Customer Reviews

Dangerous Beauty (Widescreen/Full Screen)

5 star:		(111)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

This is one of my favourite films. A description of its plot, characters and setting would not do it justice, so I leave it to you to see the movie and judge for yourself. I will say that it is that rarest of things, a movie that deftly combines romance, a strong and intelligent female protagonist, and clever dialogue. I found the characters to be richly layered and interesting, and Catherine McCormack's performance as Veronica was inspired. I especially appreciated the dialogue between Veronica and Beatrice, her best friend, on the canal, where they discuss their respective roles as Venetian women. I also really enjoyed the unapologetically feminist soliloquy given by Veronica as confession at the end of the movie. The story is very well-acted by a stellar cast, including wonderful supporting roles brought to life by Oliver Platt and Moira Kelly.

Those who denigrate this movie due to historical inaccuracies would do well to remember that most of us go to the movies to be entertained. We have to be willing to suspend disbelief a little to enjoy almost all movies released today, from action movies to dramas to comedies. Give the movie a little latitude and accept it for what it is, and I think you'll enjoy it! I certainly did.

This movie touches a special place in my heart. As a history and art history lover, the richness of the story and the beauty of the film keep me watching it over and over.

A true story (see The Honest Courtesean) that takes place in Venice in its most gorgeous era, the film brings the viewer into a world forgotten by many. The art direction and the use of the real palaces in Venice complete the total package.

Catherine McCormack is not only beautiful, but a heartfelt actress as well. You may remember her as William Wallace's wife in Braveheart (brunette there).

On a final note, if you are headed to Venice, catch this movie for a quick introduction of the Golden Age of this city and an inside look at those who used to roam the halls of the gorgeous palaces you will see lining the Grand Cannal.

One of my favorites.

An overall masterpiece. This is a movie about the 16th centuy life style of women in venice. In short women didn't have much say or freedom unless they were a "courtesan". Catherine McCormick who also played the spouse of Mel Gibson in the movie "Brave Heart" is the leading role. She does an amazing job of portraying the hardships, benefits, and pleasures of becoming a courtesan.

This is a powerful movie that I would recommend to everyone but specially to men because there is much to be learned from it. It's an eye opener and will make you think twice before calling some one a whore and what that word really means.

After I finished watching the dvd in english I watched it in French. My God what a difference. Besides the fact that I couldn't understand a word they were saying, the movie sounds much more passionate and evoked more emotions then the English version( and yes I did have the english subtitle on). The ladies are bound to become very emotional watching the french version and the guys oh well I'll skip that part.

This is one movie that you won't watch just once and is sure to entertain you and your friends for years to come, unless you go out to venice and see the real modern courtesans for your self :)

Hesitant I am to review this after perusing the many reviews it has already recieved. Many glowing, and several in disdain.

I will agree though with the glowing reviews for the movie is splendid in tugging at the heartstrings and most magnificent with its display of Venice, the city.

If one does research before seeing this movie then I suggest they not bother watching the film and perhaps study a textbook instead. Movies are for enjoying visually and possibly emotionally. They aren't history lessons. I knew only little going into this movie many years ago when I first saw it, I knew it was based on a true story. I didn't care how accurate that story was with the facts, I wanted to see if it could accomplish the feat of entertaining me and not prompting me to walk out of the theatre. Not even close did it come to injecting those latter feelings. I was awestruck. Why?

Beauty. Plain and simple. In the portrayals of the characters by the more then capable actors, to the way that Veronica jousted with the men with her words-something that very few women back in that day were able to do, and quite many never even entertained the thought of doing. To the emotion that flowed effortlessly. For the reason that it tangles you up into a world that you were never a part of and may never be a part of.

So as soon as I could I purchased the DVD, and these are some of my comments below as to why I love it so-

The Actress:
The actress playing Veronica,Catherine McCormick was a delight to watch, not only for her intelligence, but also for the quiet heartbreak that she was displaying. What this film did is portray how one suffers but continues on in silence, trying to show a different face to the rest of the world. Women of early Europe did not have much of a choice when it came to survival, and knowledge was near forbidden. That would make them equal to men and that was punishable for a price. Veronica had a choice, as she was neither poor(though close to it) and she was neither rich...she could marry,if there was someone to marry her as her family no longer had a dowry to provide, so she could marry someone in her class who may not be able to provide for her- or she could become a Courtesan, where at least her intelligence and hunger to learn was allowed to be fed.

The Actor:
I fell in love with Rufus Sewell after watching this movie. He may not be what would be considered a "hunk"(ohh how I hate this word) but he resembles what men back then just may have looked like and how they carried themselves. His character is stoic, quite often burning with rage and love and instead of being able to display the emotions, he goes forth in wonder questioning his position without giving too much away as to why. And when he does get to love Veronica, it's fiercely. He understands why she does what she does, he lets her continue on her path, when most men would have tried to own her. For on this path of hers, he knows they will meet up time to time.

The Controversy???

