Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3951 in DVD
• Released on: 1998-10-27
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 112 minutes

Amazon.com
Although it was unfortunately ignored during its brief theatrical release, this sumptuously seductive production is that rarest of cinematic breeds, the (barely) respectable guilty pleasure. Combining historical fact with hysterical anachronisms of language and mannerism, it's been tailored for maximum contemporary appeal but maintains a lush, romantic feel for its factual 16th-century tale of Venetian love, lust, and political repression. Catherine McCormack (Mel Gibson's ill-fated bride in Braveheart) delivers a star-making performance as the "dangerous beauty" who becomes a skillful courtesan to pursue her forbidden love for a dashing Venetian senator (Rufus Sewell). It's all rather silly in a high-toned fashion, and the film turns dour when the church intervenes with a Scarlet Letter-like papal inquest. But the movie's joyously ribald vitality is utterly irresistible, and the casting of McCormack with Jaqueline Bisset (as her mother and courtesan mentor) is a stroke of pure genius. Merchant-Ivory would've made a smarter film from this material, but it probably wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Love Story
This movie is fantastic. It has a wonderful love story, the costumes and settings are beautiful and the fictional history is not far from fact.

One of the greatest love stories ever told on film!!!!!!!
This movie has everything, quick wit, humor, sword play, war, death, destruction, floggings and best of all true love. My original copy of this movie was lost and I searched the internet high and low... and of course AMAZON had it.

Dangerous Beauty
I enjoy receiving the items I purchase as soon as possible and this dvd did arrive in a favorable time for me to enjoy the movie. I also like that Amazon has available resources to chose from for dvds.