Casanova (film)
A 2005 movie starring Heath Ledger, Charlie Cox, and Sienna Miller.
Heath Ledger plays Giacomo Casanova, the mysterious nobleman whose sexual prowess is cutting a swath through 18th century Venice. After one too many run-ins with the law over charges of moral corruption, Casanova must be married to a local girl, Victoria (played by Natalie Dormer), herself well-known for having been kept pure and virginal. However, he soon finds himself enamored with Francesca Bruni (Miller), a feminist ahead of her time who is causing a stir among the Venetian community for her revolutionary views on gender relations (published under a man's name), as well as her vocal denouncement of Casanova. Casanova must go to great lengths to court her, not only proving his worth to a woman with little faith in men but also adopting a pseudonym so she doesn't find out about his reputation.
Both Francesca and Casanova are targeted by Bishop Pucci (played by Jeremy Irons), an agent of the Catholic Church for the Inquisition, hunting down their alter egos with the intention of executing them. Despite the serious threats of death facing the two love interests, Hilarity Ensues. Supporting characters include Francesca's brother and mother (played by Charlie Cox and Lena Olin, respectively) and the merchant whose identity Casanova steals, to whom Francesca incidentally happens to be unwillingly engaged, played by Oliver Platt.
- Action Girl
- Francesca. Your brother is a poor swordsman who's got himself into a duel? No problem, just take his place and kick ass!
- Victoria holds her own with a sword in the climax, as well.
- Age Cut: At the beginning of the movie, with a dissolve from the child Giacomo to the adult Casanova, portrayed by Heath Ledger. The little boy actually looks enough like Ledger to be plausible, which isn't always the case.
- Alternative Character Interpretation
- A Man Is Not a Virgin: Shy, clumsy Giovanni loses his virginity to an entire brothel - for free, because he's apparently just that good - and becomes Badass by the next morning.
- Arranged Marriage: Francesca to Papprizzio.
- Also Casanova to Victoria.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Papprizzio. See Took a Level in Badass.
- Butt Monkey: Poor Papprizzio. Until the end, anyway.
- Cannibal Tribe: For failing to catch Casanova, Pucci's predecessor and his entire staff get sent off to be missionaries somewhere where they have "a great hunger for religion".
- Captain Obvious
Giovanni: She has a secret lover.
Casanova: A secret lover? Who?
Giovanni: ...well, I don't know, it's a secret.
- The Casanova: Obviously, but with no maliciousness involved.
- Cat Scare: Mild example. It appears that Victoria is about to be discovered under the table at the Carnivale, but a pig emerges from under the table, instead.
- City of Canals: The movie takes place in Venice, with people jumping over and even into the canals.
- Consummate Liar: Casanova. He's engaged to Victoria, he's Salvatto, he's Papprizzio, he's engaged to Francesca, he's Bernardo Guardi, he hasn't seen his fiance anywhere around here, and he's certainly not the owner of this villa.
- Deadpan Snarker: Casanova is especially good at this, although virtually everyone in the cast takes a turn.
- Double Entendre: "No intercourse before the wedding...Social intercourse, of course."
- Ethical Slut: Casanova just appreciates beauty. Really.
- Messy Pig: Francesca inadvertently starts a trend for upper-class Venetian ladies to keep pet pigs. (There's no evidence of any of them being particularly messy.)
- False Reassurance: Pucci asks Casanova (who is pretending to be Papprizzio) if he'll help him find and hang Casanova.
Casanova: As sure as my name is Papprizzio.
- Foreshadowing: Andrea to Francesca, her daughter, about her arranged fiancé. "If you don't marry him, then I will."
- Gorgeous Period Dress
- Happily Married: Victoria and Giovanni, in a rather odd way that involves both of them having lots of sex with other people.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Casanova. Reciprocated by Francesca.
- Holier Than Thou: The Inquisitor Pucci, played by Jeremy Irons. Rather than speaking about forgiveness, redemption, or any attempt to save the souls of those ostensibly under his care as a member of the Church, Pucci's goals all seem to revolve around control. There also appears to be an entire order of nuns willing to add another notch to Casanova's bedpost. When admonished for risking (or perhaps earning, in the eyes of the inquisitor), eternal damnation for a single night with Casanova, the response is "seems fair."
- Ladykiller in Love: The whole plot of the movie.
- Large Ham: Papprizzio literally, Pucci figuratively.
- Last-Minute Reprieve: Subverted, as it turns out the papal messenger is a fake, and when the authorities find this out, all the main characters are obliged to make a run for it.
- Lust Object: Casanova to Victoria. And most other women.
- Masquerade Ball: Most of the cast attends one for Carnivale.
- Mistaken Identity: Piled on itself repeatedly, and explicitly named twice.
- Moustache De Plume: Francesca as Bernardo Guardi.
- Naughty Nuns: Casanova has had sex with AN ENTIRE NUNNERY.
- Naughty Under the Table: Implied or at least punned on when Victoria hides under Casanova's table at the ball.
- Pair the Spares: Taken to extremes - everyone finds a romantic partner by the end of the film, including Giovanni, who also takes on the mantle of Casanova.
- Parental Abandonment: Casanova's mother leaves him as a child with his grandmother and flees Venice with her lover, promising to come back. He never stops waiting for her. His faith is justified in the end.
- Pen Name: Bernardo Guardi.
- Politically-Correct History: The movie (set in 18th century Venice) features an emancipated female scientist, who writes books and, as it seems, invented the hot-air balloon. Somewhat justified in that the other characters don't accept her. (Though although the character is fictional, Emilie du Chatelet, Voltaire's mistress, is an example of a real person like this, whose writings included the definitive French translation of Newton's Principia).
- Royal We: Casanova uses this in front of Lupo. Subverted in that Lupo uses it back.
- Sex Face Turn: After Victoria satisfies her raging lady-boner, she decides not to falsely accuse Casanova of rape. Played with; she only loses her virginity because she wants "proof" that she was raped.
- Sex Is Liberation: Victoria and Giovanni.
- Skyward Wail: Victoria, upon seeing Casanova with Francesca in the hot air balloon.
- Snowball Lie: The duel where Casanova pretends to be Salvato to save Lupo from having to fight. He ends up having to pretend to be Salvato for half the movie; this is only the first of SEVERAL personas he has to maintain.
- Son of a Whore: Casanova. Well, sort of.
- Straw Prude: Francesca.
- That Came Out Wrong: Invoked in-universe by Lupo via a comment on being "very well-endowed" (referring to money).
- Took a Level in Badass: Papprizzio, of all people. After being wrongly racked by Pucci under false accusation of being Casanova, Papprizzio is mutually flirting up a storm with Andrea (Francesca's mother) when Pucci appears. Papprizzio lifts a papal inquisitor bodily off his feet by his collar. This only improves Andrea's opinion of him.
Papprizzio: Why don't you...stop interfering? All right?