Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung

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

This is a great Shakespeare movie that the man himself would surely approve of. It has just the right mix of action and dialogue and if the light dims a little during the scenes without the Burtons, certainly Michael Hordern keeps his brightly lit. Michael York and Natasha Pyne are inexplicably weak after their brilliant early moments. But maybe it just is that the two main performances are so captivating, we really only wish to see them. Some find fault with the acting of Elizabeth Taylor but I'll hear none of it. Her early scenes of wild madness are fantastic as are her slightly less confident scenes as she finds herself the object of the chase. The scene I remember most from my original 60s cinema viewing is that of the pair wrestling on the bed of feathers having fallen through the roof. Watching this again at a BFI South Bank, London screening in a packed audience I can surely see why. Pure electricity as the snarling/alluring, struggling yet desiring 'shrew' begins to succumb to the power of the male above her. Great moments, great music, excellent sets and a tremendous if controversial final speech.

This is a lavish presentation of William Shakespeare's classic comedy, highlighted by the ideally cast coupling of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in the pivotal roles. Hers was the questionable characterization, but Ms. Taylor keeps "Katharina" well within her range, and sparks the original role with an appealing update. Burton balances with a fine interpretation of "Petruchio". The bombastic Burtons are only hindered by the relatively slight material; some of this humor doesn't transcend the centuries, although much is appreciated. Director Franco Zeffirelli and several in this company soon went to work on "Romeo and Juliet" (1968), which was a greater use of their skills.

******* The Taming of the Shrew (2/27/67) Franco Zeffirelli ~ Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Michael York, Natasha Pyne

Liz and Dick, you gotta love them in this...somehow you feel you may be getting more insight into their personal life than intended. One of the great things about this film is that it's made Shakespeare accessible to many more folks who might not have even bothered otherwise. Zefferili does for Shakespeare what Emeril does for cuisine--makes it entertaining while keeping all the quality. And what a fun production--great costumes, a young Michael York, lots of sexy repartee. A good choice for a snowy night when you'd rather stay in. It keeps you pretty entertained throughout, simplifies some of the plot intricacies. One drawback is that Miss Taylor appears to be a little long in the tooth to be playing a young, never-married, girl.

There is no denying Franco Zeffirelli's visual sensibility, nor his dramatic strength. He takes this Shakespearean comedy, chops and cuts and edits the text to his liking, and regurgitates a wonderful film. If one were to watch the film without sound, it would still be entertaining, that is how well Zeffirelli put it together. But it wouldn't be enough without a terrific Kate, and Elizabeth Taylor, certainly in her prime in 1967, more than fills the bill. She hams it up when hamming is appropriate to the moment, and plays it with more subtlety when that is required. She is well matched by Richard Burton as Petruchio. He is good, but there is something not quite there. I think perhaps he seems more jaded and a tad less calculating than I'd expect in the role. I think I prefer the more caustic performance of John Cleese in this role.

I can't help but wonder what Zeffirelli would've done with an operatic version of this play.