Description

Casanova is a 2005 American romance film directed by Lasse Hallström starring Heath Ledger and loosely based on the life of Giacomo Casanova. The film premiered September 3, 2005, at the Venice Film Festival.

 It received mixed reviews and flopped at the box office.

A young woman tearfully leaves her son to live with his grandmother and promises to return to him someday. Several years later, in 1753, in Venice, Casanova is notorious for his promiscuity with women, his adventures being represented in puppet theatres around the city. The Doge, the ruler of the city, is a friend to Casanova, but cannot be too lenient on him as he wishes to avoid trouble with the Church. He warns Casanova to marry soon, or he will be exiled from the city. Casanova gets engaged to Victoria, famous for her virginity, to save himself from exile.

Casanova later meets and falls in love with Francesca Bruni, who writes illegal feminist books under a male pseudonym, Bernardo Guardi, and also argues for women’s rights as Dr. Giordano de Padua. Francesca mistakes Casanova’s name for Lupo Salvato (Casanova’s servant) and Casanova humors her since she despises the ill-reputed Casanova. Francesca and her mother are heavily in debt, and her mother pressures her to marry rich Paprizzio from Genoa, a union arranged by her late father. When Paprizzio arrives in Venice, Casanova lies to him and says that the hotel he booked is closed and he persuades him to stay at his house.

Casanova also lies and says that he is indeed Bernardo Guardi. While Paprizzio asks his advice on how to impress Francesca, Casanova lures him to stay at home while receiving treatment for weight loss. Casanova visits Francesca, pretending to be Paprizzio and tells her that he lied to her before to make sure she is not in love with someone else and marrying him only for his money. Francesca is initially suspicious but gradually begins to trust him.

During the Venetian Carnival, Francesca recognizes the real Paprizzio from his publicity posters which force Casanova to confess his true identity making her angry. Casanova is arrested by the Venetian Inquisition for crimes against sexual morality, such as debauchery, heresy, and fornication with a novice. He saves Francesca by pretending to be Bernardo Guardi, which cools her anger. At his trial, Francesca confesses that she is the real Bernardo Guardi, and both are sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Francesca’s mother and the real Paprizzio fall in love.

Just as Casanova and Francesca are about to be hanged in the Piazza San Marco, they are saved by an announcement that the Pope gave amnesty to all prisoners who were to be executed on that day, as it was the Pope’s birthday. It is later discovered that the « Cardinal » who gave the announcement was actually an impostor who happens to be Casanova’s stepfather, wedded to his long-lost mother who came back for him just as she promised when Casanova was a child.

As they all escape on Paprizzio’s boat, Francesca’s brother, Giovanni stays behind to marry Victoria and to continue Casanova’s legendary womanizing. The real Casanova spends the rest of his life as a stage actor touring with his family and the Paprizzios.