Thursday, March 8, 2012

Io, Don Giovanni



Io, Don Giovanni is a breathtakingly beautiful Italian film directed by Carlos Saura about Lorenzo da Ponte, Mozart's librettist for 'The Marriage of Figaro', and 'Don Giovanni'. The costuming is rich and decadent, reflective of both Lorenzo da Ponte and opera's indulgent lifestyle; and famed cinematographer Vittorio Storaro works his magic once more.

'Venice, 1763. Writer Da Ponte is leading the life of a debauched libertine. Under the tutelage of Giacomo Casanova, he devotes himself to the art of seduction - incurring the wrath of fathers, husbands, and brothers of Venice. Banished to Vienna, Da Ponte meets a newcomer to the music scene, one Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is given the task of collaborating with the composer on his latest opera. Using his own life as inspiration, Da Ponte revises the tried-and-tested formula of the Don Giovanni story, revelling in the lusty subject matter. But after meeting the angelic Annetta, Da Ponte is compelled to abandon his playboy lifestyle, and decides to give Don Giovanni a dose of morality...'