No Blind Spots In Leopards' Eyes:The Leopard.

Sicily, 1860, the time of the Risorgimento, and Don Fabrizio Corbrera, Prince of Salina (Kim Rossi Stuart) awaits the arrival of Garibaldi's Redshirt army as they reach the island intent on taking it from the House of Bourbon as part of their plan to unify the whole of Italy. 

I've long been interested in the history of Italy so, inspired by a four star Guardian review and with a Sicilian holiday coming up in September, it was inevitable that I would end up watching Netflix's recent The Leopard (created by Richard Warlow, directed by Tom Shankland, Giuseppe Capotondi, and Laura Luchetti, and based on the famous 1958 novel by Giuseppe Tomasi de Lampedusa - a novel I have yet to read and I haven't seen Luchino Visconti's 1963 film version either) and perhaps inevitable that I would enjoy it too. 

Don Fabrizio, the Leopard (or 'il Gattopardo' - the show is subtitled) of the title, is a very wealthy and very powerful man who fears for the future of his aristocratic family. He is married to the pious Maria Stella (Astrid Meloni) but enjoys 'encounters' with other women when in Palermo - which Stella is aware of. Don Fabrizio explains that though Stella and himself have brought five children into the world, he has never once seen her bellybutton.

Don Fabrizio's closest bonds are with his favourite daughter Concetta (Benedetta Porcaroli) and his nephew Tancredi (Saul Nanni) whom he believes to be "exceptional". In the latter case, much to the chagrin of Don Fabrizio's son Paolo (Alberto Rossi). Stella can see that Don Fabrizio has favourites but can she see that there is also something very close about Tancredi and Concetta? Kissin' cousins? Let's wait and see.

While Concetta has been secluded in a convent, Tancredi has decided that the best course of action is to fight alongside the Redshirts. He believes it's the best way of protecting the family's future and is excited about the progress, industry, and infrastructure that will arrive in Sicily following the unification of Italy (instead of what he says is Sicily's current reality:- corruption, censorship, fat priests, and a faraway king who nobody ever sees).

Tancredi wants to be part of a nation alongside great cities like Rome, Venice, and Florence. The Leopard, for his part, thinks it'll all blow over. After all, the Sicilians have seen off the Greeks, the Arabs, the Romans, and the Normans. Why would Garibaldi's troops be any different?

While these huge international events are happening, normal life - of a sort - continues on Sicily. The Leopard's disloyal groundkeeper, Russo (Francesca Di Leva), is discovered to be both sympathetic to the revolution and, more seriously - initially, to have been stealing lemons from his master. The Leopard spares him. But at a price.

When The Leopard performs another merciful act he finds himself in debt to one Governor Leonforte (Gaetano Bruno), a man who is either ruthlessly practical or a shameless turncoat. He goes from having Garibaldi's soldiers executed to siding with his new 'masters'. 

Another causing problems for the Leopard is Don Calogero Sedara (Francesco Colella), a person who takes a deep and personal interest in the Leopard's business and a man whose daughter, the beautiful Angelica (Deva Cassel), will cause emotional ructions within Don Fabrizio's family. Is she an ingenue presenting as a femme fatale or vice versa? Adding to this tasty minestrone is the servile Father Pirrone (Paolo Calabresi) and Colonel Bombello (Alessandro Sperduti), a young soldier, yet Tancredi's senior in rank, who has a romantic interest in Concetta.

Everything looks absolutely stunning. The countryside of Sicily, the baroque architecture of Palermo, the food (fruit, brioche, granita), and the incredible outfits worn to the multiple balls where waltzes are elegantly danced. There's lots of riding around on horses, lots of religion, lots of bribery, and lots of candles and there's also a night at the opera in Turin. Verdi's Nabucco.

There's a sumptuous score by Paolo Buonvino and it's all historically fascinating but was I emotionally involved? To be fair, it took a while - but about halfway through the third episode (of six) a romantic betrayal really pulled me in and from there I remained engrossed. The Leopard had a lot to say about many things (power, class, money, ambition, loyalty, family ties, duty, and mercy) but at the heart of it, and despite the grandiose backdrop, it's essentially a story of a family in danger of being pulled apart by forces beyond their control.

Be those external or internal. Italy may be unifying but what of The Leopard and his family? Are they? As things develop it becomes apparent that the Leopard's problems may be far closer to home than any of us first realised. Brillante. Bring on Sicily!