The Taming of the Shrew (1967)

Franco Zeffirelli’s The Taming of the Shrew (1967) is Shakespeare with the gloves off: a bold, boisterous romantic comedy that feels gloriously alive, powered by the real-life spark and thunder of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as two people who fight like they’re flirting and flirt like they’re fighting. The film leans into the play’s farce and physicality, letting the jokes land cleanly even if you don’t catch every line, while surrounding the mayhem with sumptuous costumes and a warm, autumnal Italian storybook look that makes every scene a feast. It’s exuberant, accessible, and consistently funny, the kind of classic that reminds you how entertaining “prestige” can be when it’s having this much fun. If you’re a strict Shakespeare purist or sensitive to old-school gender politics, it may not be your ideal cup of wine—but as a high-spirited star vehicle and a crowd-pleasing romp, it’s hard to resist.

Zeffirelli’s The Taming of the Shrew (1967) is clearly trying to turn Shakespeare into a lavish, star-powered period romp, and on that level it delivers: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are a combustible pair and the sets and costumes look richly lived-in. The catch is that the film can feel oddly reverent and stage-bound, with a visual and musical sameness that makes stretches drag even when the actors are swinging for the fences. If you’re hoping for a nimble, modern-feeling Shakespeare or a romance that goes down easily, the “taming” dynamic and the heavy theatricality may grate more than amuse. But if you like big personalities, classical text performed at full volume, and old-school production value over cinematic spark, it’s a solid curiosity.