In need of the dowry, Petruchio takes the challenge of "taming" the shrewish Katherina, whose father must marry her off before he can marry his younger daughter Bianca.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
The Taming of the Shrew (1967), directed by Franco Zeffirelli, known for directing film adaptations of Shakespeare and staging many operas, starred the on again/off again/on again/off again…couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as Kate and Petruchio, respectively.
Baptista Minola (Michael Hordern) wants to marry off his two daughters; but, he will only marry off his youngest, Bianca if someone will marry his eldest daughter, Katherina (Taylor) first. The problem Baptista has is Katherina is an ill-tempered, shrewish woman whom no one wants to marry. Enter the young nobleman and rapscallion Petruchio (Burton). Petruchio has lost his fortune and needs the dowry, so he is willing to take on the challenge. As an aside, the gentler and more amenable Bianca (Natasha Pyne), Katherina’s sister, is courted by several men, including the handsome and very smitten young Lucentio (Michael York), whom she seems to fancy the most.
Taylor, who had never performed Shakespeare before this film, was uncomfortable at first, but soon eased into her role to the point where she convinced Zeffirelli to allow her to go back and reshoot the earlier scenes. In the end we do get excellent chemistry between the two leads even as the film is far more satire than even the Bard envisioned.
What Zeffirelli gives us is his typically dense and detailed sets and almost operatic motion of cameras and editing. There is a scene where Petruchio arrives back home after marrying Katherina and begins to sing a melody with his staff. This could easily be a lighthearted moment from an Italian opera.
Purists may find a lot to criticize with this take on the play and from 20,000 feet above the ground there is certainly a lot of misogyny to go around, but this is a play from centuries ago where the female roles were most likely played by men dressed as women. So ruminate on that, and just enjoy this for what it is.
Elizabeth Taylor in The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
The Taming of the Shrew (Imprint – IMP4230)
The Taming of the Shrew (Imprint – IMP4230)
The Video
Imprint does not provide a provenance for this release of The Taming of the Shrew on Blu-ray, simply stating it is a “1080p High-definition presentation.” We know Sony likes to manage their own restorations, so in all likelihood this is simply a master provided to Imprint from Sony. It does not look to be a recent restoration given how rough the grain structure looks, but it is clean, with no evident source damage. Colors are not necessarily vibrant, but look more earthen, even where there are purples and blues.
The Audio
The original mono mix for The Taming of the Shrew is presented in LPCM 2.0 on this Blu-ray release from Imprint. The sound is better than one would expect, with clear dialogue and little clipping in louder passages, but just a little pinched sounding.
The Supplements
There are no major supplements with this release beyond the theatrical trailer. The disc is packaged in a beautiful, limited edition splipcase, however.
Bonus Features:
Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 00:03:52)
Limited Edition Slipcase
The Final Assessment
An entertaining adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy with excellent performances from Taylor and Burton in the leads. This worldwide first release on Blu-ray from Imprint is very welcome, even if the picture quality only reaches B-tier quality.
The Taming of the Shrew (1967) – Imprint Collection #349 is out on Blu-ray August 28, 2024 from Imprint
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In need of the dowry, Petruchio takes the challenge of "taming" the shrewish Katherina, whose father must marry her off before he can marry his younger daughter Bianca.The Taming of the Shrew (1967) – Imprint Collection #349 Blu-ray Review
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