Taming of the Shrew

Columbia Pictures, 1967, 2 hours

Directed by Franco Zeffirelli

Music by Nino Rota

Starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

Have you already endured the cathartic effects of Zeffirelli’s tearful, Romeo and Juliette? If so, you may turn to his more cheerful, earlier blockbuster: Taming of the Shrew. You will be rewarded in spades by a lush adaptation of Shakespeare’s hilarious commentary on the perennial battle of the sexes. A boorish fortune-hunter named Petruchio (Burton) undertakes the daunting challenge to court a stubborn shrewish spinster by the name of Katharina (Taylor). Their brief courtship, a marathon battle of words and blows, leads to a rushed wedding. Now tethered by the vows of wedlock, Katharina continues to endure Petruchio’s unrelenting efforts to tame her. Yet amazingly, the unyielding wife gradually begins to humor her overbearing husband. But how sincere are her gracious avowals of submission? The drama culminates in an unexpected contest between Katharina and her untamed sister to determine which of them is a more obedient wife! The contest reaches its climax with a seemingly earnest admonition to married women to obey their husbands. Most ironically, the impromptu speech is delivered, somewhat coyly, by none other than the (repentant?) shrew herself, Katharina. The veiled lesson (if any) behind the speech is still debated among Shakespeare scholars.

Zeffirelli’s legendary artistic touch is recognizable in every frame of this production. The leading roles were originally earmarked for another memorable duo, Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. However, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were so eager to play the starring roles that they invested more than a million dollars of their own money into the production of the film, in exchange for a percentage of the profits. Their gamble paid off: the film grossed $12 million worldwide, proving that under the hands of a skillful director, Shakespeare can still draw a huge audience across cultures. The winning choice of Burton and Taylor, a cantankerous couple in real life, illustrates a perfect inversion of the cliché that art imitates life. The turbulent relationship between the legendary couple, much publicized, was an unrelenting roller-coaster ride before and during their marriages.