Casanova

Overview

The Italian adventurer and libertine Giovanni Jacopo Casanova lived from 1725 to 1798, but in this six-part series Dennis Potter attempted to find a contemporary relevance through his central themes of sex and religion. He commented that Casanova "was concerned with religious and sexual freedom, and these are the things we have to address ourselves to now." Casanova was imprisoned in Venice in 1755, and Potter used that event as a central device, constantly inter-cutting to contrast Casanova's amorous escapades, radiant, joyful and brightly lit, with his oppressive solitary confinement in the gloom of a half-darkened cell.

Details

Status

Ended

First aired

November 16, 1971

Last aired

December 21, 1971

Episodes

6

Network

BBC Two

Original language

English

Spoken languages

English

Creator

Dennis Potter

Homepage

Official site