Visconti’s fabulous epic is set in 1860s Sicily where the Prince of Salina tries to preserve his family’s standing amid tumultuous social upheavals.
Burt Lancaster plays Principe Don Fabrizio Salina who understands that, with troops fighting for the unification of Italy, an age-old way of life is about to disappear. Proud but pragmatic, he consents to the marriage of his radical nephew Tancredi with Angelica (Claudia Cardinale), the beautiful daughter of a rich bourgeois. Based on the novel by Lampedusa, Visconti’s realisation has everything: an impeccable cast, stunning cinematography, monumental battle scenes, sumptuous costumes, a breathtaking 45-minute ballroom sequence and a rousing score by Nino Rota. Screening as a tribute to Cardinale who died in September 2025.
