Madame de Pompadour

SPETTACOLI MODERNI: FILM

IL GIOVANE CASANOVA (2001)

(Young Casanova)

Directed by: Giacomo Battiato
Written by: Giacomo Battiato, Michael Hirst
Photography by: Agnes Godard
Set Design: Gianni Quaranta
Costumes: Anne de Laugardière
Shooting time: March until August 2001
Location: Venice, Rome und Paris
Produced by: Epsilon TV Production (Evision)and Pathé -in association with Tangram and France 2.

More informations:
http://tauweb.kirchgruppe.de

Interpreti:

Stefano Accorsi: Giacomo Casanova
Thierry Lhermitte: François de Bernis
Christiana Capotondi: Manon

Part 1
Catherine Flemming: Elena Foscarini
Claire Keim: Elisabetta
Antonio Bertorelli: Richter Maniero
Massimo Venturiello: Foscarini
Giacinto Palmarini: Sanudo
Silvana de Santis: Witwe Maniero

Part 2
Katja Flint: Madame de Pompadour
Barbara Schulz: Charlotte d'Estrades
Jean Benguigui: Silhouette
François Berleand: Louis XV

Storia

The son of an actress, Giacomo Casanova grows up surrounded by the magic of theater. After saving the life of François de Bernis, the French ambassador to the Venetian Republic, he becomes the nobleman's protegé and begins his ascent in society. Passionately in love with Elisabetta, a young woman from a poor but distinguished family, he begs de Bernis to help him win her family's consent to their marriage. He soon realizes, however, that although he loves her, he could never be faithful to her.

After leaving her in worthier hands, he turns his attention to the melancholy noblewoman Elena Foscarini, whose glacial rejection of his attentions only fans the flames of his passion. Giacomo's rapturous reports to de Bernis about his new love secretly wound the ambassador, for Elena is de Bernis' mistress and the love of his life. When he realizes that Elena has finally succumbed to the younger man's ardor, de Bernis arranges for them to be caught in flagranti by Elena's husband. Casanova is thrown into jail...

The fifteen months Casanova spend in jail are hellish, but they do not crush his burning desire for life, love and amusement. Thanks to a ruse devised by Elena, Casanova escapes from jail and vows to take revenge on de Bernis, who is now at the French court. Casanova follows him there, where he meets Madame de Pompadour, King Louis XV's mistress and closest political adviser. While he needs her help to be accepted at court, she realizes that she can channel his hatred of de Bernis for her own purposes: de Bernis, namely, is trying to replace her as the king's mistress with the younger Charlotte d'Estrades. Although Casanova is supposed to seduce Charlotte to alienate her from the king, the two young people fall in love. Meanwhile, Casanova sets up a state lottery through Madame de Pompadour's intermediary and becomes a wealthy man. This does not deter Charlotte, however, from pursuing her dream of glory.

Just as she is about to become the king's official mistress, Casanova creates a highly public scandal that results in Charlotte's flight from court. Bitterly disappointed, she takes revenge on him by tricking his servant into turning over Casanova's entire fortune to her. Poor but not broken, Casanova decides the time has come to leave France. After all, he is still young, and the world is full of opportunities!