THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
A movie as a star vehicle is an honored tradition. So in 1967 when still fairly new director Franco Zeffirelli wanted to make his first big Hollywood picture, he cast both Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The film was THE TAMING OF THE SHREW and with superstars like that how could he miss. The acting was sure to be good, and the press would cover every antic on the set thus building up the excitement for its release.
The quality of the result is debatable, but one thing is certain, Burton and Taylor clearly have great fun with their acting assignments. The audience at the six weeks Shakespeare festival at San Jose's Camera Three seemed to be having a good time as well.
In my judgment Shakespearean comedies work best when the directors rely on the words for the humor. This is the path that Kenneth Branagh chose for MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Zeffirelli opted instead for slapstick figuring that the play needed to be jazzed up with many sight gags and general physical comedy. Moreover, although the words sound authentic, screenwriters Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Paul Dehn, and Franco Zeffirelli seem to have modified a fair amount of the Bard's text. I must admit that whenever I see the writing of a movie is done by a committee I take that as a bad omen.
The picture is filmed by Oswald Morris (Academy Award winner for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF) and Luciano Trasatti in a hazy glow as if through a slightly rose tinted lens. To complement this rosy glow, the Academy Award nominated sets by John DeCuir, Giuseppe Mariani, Lorenzo Mongiardino, and Elven Webb look like a Disney prototype for a RenaissanceLand. Since Zeffirelli viewed the play as a romp, these images help establish the spirit of the film.
The music by Nino Rota (famous for his love ballet and other music in ROMEO AND JULIET) is more substantial. The costumes by Danilo Donati and Irene Sharaff are fairly drab and unimaginative until the ending ball where they finally come alive.
The story is typical for Shakespeare -- full of false identities where people are not who they seem to be. In the play Katharina (Elizabeth Taylor) is such a shrew that she is considered unmarriable. The problem is that Kate has a highly attractive younger sister Bianca (Natasha Pyne), and until Kate is wed, her father, Baptista (Michael Hordern), will not allow Bianca to be betrothed. Among her young suitors is Michael York (Tybalt in ROMEO AND JULIET) in his film debut as Lucentio.
"That wench is dark mad or wonderfully forward," says Petruchio (Richard Burton) when he first lays eyes on Kate. Taylor spends most of the first part of the film grunting and throwing things. When Petruchio hears that he will get a considerable dowry for marrying Kate, he vows to have her.
The biggest laugh in the film comes during their wedding. After Petruchio shows up late just to annoy Kate, she will have none of him. When the priest asks her if she will take him for her husband, she is about to yell out "I will NOT," but the "not" is severed when he plants a big kiss on her lips. This causes pandemonium to break out in the congregation.
Although by the end the slapstick does subside, we have to endure flying tables of dust and other acts I found lacking in much real humor. Zeffirelli also had many filthy servants with bad teeth in his attempt to provide increased mirth. When he sticks to the play and to his actor's skills, the film comes alive. Sadly that was not as often as it should have been.
Taylor is a famous yo-yo dieter, but she was just the right size when the movie was filmed -- certainly not svelte but trim and with an overflowing bosom shown to advantage in the clothes of the period. Burton too looks the part of a crude but cunning man.
The last part of the play works best as Taylor and Burton get in a humorous repartee with each other. "'Tis the mind that makes the body rich," says Petruchio (Richard Burton). He keeps taunting her with things he believes and things he does to see if he can trick her.
The play ends with Bianca's lavish wedding feast. Petruchio complains that it is, "nothing but sit and sit, and eat and eat!"
For the record, my all time favorite Shakespeare movie is Zeffirelli's ROMEO AND JULIET where he plays it straight. In THE TAMING OF THE SHREW he took the easier path by hamming it up. Not a bad movie, but there is more potential lost than realized. I enjoyed it enough, but I would not want to see it again.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW runs 2:02. The show appears not to be rated, but it would be a PG for some of the bawdy references. There is no sex, nudity, violence, or modern profanity. The show would be fine for kids of any age, but they would probably have to be at least nine to be interested in it. I give the show thumbs up and award it ** 1/2.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: November 18, 1996
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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