Dangerous Beauty
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| Dangerous Beauty | |
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| Directed by | Marshall Herskovitz |
| Produced by | Marshall Herskovitz Edward Zwick Arnon Milchan Sarah Caplan |
| Written by | Jeannine Dominy (screenplay) Margaret Rosenthal (book) |
| Starring | Catherine McCormack Rufus Sewell Naomi Watts Oliver Platt Fred Ward Jacqueline Bisset |
| Distributed by | Regency Enterprises |
| Release date(s) | 20 February 1998 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | USD$8,000,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
Dangerous Beauty (1998) is a biographical drama film directed by Marshall Herskovitz. It is adapted from the non-fiction book The Honest Courtesan, by Margaret Rosenthal, about the life of Veronica Franco (played by Catherine McCormack), a courtesan in 16th century Venice.
[edit] Plot
Veronica's lover Marco (Rufus Sewell) is discouraged by his family from marrying Veronica because her family is of humble means. Thus, he goes on to marry another woman of his status. Veronica and her mother (Jacqueline Bisset) must think of the future and find financial security, and Veronica's mother lays out the options. One of the few options that Veronica has in her time is to go to a convent, where she would be safe and protected, but it's not a life that fits her personality. So, Veronica's mother suggests that Veronica try to be a courtesan like her mother and grandmother before her once were. At first Veronica is less than enthusiastic about the idea of becoming a courtesan, but soon she becomes excited by the pleasures and freedom the lifestyle offers. Veronica agrees and her mother prepares her for that world.
Once she is a courtesan Veronica has new freedoms that she never had before. She is allowed to educate herself, a great privilege in a time when many women weren't allowed to be educated. She enters a luxurious lifestyle where she and other courtesans are allowed to go where even the wives of the noble men are not allowed. She is able to socialize with kings and royalty, and influence them politically. In this world, she again meets Marco and they have an affair during his marriage. Although Marco attempts to get to know his wife, he prefers Veronica over her. But the life of a courtesan is a dangerous one, as a courtesan could end up on the streets if careless or betrayed by a jealous and spurned lover. Franco's career involves her in politics when the King of France visits.
Veronica finds herself in danger and is attacked by the Inquisition for witchcraft. The fact that several tens of thousands recently died in Venice of the plague lends momentum to this search for a scapegoat. Veronica is dragged to court, where Marco attempts to defend her. At first her trial seems hopeless, but in the end all the men that learned so much from the pleasure of her company have her acquitted of her crimes and she and Marco are finally allowed to be together.
The film would most likely appeal to period film fans, and in the end it was a box office disappointment, making about $4 million. While it might appear that this movie degrades women because the main character is a prostitute, in reality, its message could almost be considered feminist. Veronica is shown as strong and independent, and her search for freedom in a male-dominated society is a key theme of the film.
