Shakespearean themes in entertainment and on the big screen have withstood the test of time have proved to be as sure a thing as a hangover following boxed-wine night.
Shakespeare's forbidden-love theme in "Romeo and Juliet" has been displayed in clashes between the Jets and the Sharks in "West Side Story," between the rich and the poor in "Titanic" and between vampires and werewolves in "Underworld." "Ten Things I Hate About You" and other movies involving the metamorphosis for love come from Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." Following suit, "Casanova" is a "Comedy of Errors" set in 18th-century Venice, continuously referencing the theme of mistaken identity.
The film tells the tale of fabled lover Giacomo Casanova (Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"), whom the audience meets getting it on with a nun, falling in love. Under pressure from the Inquisition, Casanova is forced to take a bride, but manages to find his love elsewhere. The bride is a simple feat for the legendary lover, as he is engaged within a day of hearing the news that he must be wed to remain in Venice. Casanova, as one would imagine, certainly does not love his fiancé, Victoria, but is only using her to avoid the Inquisition. But Victoria, it turns out, is loved by someone else, and Giovanni Bruni challenges Casanova to defend his honor.
In a case of mistaken identity, Casanova meets and courts his true love, Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller, "Alfie"), Giovanni's sister, initially under the name of his valet, Lupo. He later takes the identity of the rich lard merchant to whom Francesca is engaged but has never met, Paprizzio (Oliver Platt, "The Ice Harvest"). Francesca, an independent soul and advocate of feminism under the pen name Benicio Guardi, is reluctant to marry the lard merchant, though doing so would redeem her family from an enormous debt. Casanova, in several charming moves and by assuming the identity of numerous Venetians and other folk, eventually manages to set all identities straight — except his own — in the blissful end and avoids execution for heresy by Bishop Pucci (Jeremy Irons, "Kingdom of Heaven").
The undemanding description of the story above does not do justice to the intricate plot line and dialogue the movie follows to make the film a true "Comedy of Errors." When dealing with several mistaken identities, presenting them clearly to the audience is crucial for a successful show. "Casanova" manages to tie a charming little bow on many potentially confounding situations. However, as a result of keeping things straight, character development is lacking, as the film forces the audience to rely on the reputation of the lover and count on shallow first impressions to fit the other characters into the story.
Consistent with more general themes of a Shakespearean comedy, the film's dialogue flows crisply despite its tendency to play with the ambiguity of words in various situations. Striking are the word games Ledger plays with his valet, played by Omid Djalili. The comedian's performance as Lupo, though not deep, surrounds Ledger with comic relief throughout the film.
Ledger and Miller, to no one's surprise, do not drive the film's comedy. Ledger is funny in the right situations, and in scenes with Djalili and a portly Oliver Platt, can do no wrong, allowing them to roll with the funny as he remains the charmer. Miller provides the serious balance required in the love story. However, truly meaningful scenes are a rarity, as the audience cannot help but laugh as Platt uses his ridiculous appearance as the brunt of jokes and his kind nature to steal the show.
Troubling is the flick's rating. "Casanova" received an R rating for "some sexual content." The rating, however, is unjust and will no doubt take away from the box-office punch of Heath Ledger among young teenage girls. The film manages poke fun at the Catholic Church without repercussions, using Jeremy Irons' character as the target of the humor. And one can only view the sexual content in the movie as "clean." Typically, a romantically charged comedy like this warrants a PG-13 rating.
To hold tight to a story full of romance and true love, the film has to ignore the ugliness of the venereal diseases and hangovers which would certainly be consequences of Casanova's lifestyle. Audiences are forced to be fond of Casanova despite his ugly, womanizing reputation. To paint a more realistic picture of the legend would ruin the film's aim. As a result, "Casanova" holds true to Shakespearean comedies and entertains audiences looking for a cute love story or a laugh.
Rating: 4 out of 5
