The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
Directed by Franco Zeffirelli

Film Review

The first of Franco Zeffirelli's lavish Shakespearean adaptations is arguably his best, primarily because it departs least from the original text and avoids the kind of stylistic excesses for with the Italian director has a slight predilection.  The themes of male chauvinism and feminism which underpin the comedic plot are brought out in a way that would have made the film instantly relevant to a 1960s audience.  The Taming of the Shrew is not, as some believe, a celebration of male supremacy but more probably a provocative satire on sexual politics in the late 16th century.  The fact that the play still resonates and can raise a smile suggests that things haven't changed much in the past four hundred years vis-à-vis male-female relationships.

The film stars real-life husband and wife Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, then the hottest celebrity couple in the world.  They had only just appeared together in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and were at the height of their fame.  Ardent Shakespeare fans or a married couple in need of some drastic therapy, the Burtons were prepared to stump up a million dollars towards the production cost, which was some gamble when you consider that Zeffirelli was a relatively inexperienced director at the time.  As it turned out, the gamble did not pay off.  The film was generally ill-received by the critics and was not the commercial success the Burtons had been banking on.

Richard Burton and Liz Taylor are so well-suited to the roles of Petruchio and Katharina that you have to wonder how closely what we see on screen mirrors what went on behind closed doors in their famously turbulent relationship.  Both actors give great entertainment value and are clearly having the time of their lives.  Burton gives a turn that warrants life-time membership of the R.S.C., his presence and fiery delivery eclipsing most of the supporting cast. Taylor may not be quite so adept with the old blank verse but she proves her mettle, and besides she does most of her talking with those mischievous dark eyes of hers.

The purists may not be happy with Zeffirelli's judicious pruning of the Bard's text, but the film captures the essence of the original work, particularly its humour and delicious sense of irony.    With its stylish design, attractive location photography and crisp bravura performances, this is unquestionably one of most accessible and enjoyable film adaptations of a Shakespeare play.  Note that in this version, the supposedly subdued wife does ultimately get the upper hand.  From the final shot of Liz Taylor's face (a look that is redolent of a cat eyeing up a nice juicy mouse) you just know that the fun and games are far from over.  All's well that ends well...

Film Synopsis

Not long after his arrival in Padua, Lucentio, the son of a wealthy merchant, falls in love with Bianca, the youngest daughter of Baptista Minola.  Unfortunately, Baptista refuses to allow any man to claim Bianca until he has married off his eldest daughter, Katherina, whose ferocious ill-temper and loathing of men is legendary.  By coincidence, another man, Petruchio, arrives in the same town, hoping to wed a wealthy woman.  When he learns that Katherina's father intends to bestow a generous dowry on the man who will take her off his hands, Petruchio immediately sets about wooing the shrewish Kate.  He does so not with soft words or gentle acts but by humiliating and abusing her.  Sometimes, a man has to be cruel to be kind...