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Netflix’s The Leopard had no

aspiration to retrace the old

movie but provide a different

take on what was told in the

original novel. Credit for

having convinced even the

most avid Visconti fans goes

especially to her, Deva.

She has stolen the stage

since the very first scene.

When Netflix announced it would create a TV series about the behind-the-scenes of the 1963 film in an essay
based on The Leopard, everyone immediately thought called La bella confusione (“beautiful confusion”), published
about the waltz scene. For those who don’t know, it is the in Italy by Einaudi. Like the fact that Claudia Cardinale had
quintessential scene from the movie by Luchino Visconti, to dye her hair black every time she came back from the set
based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s novel. One of Federico Fellini’s Otto e mezzo, which she was shooting in
that has entered cinema history; the Prince of Salina (Burt the same period as The Leopard. Fellini, perhaps out of spite
Lancaster) holding Angelica (Claudia Cardinale) around the for Visconti, wanted the actress to be blond.
waist conveyed a magic that was seemingly impossible to Deva Cassel, the daughter of Monica Bellucci and
transpose to the big screen. Vincent Cassel, did not face such an issue. She managed to
Now that The Leopard, directed by Tom Shankland, give Angelica Sedara a new seductive drive and magnetism
Giuseppe Capotondi, and Laura Lucchetti is available on reflecting the novel more than the movie does. She has
Netflix, we can say that the risk of not rendering justice to earned most of the credit for convincing even the fervent
Visconti’s 1963 ball scene is inexistent. For a simple reason: Visconti fans. Deva stole the stage from the very first scene,
modern-day The Leopard had no aspiration to retrace the when Don Fabrizio’s family is gathered in the Donnafugata
old movie but provide a different take on what was told in Palace and Mayor Don Calogero’s daughter steps into the
the original novel. room, hypnotizing everyone with her appeal and charisma. A
Besides, the fact that classics are untouchable is a star is born, and that was clear to everybody from the start.
legend that was also contradicted by a winner of the Besides, it is almost impossible not to root for the love
prestigious Premio Strega like Francesco Piccolo, who wrote story between Angelica and Tancredi, the young nephew

Protagonist Portrait 35