The American Version of the Movie
When The Leopard was shot, leading man Burt Lancaster delivered his lines in English, and in the Italian-language version of the movie, we hear his character's words spoken by someone else with little, if any, attention paid to lip-synching. In the DVD set, one disc is devoted to the so-called American version of the movie, an abridged version where the dialogue is in English and Lancaster post-synced his character’s voice. Producer-director-actor Sydney Pollack says, "The American version was lousy." I think Pollack's assessment is a bit harsh, but I would say the Italian-language version is much better. I agree with Pollack's claim that the main problem with the English-language version of the film is that the American voices sound incongruous. I believe Lancaster's way of talking takes native speakers of English right out of the story because he sounds so wrong for a titled European aristocrat.
Assessment of Feature Film and DVD Set
In my opinion, The Leopard is one of the greatest films ever made, and I'm thrilled it has finally gotten the DVD treatment it deserves. It seems to me that anyone who loves movies will want to buy this DVD set for viewing at home. Below I've listed all the special features of the Criterion Collection three-disc DVD set of The Leopard.
DVD Details:
DVD Release Date: June 8, 2004
Three-Disc Set
Disc One
- Feature Film (Italian Version)
- Italian Monaural
- English Subtitles
- Feature Run Time: 3 Hours 5 Minutes
- Anamorphic Widescreen (2.21:1), Color
- MPAA Rating: Unrated
- Audio Commentary by Film Scholar Peter Cowie
Disc Two
- "A Dying Breed: The Making of The Leopard" (1 hr. 1 min.)
- Interview With Producer Goffredo Lombardo (19 min.)
- Italian Newsreels (2)
- Italian Trailer
- English Subtitles
- The History of the Risorgimento (14 min.)
- American Trailers (2)
- Stills Gallery
Disc Three
- Feature Film (American Version)
- English Monaural
- Feature Run Time: 2 Hours 41 Minutes
- Anamorphic Widescreen (2. 21:1), Color
- MPAA Rating: Unrated
10-Page Booklet (Includes Essay by Michael Wood)
Return to Beginning of DVD Review