"The life you lead, the freedom you have--will you deny my daughters the same chance?" Not the request every mother would address to a prostitute, but "Dangerous Beauty" makes a persuasive case for the life of a courtesan in 16th century Venice. At a time when Europeans are bemused by our naivete about dalliance in high places, this is, I suppose, the film we should study. It's based on the true story of Veronica Franco, a well-born Venetian beauty who deliberately chose the life of a courtesan because it seemed a better choice than poverty, or an arranged marriage to a decayed nobleman.
Dangerous Beauty (1998)
Obviously a woman with so much power must be a witch. In a courtroom scene that I somehow doubt played out quite this way in real life, she defends herself and the life of a courtesan. It is better, she argues, to prostitute herself willingly, for her own gain, than to do so unwillingly in an arranged marriage: "No biblical hell could be worse than a state of perpetual in-consequence.'' I am not surprised, as I said, that the screenwriter is a woman. Few movies have been so deliberately told from a woman's point of view. We are informed in all those best-sellers about Mars and Venus, that a man looks for beauty and a woman for security. But a man also looks for autonomy, power, independence and authority, and a woman in 16th century Venice (and even today) is expected to surrender those attributes to her husband. The woman regains her power through an understanding of the male libido: A man in a state of lust is to all intents and purposes hypnotized. Most movies are made by males and show women enthralled by men. This movie knows better.
Veronica quickly gains a reputation as a top courtesan, impressing the powerful men of Venice with her beauty, wit, and compassion. Marco finds it difficult to adjust to his new wife, who is nothing like Veronica, and becomes jealous as she takes his friends and relatives as lovers. After Marco's cousin Maffio, a poor bard who was once publicly upstaged by Veronica, attacks her, Marco rushes to her aid. They rekindle their romance, but Veronica refuses to stop seeing clients and accept his support. Nevertheless, she spends a great deal of time with Marco, neglecting her business and ignoring her mother's warnings that such a relationship is dangerous for her.
Dangerous Beauty came into being using the title The Honest Courtesan (whichis also the name of Margaret Rosenthal's "true story" novel, upon which the film is based). Thatappellation was dropped for fear that audiences wouldn't know what it meant. However, not onlyis The Honest Courtesan a more apt title, but it's a more provocative one. The words"dangerous beauty" mean very little, especially in connection with this film. In fact, a name likethis sounds more apropos for a soft-core exploitation flick than a sumptuous tale of late-16thcentury Venice.
Such are the circumstances of Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack), who is desperatelysmitten with Marco Vernier (Rufus Sewell) -- and he with her. But the difference in their socialposition makes a legal relationship impossible. When Marco, not wanting to lead Veronica on,informs her of this harsh truth, she is devastated, and chooses to follow the advice of her mother(Jacqueline Bisset) and become a courtesan. Soon, with her rare mix of beauty, intelligence, andwit, she is the most prized prostitute in Venice, desired by everyone from the local bishop to theKing of France. But, during the age of the Spanish Inquisition, power gained through "sinful"means can be a tenuous thing.
The actors, like the story, are helped immeasurably by the film's look. Visually, this is a gorgeousmotion picture. Cinematographer Bojan Bazelli's camera loves the streets and canals of Venice,making the city as much a character as any of the people. Filters only enhance the beauty. UsingBazelli's photography as a catalyst, Herskovitz creates the perfect tone -- one that is often serious,but occasionally playful, and where serenity can be suddenly interrupted by a burst of passion.
It's later-half sixteen century Venice. Most women are illiterate and treated as property. There are limited opportunities for lower status women except for the courtesans who are the stars of society. Senator's son Marco Venier (Rufus Sewell) returns to the city and falls for childhood friend Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack). She is young and innocent. They become lovers but Marco has to get into a political marriage. Veronica is heart-broken and wants to enter a convent. Her mother (Jacqueline Bisset) reveals that she was a former courtesan and offers to train her. Veronica becomes highly sought after in high society including Marco but also enemies like Marco's cousin Maffio Venier (Oliver Platt). There is war against the Ottoman, political intrigue with France, and the darkness of the Inquisition.This is a compelling story of sex and power from the woman's point of view. It's romantic and a feminist journey. Catherine McCormack is a little old to play the ingenue but she fits the bill with beauty and determination. Jacqueline Bisset is perfect for her role. The intrigue and romance all work painting a compelling picture of a historical moment and place.
Tatsuya Hayashi, the researcher who found one of the critical bugs, told the Guardian that the latest flaw "may be more dangerous than Heartbleed" as it could be used to directly spy on people's communications.
Here, in a handsome and lavishly illustrated new edition, is Mary Shelley's masterpiece of gothic horror. Featuring literature's most memorable and poignant fiend, Frankenstein still possesses, in the words of literary critic Ellen Moers, "the power to curdle the blood and quicken the beatings of the heart." This classic tale about science's dangerous ambition to unlock the mysteries of life speaks profoundly to the question of what it means to be human. This special edition is enhanced with portraits of the author and members of her circle, evocative contemporary illustrations of Frankenstein's monster, and letters and manuscript pages in Mary Shelley's own hand. Rare illustrations from
This selection of some of Dickens's most captivating stories is illustrated with handwritten manuscript pages, rare family photographs, and a splendid array of prints and drawings from the Library's special collections. The volume features the beloved A Christmas Carol, illustrated with Sol Eytinge's beautiful and tender drawings, which Dickens himself found "remarkable for a delicate perception of beauty"; the magical Christmas stories "The Haunted Man" and "A Christmas Tree"; a selection of the master's most gripping ghost stories, including "Nurse's Stories," "The Signal-Man," "The Story of the Bagman's Uncle," "To Be Taken with a Grain of Salt," and "The Story of the Goblins Who 2ff7e9595c
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