Product Details

• Actors: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Cyril Cusack, Michael Hordern, Alfred Lynch
• Directors: Franco Zeffirelli
• Writers: Franco Zeffirelli, Paul Dehn, Suso Cecchi D'Amico, William Shakespeare
• Producers: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Franco Zeffirelli
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: Portuguese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Georgian, Chinese, Thai
• Dubbed: Portuguese
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: October 26, 1999
• Run Time: 122 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (151 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000JL7T
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,986 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Taming of the Shrew" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Liz and Dick (a.k.a. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) almost seemed to be importing the psychodramas of their marriage into this 1967 film (of course, the same was true of every film they made together). Adapted from Shakespeare's play and directed by Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet) with his usual eye for sumptuousness, this version of Taming features a particularly boisterous, bawdy, fun performance by its stars. Composer Nino Rota--best known for scoring several of Fellini's best-known works--received a National Board of Reviews award for his vivid soundtrack. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton sparkle and amuse as Katharina and Petruchio in William Shakespeare's comic look at male chauvinism and women's lib in the 16th century. Petruchio, a poverty-stricken gentleman from Verona, journeys to Padua in search of a wealthy wife. There, he encounters the fiery Katharina, a self-willed shrew who leads Petruchio on a merry chase before he successfully circumvents her attempts to avoid marriage. Their honeymoon becomes a humorous battle of wit and insult with Kate as determined to maintain her independence as Petruchio is to "tame" her. When the embattled couple returns to Padua, Kate helps Petruchio win a wager that his is the most obedient of wives. But in reality, the shrewish Kate has found a more effective way to dominate her mate.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 94 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Absolutely Great Ones October 22, 2002

By Richard R. Carlton

Format:DVD

If you love Shakespeare this one has to be in your collection. The DVD version is nothing spectacular (no extra anythings) but it will probably keep forever now that it has been digitized.....so forget about the next generation in your family not being able to view the crumbling magnetic tape from your VHS copy.

A classic for-the-ages Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton film from their peak period in 1967. Directed by *the* Zeffirelli, what more could you ask for. Oh.....you want a good score....this one is award winning.....Nino Rota. There is absolutely nothing lacking in this version.....you can enjoy it every time. It's one for kids to watch to see how much fun real Shakespeare can be. It's one for budding actresses to watch to see Taylor at her best. It's one for anyone studying the Bard in school to have under their belt. And it's one for all the rest of us to enjoy again and again.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Burton & Taylor Are Pure, Fiery, & Feisty Sex Magic March 31, 2004

By Sheila Chilcote-Collins VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

No wonder Burton and Taylor married and divorced many times. The sexual tension between them in this film can be cut with a knife. Taylor plays Kate, the beautiful, fiery, feisty, mean-spirited, unloved eldest daughter of a wealthy man. She has a beautiful & kind sister who has a string of beaus, but... the eldest sister MUST marry first. Enter Burton as Petruchio. Loud, boisterous, dirty, obnoxious and SEXY! He plans to tame Kate, marry her and be a rich man on her dowry. The famous tongue in the tail speech is given on their first meeting, which sets the mood for lusty, sweaty, swarthy fighting. All the while, the sexual tension builds throughout. Many fights & torments ensue... with a beautiful ending that I will not spoil. If you like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton or just the great and powerful Bard, himself, this is a great movie, directed by the great Franco Zefferelli that is a must see! "There is no other beast on Earth so horrible as man..." (Katharina, Taming Of The Shrew)

47 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent movie to add to your collection! August 29, 2001

By Priscilla Stafford

Format:VHS Tape

This Shakespearean story is about the daughter of Baptista (Michael Hordern), Katarina (Elizabeth Taylor). Very unlike her younger, quiet and gentle sister Bianca (Natasha Pyne), Katarina is strong-willed and has a nasty temper. Many men want to woo the lovely Bianca, including a young scholar (Michael York), but Baptista is adamant that nobody will be wed with his Bianca until the older daughter, the shrew Katarina, is married. And there is only one man who is willing to marry her for her dowry, Petruchio (Richard Burton). When Petruchio and Katarina are wed (forcefully against Katarina's will), Petruchio proceeds to make his 'dear Kate' into a good wife, but is anyone capable of 'taming the shrew'?
A remarkable tale by the talented and famed writer, William Shakespear. And with a delightful cast of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who can resist liking it? Elizabeth Taylor practically shines in her role! Especially at the part in the end where she makes her strong speech. I was as quiet and attentive as all the guests at the wedding.
For anyone who likes Shakespeare, who likes Elizabeth Taylor, or Richard Burton, or for that matter, want to watch a good movie, watch "The Taming of the Shrew".