This being Fellini's Casanova - key word being Fellini - it's not exactly a faithful telling of Casanova's life. There's plenty in there, but it's been jumbled around and compressed to make room for the Fellini-esque parts of the film. I was wondering how he would work in his love of circuses and clowns into the story of a man who slept his way through Europe. Never fear - Fellini finds a way. The sex scenes themselves are fairly acrobatic and circus-like. Donald Sutherland as Casanova is completely unrecognizable under his wigs and makeup. He looks like an aristocratic Ichabod Crane. Since this was the age of overdubbed Italian films, he also speaks Italian. After a while, you'll forget you're watching a famous American actor and lose yourself in this strange scarecrow's amorous adventures.
The entire film looks and feels like a cross between Baz Luhrmann at his Moulin Rouge-iest and Tarsem Singh's The Fall. Oh yeah, it was directed by Federico Fellini, so it has the emotional impact of 8 1/2 as well. You might feel a little silly watching Casanova row his way across acres of black trash bag waves, or have Clash of the Titans flashbacks (the original one) when you see his favorite erotic toy, but you'll be suprised at just how emotionally invested you are in the character at the end. There are more sequences of cinematic beauty in this film than most filmakers achieve in their entire career.
Prison breaks, phantom carnivals, stuffed whales (Hello, Werckmeister Harmonies!), giant women, man-made women, spectacular chandelier maintenance and more await anyone lucky enough to see this movie. If you've never seen a Fellini movie before, check this out. If you have seen a Fellini movie before, get ready for one of his best. I can't wait to see it again.
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