The movie is a love story, yes. I question those who refer to it as soft porn and are disturbed by the sexuality and the nudity within the film. Surely upon seeing what this film is about they would not be surprised at seeing such. Nudity is nothing to be ashamed of, as neither is what men and women do with another. I see nothing about the movie that would make it soft porn. I see something called "art". I do suggest however, that these same people should avoid French Films at all costs.

I could go on with what it was I loved about the film. There is one part of this film that stands out and grabs attention though, and that is:

The Artistic Design. The Photography. The Lighting. The Costumes. The movie itself, plot and actors aside, was a cinematic wonder. The background set the tone for the rest of the movie, and one would have to have a steel heart not to love and appreciate it.

Oh, and as an aside: I have introduced this film to several men-from my brother, to my father, a friend, and now my husband. Every single one of them love it. This is not a chick flick. It's the romance. Every one of them found it romantic.

I have been reading the reviews of this movie and most are very good. I am concerned, however, about some of the poor ones. They seem to mostly complain about the historical inaccuracies. My view is that if you want a history lesson, go the the library. I watch movies to be entertained, and on that score, this movie delivers flawlessly. It is lush and beautiful, moving and romantic. Arguably one of the greatest fantasy romances, the Princess Bride, is based upon real historical figures as well, but because there is no attempt whatsoever to recreate history accurately, no one ever complains. I agree that Dangerous Beauty is not a historically accurate film. For one thing, anyone who fell in the canal waters of Venice during the Renaissance would not only stink, but probably die of dysentery. But this movie is not about history. It's about love and the strength of one woman, a woman who was faced with three choices: (1) to marry a man whom she would not love and be forced to serve him as little more than a slave, not to mention having to be an uneducated ninny, (2) to live in poverty and disgrace as an unmarried woman, or (3) become a courtesan, paid hansomely by the city's rich men to entertain them, allowing her access to education and finery. And while, no, likely the life of a Renaissance courtesan was not as glamourous as here portrayed, I would not want to watch a romance story filled with images of disease and whatever else the afforementioned history buffs want to see. Like all movies, you must suspend disbelief to appreciate the story. We do it all the time for movies like Die Hard, so why not here? Everyone knows there is no such thing as a fantasy romance in real life, yet we love the genre anyway. See this movie because it is a stunningly beautiful, moving, and powerful love story, not because you want an accurate life history of a woman who chose freedom over slavery.

Imagine an *intelligent* romantic comedy with a beautiful female lead, set in Venice, with a wafer-crisp and witty script, plus some brilliant doses of worldly wisdom!

Veronica (Catherine McCormack) is the kind of woman every man dreams of: a stunning beauty who's also literate and has a great sense of humor. But you see, it's 16th Century Venice, and Veronica has been pressed into service by her mother to work as a courtesan. If you're out of touch with that era's terminology, a courtesan was a prostitute with wealthy, upper class clients. So she's available to some men for some things, for a price. And she's permitted perks not available to other women, such as access to books.

The love of her life, a man of position and stature, does not quite go in the sweet, sentimental manner she had hoped. After a time, she becomes accustomed to her job and uses it to her advantage and that of Venice, by entertaining the King of France sufficiently to convince him to provide much-needed ships at a time of war.

However, her love for Marco just won't go away, even after he succumbs to family pressures and marries an appropriately positioned woman. That unhappiness is multiplied many times over when the plague strikes Venice, followed closely by the church's Inquisition. That's when we reach the film's climax.

Yes, we'd like to have a deeper understanding of what makes Veronica tick; how she reconciled herself deep down to her un-chosen life situation. And it's sentimental, which might turn some off, but really isn't out of proportion to the story and its other strengths.

The film presents a couple of very beautiful nuggets of wisdom:

(1) There's a consistent moral thread that runs through every society from age to age and generation to generation, the tenets of which are established within parameters, and therefore subject to change; or more specifically, subject to a change in perspective. And that change can come very quickly -- veritably over night in some instances.

(2) That there is also another constant that defines the human condition in any era -- that we will do whatever is necessary to survive. It is simply an undeniable, irrefutable basic instinct of the human animal. Moral tenets and survival, however, taken as properties are something akin to oil and water, and will mix accordingly. Being more often than not polar opposites, conflict is inherent and will ultimately surface at some point or other, the outcome of which is determined by the strength of whichever perspective is prevalent at the moment. And it is at such moments that we discover that life, like politics, can be a sordid, unpleasant affair; or at the other end of the spectrum, the greatest gift of all.

This is a rare film, a smart love story that isn't saddled with an overly-predictable outcome. For that and its other assets such as dialog and captivating visuals of Venice, it comes highly recommended from me.

We are told at the start of "Dangerous Beauty" that this is based on a true story, and indeed Veronica Franco was a well-born Venetian beauty during the Renaissance who decided to become a courtesan. The argument is that for an intelligent woman this was a better choice than being forced into an arranged marriage with some old rich guy or to end up poor. This is especially true when Veronica (Catherine McCormack) is told by the man she loves, Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell), that they cannot marry because they are in different classes of Venetian society. So when Veronica's mother, Paola Franco (Jacqueline Bisset) reveals that she had once been a successful courtesan, the daughter is persuaded to follow suit, especially once her mother tells her that a courtesan can go one place that is off limits to other women: the great library of Venice.

