.
The role of Petruchio was a walk in the park for the experienced Burton, but Shakespeare neophyte Taylor is more than up to the task as fiery Kate. One famous story is that Taylor insisted that footage shot on her first day of filming be redone, that it took her a couple of days to get up to speed, and that Zeffirelli reluctantly complied, but she needn’t have worried—she comes off like a seasoned veteran herself.
The director seems to have pushed for a much broader, more physical approach to the material. Even veteran actors like Hordern and Cyril Cusack (as Grumio, Petruchio’s manservant) play their roles broadly, with Victor Spinetti (of A Hard Day’s Night and Help!) particularly indulgent and over-the-top, the latter to Burton’s annoyance.
For such a freewheeling romp, it’s surprising to learn Burton and Taylor reportedly loathed Zeffirelli, or that Zeffirelli’s reputation has suffered considerably since before his death in 2019 at 96; a conservative Catholic (and anti-Semite), he supported the church’s position on homosexuality, despite being gay himself with adopted adult “sons.” He had been sexually abused by a priest as a child, but later faced multiple accusations of committing assaults on other men. Further, in 2023, Romeo and Juliet stars Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey filed a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, alleging sexual assault and abuse by Zeffirelli, a case dismissed because of the statute of limitations.
Romeo and Juliet, nevertheless, is the finest of Zeffirelli’s three Shakespeare films, striking that best balance between the sensual and the cerebral. Hamlet is good with an outstanding cast, but at just over two hours, too much of the text is abridged; Kenneth Branagh’s unabridged 1996 film is almost twice as long. The Taming of the Shrew, despite its behind-the-scenes squabbles, is fun, plain and simple.
Imprint’s Region-Free Blu-ray, presenting the film in its original 2.35:1 Panavision screen shape, is good, not great, possibly an older transfer. Mostly it looks fine but one senses a newer transfer could wring out additional detail and better color, though what’s here is perfectly adequate. Disappointing, though is the 2.0 mono LPCM audio; the original theatrical release did include some multi-track stereo 35mm and 70mm blow-up prints, though maybe those elements no longer exist. Optional English subtitles included.
The lone supplement is a trailer.
Considering its stars and reputation, it’s surprising there’s no U.S. Blu-ray of the film to date. Perhaps that will eventually arrive with an improved video transfer with stereo audio, but until then, Imprint’s release is most welcome.
- Stuart Galbraith IV