The Leopard (Il Gattopardo)
Introduced by author Carolyn Pfeiffer
In The Leopard, the Prince of Salina (Burt Lancaster), a noble aristocrat of impeccable integrity, tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860s Sicily. Claudia Cardinale plays a beautiful young woman who becomes engaged to the prince’s nephew (Alain Delon).
“One of the Greatest Films of All Time” as chosen by filmmaker Martin Scorsese in the recent Sight and Sound magazine poll.
About Carolyn Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer grew up in the United States, moved to Europe after college, and currently resides in Marfa, Texas. Early in her career she became Claudia Cardinale’s assistant in Italy, later working for Alain Delon and Omar Sharif before establishing a public relations company in London. Pfeiffer also produced and distributed films in Jamaica and the United States, including a longstanding collaboration with Alan Rudolph.
Organized by Camilla Cormanni and Paolo Ruggiero, with thanks to Marco Cicala and Germana Ruscio, Cinecittà.
Generous support has been provided by the Vaughn Foundation and Consulate General of Italy in Houston.
Special thanks to our cultural partner Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, Professor Alessandro Carrera from the University of Houston, and Kate MacKay, UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive.
The Leopard (Il Gattopardo)
Directed by Luchino Visconti
(Italy/France, 1963, 186 minutes, in Italian and French with English subtitles)
Brown Auditorium Theater, 35mm/DCP restoration