Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Screenplay: Paul Dehn, Suso Cecchi D’Amico and Franco Zeffirelli
Based on: William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Cyril Cusack, Michael Hordern, Alfred Lynch, Alan Webb, Victor Spinetti, Roy Holder, Mark Dignam, Bice Valori, Giancarlo Cobelli, Vernon Dobtcheff, Ken Parry, Anthony Gardner, Natasha Pyne, Michael York
Country: Italy/USA
Running Time: 122 mins
Year: 1967
Iconic stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had a tumultuous romance, marrying and divorcing twice during their 14-year relationship and starring in 11 films together, one of which was a television movie. The couple met on the set of the big-budgeted and much-documented historic epic Cleopatra and their affair caught the public’s imagination and led to them being hounded by the media.
By 1967, when The Taming of the Shrew was made, they’d appeared in four films together, most notably the aforementioned Cleopatra (which, for all its flaws, I have a soft spot for), and 1966’s excellent Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, but also in 1963’s The V.I.P’s and 1965’s The Sandpiper. At the time, audiences seemed to want to see the couple battle on screen, after the fights (some apparently real) in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and all of the media coverage of their often heated relationship.
A battle is what the audience certainly got with The Taming of the Shrew, which broadcaster and critic Matthew Sweet astutely points out in one of the on-disc extras is a “breathless tussle”. The first half feels like one extended battle sequence once their sparring begins, supplemented by a fun and entertaining carnival filled with colourful characters.
The Taming of the Shrew is one of three adaptations of William Shakespeare plays that Italian director Franco Zeffirelli directed (the others were Romeo and Juliet in 1968 and Hamlet in 1990). The story is a romantic comedy and follows Katharina (Elizabeth Taylor), the ill-tempered “shrew” of the title, who meets Petruchio (Richard Burton) who sets about trying to “tame” and marry her.
Katharina’s forced other men away and it seems as though marriage is the last thing on her mind, so is seen as a challenge by Petruchio whose attempts are helped by the sizeable offer of money he’s offered to woo her. Katharina’s father Baptista Minola (Michael Hordern) wants to marry her off, and if she does wed, he’ll also marry off his youngest daughter Bianca (Natasha Pyne), who is wooed by a number of suitors. If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, go in forewarned that only around a third of the play’s text makes it to the screen; it’s far from a faithful adaptation.
It’s interesting to watch the film in hindsight, knowing how Burton and Taylor’s relationship would evolve and become a huge global sensation and media circus. The carnival which opens the film seems to evoke this, and it certainly feels as those the producers have seen gold by bringing the two stars and lovers to the screen in such a story that seemingly has some parallels with their real-life relationship.
This is very much Taylor and Burton’s film and their sparring is a real highlight. They both seemingly give their all to the film, which was recognised with nominations for awards for both of them (BAFTA nominations for both and a Golden Globe nomination for Burton), and you simply can’t take your eyes off the pair.
They’re ably supported by a quite wonderful supporting cast, including Hordern, Victor Spinetti as Hortensio and Michael York as Lucentio. Each character gets at least one, often many, moments to shine.
It feels like a lot of money was spent on the production, with lavish sets and production design by Lorenzo Mongiardino (billed as Renzo in the credits) and gorgeous costumes by Danilo Donati, all beautifully shot by director of photography Oswald Morris. Special mention too for the great score by Nino Rota.
It’s difficult to deny that the story and treatment of women doesn’t pass muster in 2025, and that’s one of the things that sets it back for me. The first half is a spar between Burton and Taylor that gives way in the second half after their marriage, with its “taming” sequence, which is tough to watch due to its torturous misogyny. It’s very much a tale of two halves as that second half isn’t anywhere near as strong as the first for me. However, overall it’s a very funny, witty and ultimately fun farce that does its best to entertain throughout, and Taylor’s strong-willed character in the first half, at least, somewhat combats the film’s problematic elements. However, she’s more meek in the second half, which I know is the point of the story, but much less interesting.
