Casanova – 2005 TV mini series

Giacomo Casanova. We all know the name. The charismatic lover. The handsome charmer. As well as the great con man. And the terrible father. Or so the BBC’s 2005 tv mini series production writes him. I’ve yet to own the actual movie (though I do plan on getting there eventually) and if you do look it up, please ensure you’re getting the entire movie rather than just the scenes with David Tennant like I recently did. Thankfully I realized my mistake because you absolutely cannot appreciate Casanova nearly as much without the amazing Peter O’Toole. While I adore DT as much as any sane fan, you can’t just watch the parts with only him in it. This post will run you through the movie and the next will break down some of the themes.

Casanova is a wild ride of sex, love, loss, and self-realization. It begins as we would expect – with Casanova jumping out of his lover’s window as an angry husband yells at him. He makes his escape – while telling the husband “You love your wife. I love your wife. Aren’t we both on the same side?” He’s a cheeky, witty man. Then it jumps to the “present day” of older Casanova, who states he is hungry. When he goes downstairs to demand his food, he is laughed at by everyone but the new serving girl, Edith. Edith is young and recently lost her father; she’s doing what she needs to in order to survive. She is very interested in Casanova’s life story and if what she’s heard is true. He is very blunt, asking if she “wants sex” since she knows his story and has shown up in his room. She is disgusted, calling his reputation filth, and he states that loving a woman isn’t filth. As they exchange some clever words, they start to become friends. He decides to tell her of his life story.

He was born to an actress who never showed any care towards him. She tried to keep him away from the theatre and called him an idiot because he never speaks. When she tried to send him back home to his father, he remained and saw her having sex with another man. When his father died, she went to the Russian court and sent him to a religious school. All the time saying it wasn’t her fault. She wouldn’t even kiss him goodbye because he started to have a nosebleed. Her horrendous “parenting” certainly played a part later on with his own relationship with his son. (But more on that later.) He never speaks, has constant nosebleeds, and others call him an idiot as well. One day, another girl takes pity on him and starts to clean his feet, eliciting a laugh. She states he is dirty and starts to clean his knee, then asks if he wants her to keep going. It’s quite disturbing to me since they’re just children but he says yes and we’re led to believe quite blatantly that things continue from there. After that, he finally begins to speak and quite eloquently, even in other languages they’ve been trying to teach him. He became fluent in Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, philosophy, science, theology, and music. All of this learning is vital to the man he became and how he led his life.

He attempts to dress like nobility, attempts to act like them, but fails utterly. He even gets punched in the nose and called out as a commoner. While cleaning himself up at a nearby fountain, a lady who caught his eye earlier comes by, gives him some tips on how to fit in, and then steals his purse and runs off. Casanova is left with nothing but a goofy grin…and some new ideas. Now, Casanova is very clever. He can read anything and learn it. He first pretended to be a lawyer; and won his first case. Then he pretended to be a doctor; and helped a lady with her foot. Then an astrologist and a violinist. He earned money through his wit and intelligence along with the beginning of a name for himself. He also decided to pay for a manservant and employed Rocco; a man he never deserved and was always loyal to Casanova, even when it wasn’t earned. He comes across Henriette again, the pickpocket who was also pretending to be a noble. They banter back and forth and then her fiance comes along, the very same man who had punched him previously. Casanova is crushed.

But as usual, he finds entertainment elsewhere. He tries to court a woman who is a bore and always had her two older sisters with her. This became his greatest lesson in women and, my assumption is, the beginning of his conquests. He never did get the woman he intended, but by being honest with the two sisters, he got them both in bed, at the same time. When they finish, the older sister is still awake and gives some of the best advice to Casanova. He showed vulnerability to them; he showed himself. That’s why the sisters came to him. She wants more of that. She wants more of what other men won’t show. She asks him what he knows about her. When he starts discussing how he knows who her father is, she tells him that’s her father, not her. He tells her facts about herself that anyone can know or even guess, such as she embroiders. He’s showing himself to be like all the other men. “Men talk and we listen. But no one listens to us.” She starts discussing all the things she wants to do such as travel and paint. When she wonders if her and her sisters are damned, he says that he doesn’t think so. All she says next is, “You don’t have to be kind. Just listen.” So that’s what he does. He listens to every woman he sleeps with. He remembers them as people, not as conquests. He remembers their stories. Which, truly, is what woman want. (At least most, I can’t speak for all of us.) We want to be heard. We want to be understood. We want to be seen – and not just physically. We need to know we matter, our thoughts matter, our dreams matter. Casanova understood this. He didn’t just have sex with women. He loved them in different ways and for their various stories. Sure, he kept moving on, but he always left them feeling more than what they were previously.

