The Greatest Lover

HE WAS THE LEGENDARY ADVENTURER WHOSE AMOROUS DALLIANCES would go on to inspire countless lovers throughout the centuries. She was the most virtuoso writer of her time who was waiting to find that rare man with a true understanding of steadfastness and passion. When Giacomo Casanova (Heath Ledger, flush from acclaim for his lead role in "Brokeback Mountain") discovered Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller), he met his ultimate romantic match, succumbing to the only woman ever to refuse his charms…until he could prove himself to be the one man worthy of her romantic ideals.

With Touchstone Pictures’ "Casanova," Academy Award-nominated director Lasse Hallström ("The Cider House Rules," "Chocolat") creates a sharp, sophisticated modern comedy from the long-running legend of Giacomo Casanova, the Renaissance-era spy, soldier, writer, philosopher and adventurer who became famed as a notorious lover of women. Though Casanova’s life and loves have been explored in dozens of screen incarnations, he has never been seen in so essentially human a predicament: befuddled by his stolen heart and trying to become a better man in his own clever fashion. The film is at once the director’s most delightfully romantic and comedic work to date–as well as a playful exploration into the timeless conflicts between repression and sensuality, disguises and identity, desire and love.

Key to the vision for the film was creating a Casanova with a contemporary edge: youthful, accessible and emotionally true-to-life. Running away with this imaginative concept, the film’s screenwriters bring forth a very different view of Casanova’s myth. Here, Casanova is not only a dashing rebel and wit, but also a vulnerable man who is chasing after love as Bishop Pucci (Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons) of the Inquisition chases after him. Caught up in a comic whirl of disguises, duels, deceit and love-struck desire, Casanova begins to see the vital difference between the allure of conquest and the power of true love.

"We felt this story would bring a contemporary and comic spin to the famous tale," recalls producer Mark Gordon. "What I thought was so wonderful about this ‘Casanova’ is that you have this great lover who manages to completely lose his heart–yet to the only woman who won’t succumb to his charms. There’s so much going against these two coming together that Casanova has to wage a tremendous and very funny battle in the name of love."

"This is a big departure for me because it is probably the most outright comedy I’ve ever made," Hallström comments. "The final script was rich, comic and very clever–and I welcomed the challenge to create a tone I’ve never tried, mixing a kind of classical comedy together with very strong dramatic and romantic elements. Ultimately, we had a really great script, a really great cast and in Heath Ledger, a superb Casanova."

He would become known for all time as the world’s greatest lover but Casanova was much more than that. Renowned for his sharp intellect and devastating wit, he was also a doctor of law, a soldier, a magician, a writer, a philosopher and a gifted athlete, among other things, all of which only enhanced his reputation for being irresistible to women and immune to settling down with just one special person.

Finding an actor who could embody all of Casanova’s most extraordinary qualities–and then allow them to fall apart in Casanova’s most poignant moments of heartbreak, while suggesting his potential to become a better man through the auspices of an authentic love–was a challenge for the filmmakers. Early on, they had searched for an actor in his 30s or 40s who could project the feeling of someone who has lived hard and loved a lot of beautiful women but is beginning to feel the twinges of wanting to settle down. But when they saw the far younger Heath Ledger, everything instantly changed.

"Heath walked in the room and he was Casanova," remembers producer Betsy Beers. "It was one of those amazing things. He was funny, charming and very, very seductive. But he was also elegant and quite vulnerable."

Ledger not only seemed to possess the mix of dramatic and comedic skills central to the role, but he also offered a physical prowess that proved invaluable for the film’s sword-clanging, chase-filled action. "Heath is smart, easygoing, captivating and his physical abilities are amazing," comments director Hallström.

Having previously demonstrated an ability to move from boisterous comedy as in "A Knight’s Tale" to intense drama as in "Monster’s Ball," Ledger was instantly attracted to the screenplay. He also simply couldn’t resist playing one of the most famous seduction artists in history, especially in such a novel way.

"I loved the script and I’ve always really admired Lasse as a director so I jumped at the opportunity to work with him. I thought Casanova as he was written in this screenplay would be an incredible amount of fun to play," Ledger says. "And of course, I was only too happy to travel to Venice!"

Once he committed to the role, Ledger began to read up on the real Casanova, but he quickly decided not to delve too deeply into his real life. "I tackled some of Casanova’s journals and autobiography but I didn’t want to follow them to a tee," he explains. "I wanted to keep my portrait of him more loose."

In fact, Ledger had a more modern lothario in mind as he began to explore the character on screen. "Thousands of women were falling in love with him all the time. So when he finally finds a woman who isn’t attracted to any of that, that’s what really devastates him–and interests him. He sees that here’s a chance that he can convince Francesca that there’s a worthwhile man underneath the myth, and he’ll do whatever he must to prove that to her."

Casanova opens in theaters across the Philippines on March 1.