The Taming of the Shrew is at times a camp delight and at others a very problematic watch in its treatment of women. When it works, though, it’s a very entertaining; a bawdy and funny adaptation of a Shakespeare play, in which Burton and Taylor shine. It’s very much ‘their’ film and you can’t take your eyes off them when they’re on the screen, particularly when they share it together.
Film: 
The Taming of the Shrew is released on Region B Blu-Ray on 21st July 2025 by Powerhouse Films on the Indicator label. The high-definition transfer is good and very natural looking, with plenty of detail and the colourful sets and costumes looking wonderful. It also sounds great.
Indicator limited edition Blu-ray special features:
High-Definition remaster
Original mono audio
Audio commentary with film historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson (2025)
A Breathless Tussle (2025, 22 mins): writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet examines the background behind the film’s production
His Name Is Biondello (2018, 6 mins): archival interview with actor Roy Holder
Royal Film Performance screening (1967, 2 mins): newsreel footage capturing an audience of special guests, including Princess Margaret and a who’s who of British cinema greats
French premiere (1967, 1 min): newsreel footage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton attending the film’s Paris premiere
Original theatrical trailer
Teaser trailer
Image galleries: promotional and publicity material, and US film programme
New English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Limited edition exclusive 32-page booklet with new essay by Bethan Roberts, a contemporary on-set report by John Francis Lane, an overview of critical responses, and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson provide a marvellous commentary on the film. It’s the second commentary I’ve heard from the pair and I’m a big fan of their collaborations based on these two. They seem to be having so much fun and are delighted to be talking about the movie. They touch on the differences between the play and the film, and its cultural significance and point in time in the relationship of Burton and Taylor. The discussion about the couple and the media focus on them is a real highlight. It’s a very entertaining listen.
A Breathless Tussle is a fabulous 22-minute piece by writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet who describes it as a bit of a war film, characters not knowing how to respond to each other. He touches on how it followed Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? He touches on the couple’s on-screen relationships and the difficulties in the film, what works and what doesn’t, and Burton’s tumultuous relationship with director Zeffirelli.
His Name is Biondello is a six-minute piece from 2018 with actor Roy Holder, who talks about how he and Michael York were playing small parts in a stage production of Much Ado About Nothing when they were chosen for their roles in this adaptation of The Taming of The Shrew. Whilst it is only brief, Holder provides some warm anecdotes and is a pleasure to listen to.
A two-minute narrated black and white newsreel of the Royal premiere of the film is an excellent inclusion from an historic standpoint, mainly focusing on the many stars who were in attendance.
Of equally welcome historical importance is around 50-seconds of silent black and white footage from the French premiere of the film, in which it seems as though Elizabeth Taylor is getting mobbed as she tries to get into the building.
The trailer runs for four minutes and is a hoot; they don’t make trailers like this anymore. Likewise for the one-minute teaser, which features narration and stills.
The near 90-image gallery features a range of behind-the-scenes shots, promo photos, stills, lobby cards and posters.
Rounding out the on-disc package is a stills gallery of the US film programme. It’s been well scanned and contains lots of images, and some text about some of the actors and filmmakers over almost 20 images.
The 32-page booklet is up to Indicator’s usual high standards. It opens with a new essay by freelance writer, researcher and editor Bethan Roberts who focuses on marriage and the central motif of the chase, before moving onto the visuals and giving some background to the director. She also touches on how a study by author and critic Ace Pilkington calculated that just 30% of the original Shakespeare’s plays text make it to the screen in this adaptation, so plenty of liberties were taken, or, in Zeffirelli’s words, “sacrifices and compromises”. It’s a strong essay. Next is an insightful contemporary set report by John Francis Lane before the booklet concludes with interesting snippets from contemporary reviews.
In closing, the Indicator release of The Taming of the Shrew contains a good audio and visual presentation for the film and includes a quite wonderful commentary, an excellent overview by Matthew Sweet and some welcome archival pieces. It’s a decent package for a film of two halves that features mesmerising performances by Burton and Taylor in a lavish Shakespeare adaptation.
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