Casanova begins to tell of his next lover – a castrato named Bellino. Everyone but Casanova said he was a man. Casanova falls in love with Bellino and even when he finds out that Bellino really is a man, still has very confused feelings. Homosexuality is frowned upon and considered a sin but he loves Bellino. After finding out he’s wrong about Bellino’s sex, he runs to Henriette who asks him if he’s waiting for permission from her. “Yes. Exactly that. Yes. What should I do?” She asks if he really does love the castrato and if so, then he should love him. Casanova goes back to Bellino, climbing a tree into his bedroom, and surprises him there. After confessing his feelings, and not caring that they would be outcasts and living in sin, Bellino finally reveals the truth. Bellino is a female who had been putting a sausage in her trousers the entire time. She explains that the castrato coming into the city died suddenly so she took his place. The only other option was to become a servant. They, obviously, have sex and he asks her to marry him. After the engagement, they tell the public that he’s really a she, throw a ball to celebrate, but she’s not comfortable with the nobility around. She feels like a fake. But he loves her and makes her feel comfortable as herself by ripping up her clothes while she rips his, and they reappear at the ball with a whole new fashion and are celebrated for their outrageousness. But Bellino sees how much in love Casanova is with Henriette. While Bellino knows he loves her, it is clear he loves Henriette more than anyone else. She gently breaks off the engagement, changes the current dance to a partnered dance, and switches places with Henriette as a thank you to Casanova for changing her life. Casanova and Henriette move outside to dance and laugh together and share probably the best moment of their life. He asks Henriette to spend her life with him but she refuses. Casanova has no set plans for the future. He lives his life one moment at a time -while Grimani has a title, family money, and a set future. “Idiots are happy. I’ll be safe.” She shows him where she came from, on the filthy streets, and states she will not go back. She needs a steady future and chooses Grimani over Casanova. He is understandably hurt but accepts her decision.

Casanova then winds up going to church and confessing his sins. His very long, and very interesting, list of sins. While confessing, the priest collapses with what’s probably a heart attack. The court physicians want to try all sorts of “medical practices” that we know today to not do anything at best, and kill people at worst. Casanova shoots off a gun, tells them to get out, and tends to the priest himself. The priest eventually makes a full recovery and as thanks to Casanova, gives his inheritance to the young man since he had no children of his own. Casanova is now nobility with his own title and family money. You can imagine his joy when he realizes he now possesses all he needs to Henriette to be safe. He tells her of his good fortune and they become engaged at once.

During their engagement party, Grimani arrives with guards to take Casanova away where he is cited as being a spy (a joke he told Grimani when they met the second time), a con man who was out to steal the priest’s inheritance, and so much more. While in jail, Grimani gets Henriette’s family off the streets and she is basically forced to marry him after all. When Rocco tells Casanova of Henriette’s renewed engagement, Casanova states, “She doesn’t have to marry. She could just run.” Rocco replies, “Well you could do that, sir. A man could do that easily, yeah. But for a woman, it’s the convent or the whorehouse.” As much as Casanova knows women, he is still blind in many ways. He is so distraught that he starts tearing about the room and makes a hole in the roof, where he somehow makes his escape.

The story pauses as current Casanova and Edith talk. She reveals hearing about Henriette Grimani from her father from happenings in Venice a year ago and Casanova realizes that Henriette must be alive still. And Grimani is not. He urgently writes letters to Venice, excited at the possibility that he may yet see her again.