I had two major concerns in watching this movie. The first was the idea that this was a true story, because I had the feeling at some point my credulity on this score was going to be tested. This indeed turned out to be the case, because at the climax of this film Veronica ends up being called before the Inquisition and being one of the most public prostitutes in Venice actually turns out to be an advantage. Veronica might not be a saint like Joan d'Arc, but apparently some sins are much better than others in Venice in those days. The second was that Rufus Sewell was in the film, and having seen him in "A Knight's Tale" and the "Helen of Troy" mini-series, I was predisposed to think of him as a bad person. Yes, this 1998 movie was made before either or those productions, but such was my thinking and it took me a while to understand that his character was actually a good person, albeit one constrained by the strictures of his society and class.

Just as I was surprised by who was to be the "hero" in this film, relatively speaking, I was equally surprised by the villain turning out to be Oliver Platt, who plays the studious Maffio Venier. Veronica makes her public reputation as a courtesan due in large part to a verbal duel she has with Maffio, but when she refuses his attention because she values his friendship, the duel become a more literal one. Maffio then goes in the completely opposite direction and comes up with a logical, but unexpected way of bringing her to task for her refusal. This sets up the big finish, where Veronica learns that she apparently she is tolerated more than respected, despite the service she has done to her city-state.

This is only the second film that Marshall Herkovitz has directed, the first being 1993's "Jack the Bear," although most would be familiar from his work on television's "thirtysomething," "My So Called Life," and "Once and Again." I did not know if I realized how often Herkovitz's constant partner Edward Zwick was doing the work behind the camera. Of course in any sort of costume drama the key is to have a good cinematographer (Bojan Bazelli), art direction (Stefania Cella and Gianni Giovagnoni), set direction (Ian Whittaker), and costumes (Gabriella Pescucci), and Herkovitz has all of those in his favor. However, in the end I am curious as to whether the ending was originally in Margaret Rosenthal's book or created by Jeannie Dominy's script, because if I had not been told upfront that this was essentially a "true" story, I would have been judging the big finish quite differently and probably not as harshly.

This movie is a triumph to the women of our past who risked a lot of their own personal lives and endured hardships that no woman of today's America, could begin to imagine. Don't forget that Veronica became a prostitute when society in Venice would not allow her to marry her lover, Marco, due to his status among his fellow countrymen. In order to make some sort of life for herself, she reluctantly became a prostitute to be educated and recognized as a human being by her country and the men of her time. When Vernonica does become educated and attractive to the men and women of Venice,she is said to be "bewitching." To even mention the lack of nudity or reality of the life of a prostitute (did you forget the unattractive Bishop she entertains or King of Spain that she beds with a knife at her throat for more naval ships)means that you have missed the entire point of this movie. As stated in the movie "PRETTY WOMAN," I don't believe any woman aspires to become a prostitute, sometimes life makes it the only choice a woman has. This movie is about strength, true love, sacrifice and the reality of the lives led by women in our past and some of today. I myself had female relatives that endured hardship and sacrifices similar to Veronica in order for me to be able to live the life I choose today, with or without a man. I now have the freedom of choice. They did not. We all can only hope that our lives can be fulfilled and lived as we choose and if we happen to find a man like Marco who truly loves, respects and is willing to stand up for us, then we have everything.

A most lovely movie.

But once again the DVD releasing company is telling the BIG LIE about photographic ratios. This is another example of a SUPER35 full frame format movie being modified in theatres and on the fake scope widescreen side of the disc. Once again they put the statement about "this film has been modified to fit your screen" blah blah on the FULL SCREEN (4:3) side NO IT HAS NOT!! Yes it has on the fake scope side but the FULL FRAME/SCREEN is the real version NOT the REAL modified/FAKE WIDESCREEN one. It is the so called widescreen version that has been modified. I am so sick of studios promoting this disinformation about ratios. Furthermore if a filmmaker wants a scope presentation then shoot it scope! OR shoot it 1:85:1 but don't shoot FULL FRAME and then create a fake scope image. Why are they ashamed to admit that this movie is better in FULL FRAME?

Howard
hsm_melody@hotmail.com

I read the reviews and thought this would be a good one. However, I was left very disappointed.

The cast is great. The acting is good. The set and costumes are beautiful. It's the writing that ruins the movie. The story had so much potential but unfortunately, they 'Hollywoodized' it too much. I found the movie to be too cheesy and sugar coated to be enjoyable.

If you are looking for nothing more than a high production soft porn, this will suit you fine. If you want something with more substance, I would recommend The Last King - The Power and the Passion of Charles II. It is truly one of Rufus Sewell's finest performances. The Last King is everything that Dangerous Beauty is not.