The Leopard
As Garibaldi's troops begin the unification of Italy in the 1860s, an aristocratic Sicilian family grudgingly adapts to the sweeping social changes undermining their way of life. Proud but pragmatic Prince Don Fabrizio Salina allows his war hero nephew, Tancredi, to marry Angelica, the beautiful daughter of gauche, bourgeois Don Calogero, in order to maintain the family's accustomed level of comfort and political clout.
Critics Sentiment
Angelica asks the Prince to dance, momentarily reviving his elegance
Don Fabrizio leaves for Palermo as Garibaldi's army advances
The film dramatically ascends from its slow-paced first hour to the transcendent ballroom sequence that critics universally praised as a cinematic masterpiece.
The Leopard builds slowly through its first two hours of rich character development and historical context, with some critics finding the opening hour interminable. However, the film reaches extraordinary heights in its final ballroom sequence, which reviewers consistently hailed as one of cinema's greatest achievements and a profound meditation on mortality and social change.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 50
Burt Lancaster
Prince Don Fabrizio Salina
Claudia Cardinale
Angelica Sedara / Bastiana
Alain Delon
Tancredi Falconeri
Paolo Stoppa
Don Calogero Sedara
Rina Morelli
Princess Maria Stella Salina
Romolo Valli
Father Pirrone
Terence Hill
Count Cavriaghi
Pierre Clémenti
Francesco Paolo
Lucilla Morlacchi
Concetta
Giuliano Gemma
Garibaldi's General
Ida Galli
Carolina
Ottavia Piccolo
Caterina
Carlo Valenzano
Paolo
Brook Fuller
Little Prince
Anna Maria Bottini
Mademoiselle Dombreuil, the Governess
Lola Braccini
Donna Margherita
Marino Masé
Tutor
Howard Nelson Rubien
Don Diego
Tina Lattanzi
Cook
Marcella Rovena
Peasant Woman
Crew
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