The story begins again with Rocco and the priest meeting with the fugitive Casanova. He’s given some money, food, and his son. A boy who was birthed by a nun who had recently died and the Church could not keep him anymore. She named him after his father and they started calling him “Giac.” (Though Casanova originally asked Rocco if they could change his name. Already a great start to parenting…) Casanova is very awkward with Giac and the boy refuses to say a word or even smile. Rocco decides to go with Casanova to Paris to attempt to find a Venetian ambassador who will pardon him. As usual, Casanova lies his way into the Parisian court. Much to Casanova’s surprise, Bellino is there and doing very well for herself. They catch up for a bit, then Bellino dashes off stating she has to pack and leave for the next city. On her way out, she is handed her daughter as she looks wistfully back at Casanova. After speaking to Bellino, the court members overhear his real name and start fawning all over him. However, even though he has become famous in Paris for his exploits and daring escape, he is thrown out court. Oh, and did I forget young Giac? Yeah. Well. So does Casanova. A lot. He has zero parenting skills and told Giac to stay outside the doors by the street. Poor Giac gets dirty water thrown on him (could’ve been, urine to be honest), food scraps, and then chased by a dog. All behind Casanova’s back and without his father caring. Casanova then thinks of his next big scheme: the lottery.

Casanova pitches his idea to the Parisian government who loves it. Within a short time, Casanova is rich again. He has enough money to win back Henriette. However, he receives word that she is pregnant and he knows she’ll never leave her child’s father. He buys a mansion, new clothes, even puts on a fake mole. He tries to impress Giac with the new house, a book he wrote, and more that he’s done. Giac remains unimpressed and Casanova is frustrated. Rocco tries to explain that he has to talk about more than just himself but Casanova just shrugs him off. One day there is a public execution in front of his house and even though one of his women friends explains the slow torture and death of the execution, Casanova thinks it’s all in good fun and wants Giac to stay and watch. It doesn’t take long for Casanova to be disgusted not only with the execution, but also his “friends” who are enjoying it. Giac seems to have taken a liking to the torture as well. A foreshadowing of what’s yet to come. Casanova takes him away. Later in time, all his friends are beheaded in the French revolution. He could have been one of them, had he not already plotted his own downfall by gambling literally everything he owned, including his teeth. Him and Rocco once again have to flee quickly. Oh yeah, and Giac. Who Rocco has to remind Casanova about.

Next stop – England. While at the docks he thinks he sees Henriette. He feverishly runs after her, calling her name, and eventually sees her as a boat is pulling away with her on it. They are too far away to speak to each other but he mimes that his heart is hers, and she replies back that her heart is still his. Then her two children join her as the boat continues to pull away until it can no longer be seen. Casanova is confused. Why is she in England? Before turnings away, he tells Giac, “Never lose your heart, Giac. Don’t let them take it.” They arrive at the British court and guess who is the Venetian ambassador. None other than Grimani himself. Grimani, still full of himself and hatred for Casanova, explains that he knows what Casanova is doing and what he’s done in other cities and that it will not happen in England. So naturally, Casanova makes a name for himself in London and gains wealth again. Even joking around the the King of England and on a first name basis. Grimani cannot stand it. During one of their last conversations, Casanova angers Grimani so much that Grimani demands a duel. Duels are illegal within city limits so Grimani states a location outside the city. Casanova accepts but is very confused as to why Grimani would do such a thing, knowing it must be more than simple hatred.

The day of the duel comes and Casanova continues to ask Grimani why. He eventually realizes that Grimani really does Henriette and has all this time. He married her hoping that eventually she would love him back but it never happened. Casanova refuses to duel and offers his services to help Grimani gain Henriette’s love. He refuses to duel a man who loves the same woman he does. Grimani shoots him in the hand instead. It’s then explained that they actually are within city limits and that as Venetian ambassador, Grimani has diplomatic immunity. Casanova, on the other hand, is now a fugitive again. They run to Poland but the hand just won’t heal. Casanova passes out and Rocco is left feeling useless without any money. A woman suddenly appears who offers to heal Casanova, even with Rocco stating they have no money to pay. She takes them to an empty house, nurses Casanova back to health, then abruptly leaves without any recompense. Casanova knows that she was sent by Henriette and that Henriette still loves him. Giac, however, still hates his father enough to squeeze his father’s injured hand and cause severe pain. Kids, right?

