Product description

The Taming Of The Shrew [1967]

Price: £3.98
RRP: £19.99 This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery
You save: £16.01 (80 %)
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Average customer rating: 4.5

Binding : DVD
EAN : 5035822001534
Label : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Publisher : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release date : 2001-03-19
Title : The Taming Of The Shrew [1967]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Universal, suitable for all
Format : Array
Languages : Array
Number of items : 1
Original release date : 1967-01-01
Region code : 2
Running time : 117
Studio : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Theatrical releaseDate : 1967-03-08
Number of discs : 1

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
The 1967 Franco Zeffirelli film of The Taming of the Shrew had all the ingredients to make it a high point in Shakespearian cinema. In Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor it starred the most bankable couple in Hollywood history as the sparring leads in the Bard's quick-firing comic battle of the sexes; and in Zeffirelli, it had a director with a Shakespearian pedigree second to none. But the reality is that this is Burton's picture all the way. His Petruchio is a weighty performance of such intelligence that the whole film is thrown off-kilter whenever he is on screen and the other performers just can't keep up. Apart from Michael Hordern's wonderfully distracted Baptista, Burton is the only actor in total, effortless command of the language. Taylor's bosomy glamour and fiery spirit are ample compensations for her occasionally murderous treatment of Katharina's verse. Whether or not she is really tamed by the end is another matter: those legendary violet eyes suggest otherwise. Ultimately it's a rich, bawdy and colourful romp, with Burton at the peak of his powers.

The DVD includes the theatrical trailer, a "making-of" featurette and filmographies. --Piers Ford

Customer reviews

review by: Dark Horse date: 2007-10-19 rating:

Taming of the Shrew Review
I'm studying this play and bought this Franco Zafirrelli / Elizabeth Burton version as it was dirt cheap on amazon. I found it more enjoyable than the BBC version (as did my wife), even though we both preferred John Cleese's to Richard Burton's Petruchio. It gains over the BBC version by not having that awkward out of place hymn at the end (and after Shakespeare note-worthily eschewed religious arguments in Kate's final speech)! Also, the dialogue is here more clearly and comprehensibly spoken; it is just a shame it misses out the majority of it! There are a lot of visual gags to retain the interest of those who do not follow the language used. Unfortunately it also misses some of the plot points for the minor characters along the way, although it does portray the main relationship really well (doubtless feeding on the off-screen relationship of the stars). Finally, it is very noticeably studio-bound and some people may find it too interpretive and 'Hollywood'. In summary though, this is definitely worth watching, very entertaining and enjoyable whether you are a Shakespeare fan or not.

review by: xyzzy date: 2007-08-09 rating:

A fun rendition
Baptista has two daughters: the eldest is Kate the cursed and beautiful Bianca. Everyone wants to marry Bianca but Baptista insists that it has to be Kate first. Suitors rivaling over Bianca have to find someone desperate enough to marry Kate for economic purpose.

One of the things that make this movie is all the money that was put onto the props and costumes. Of course with the big named actors and Franco Zeffirelli money for the program is naturally available.

Elisabeth Taylor can make squinty eyes and does not use her naturally squeaky voice. The film stays true to the story however it does not come near the professional and just a fun 1980 BBC version production with John Cleese as Petruchio.

review by: kianq date: 2006-07-30 rating:

Essential piece of movie history!!!
WHOA WHOA WHOA!!!

This is a brilliant tale with Taylor and Burton drawing on their tremendous on and off screen chemistry to breathe fresh life into one of Shakespeare's finest works...

Reading the play might not get all so excited about his works, but Taylor breathes genuine life into the indominable Shrew!!! Burton plays a lovable rogue... and it all comes together rather well... Finer words could not have been written, but their delivery is what makes it more appreciable to the audience...

Plain and simple - well worth mutliple viewings, might give some an insight into more contemporary pieces like Moonlighting... and where they got there idea for magic of the main characters being at loggerheads...

A true gem - well worth its price!!!

review by: Tugboat date: 2006-02-14 rating:

Nice to see an old friend
I was in the British Merchant Navy in the early 1970's. we used to get 16 mm films sent to us and would watch them usually on a Saturday night , sometimes projected onto a screen under the stars.

Taming of the Shrew got to us somewhere in the Arabian Gulf and I managed to keep it on our ship for over 4 months and must have watched it over 70 times.

The same ship watched Kelly's Heroes 120 times !!

The film is such a great vehicle for all the players and they all seem to have enjoyed it. The chemisty between Burton and Taylor is awsome both pay it robustly and lustily. But the detail is also superb, the last scene is not PC but then neither was the writer !

get the film, get a bottle of Chianti, get some pasta and enjoy. Its great !

I enjoyed the subtitle from the screen writers who thanked Shakespeare, thats how many times I watched it. - enjoy.

review by: date: 2004-12-19 rating:
Brilliant
After studying the play in its text version in my English Literature class, we were shown this Zefferelli film. To my amazement, it surpassed my expectations and managed to keep the comedy. In truth, Petruchio was not what I expected from the first glance, but gradually, I felt that Richard Burton was very well suited to the role. For the time, it is a rather lavish production and I recommend everyone to see it.

Similar products

Romeo And Juliet [1968]
Twelfth Night [1996]
The Merchant of Venice
Much Ado About Nothing [1993]
William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [1999]

Similar categories