Casanova knows Henriette will come for him now because she did back then. She was always watching after him. But he started to hide himself and Edith wants to know why. What happened? He says it happened in Naples but he doesn’t want to tell her. She’s a maid and wouldn’t be able to handle it. He’s not sure she would forgive him for what happened there. She states she would because she knows him now. He then asks if she would stay if “the book were closed” and when she answers “if you want,” he asks “and what then?” He implies they would go to bed together and she doesn’t want him to go there. However, he successfully describes how he has seduced her and that she has, in fact, been seduced. She is his now. And the lady doth protest too much at this statement. He drives her away and she has no intention of going back.

However, one day she notices there is blood in his chamber pot and she becomes concerned about him. A letter soon comes for him but no one wants to bother to give it to him at so late an hour. However, Edith gets curious and reads the letter herself. She goes back to his chamber and when he asks about the letter (he’s seen the rider), she says no letter has come for him then demands the story of Naples.

They eventually continued to travel and did so for years, attempting to find a Venetian ambassador who would pardon him so he could go back to Venice. During this time, Rocco caught a cold and died within six days. Edith cries even though she didn’t know him except through Casanova’s story and states he didn’t deserve Rocco. Casanova admits the same. Casanova and Giac, now a young man, eventually reached Naples, where the only Venetian ambassador who might be willing to pardon him resided. Naples was covered in ash from Mt Vesuvias, an active volcano where people claimed it rained ash due to the peoples’ sins. It seemed apt that Casanova would need to go there for his pardon. While looking for their lodging, a beautiful young woman calls out to Casanova by name and tells them to follow her. She leads them to court where Bellino now resides. She married a rich man who died and now the court is hers. She encourages the young woman, her daughter Leonilda, to go off and find some entertainment for her and Giac – already knowing what that entertainment will be. Casanova explains that his son is just like him and Bellino isn’t bothered by it. They catch up again on what’s been going on and he becomes disturbed about the situation. No one seems to care about the ash or active volcano and Bellino herself is doing drugs and seems excited about the possibility of the volcano exploding at any moment. She eventually reveals that her daughter is his. When he becomes alarmed about Giac and Leonilda being together, Bellino waves it off. She doesn’t care if they have sex. Casanova barges into the room to find his daughter in very little clothes, his son fondling her, and others in the room. When he tries to explain the situation, Giac cuts him off stating he knows she’s his sister but what does it matter? It’s only sex. “Never lose your heart” he had said to his son. Casanova is left speechless and he finally realizes what his life has been. “Giac showed me what I was.” By then it was too late. He left his son in Naples.

Current Casanova does not know where Giac is now. He doesn’t know how many other Casanovas are out there. And there are so many stories about him, especially different ways in which he had died. He then moved to a small village where no one knew him, disappeared from the world, wrote his story, and now he’s going to burn it. Edith is horrified. She stops him from burning the pages by telling him that they both love the man in the story. She then decides to give him the letter but before she can, he collapses – on the verge of death. While he is in bed and she’s taking care of him, she pulls out the letter again. The words are said out loud – it’s from Henriette’s daughter who states that Henriette died 6 months prior. The daughter had heard of him through her mother after Grimani died, but still respecting her father’s memory. Henriette had never stopped looking for Casanova.

Edith burns the letter. It no longer seems to matter as Casanova’s life ends. She speaks with Casanova and pretends that Henriette is on her way. She has also come to realize that she’s “better than this place” and will figure out a way to live on her own. Casanova is proud of her. He begins to ask “Where is she?” She worries that he’ll miss Henriette when she finally arrives. Edith tells him “She’s coming, Giac. I swear. She’s coming to be with you right now.” She knows it’s only a little bit of time before Casanova passes away. She tells Casanova that Henriette sent her to look after him. She takes inspiration from the letter and said that Henriette never believed the stories about his death and that she never stopped looking for him. She never stopped loving him. And she’s coming to be with him. Casanova takes his last breath, smiling and saying Henriette’s name for the final time. “She’s here,” Edith says.

Casanova and Henriette are finally together. In the end.