Overview
A spirited battle of wits and wills unfolds in a world where love and rivalry intertwine.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- spirited
- classic movie night
- shakespeare viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly find the adaptation highly entertaining and funny, even if its irreverent approach may frustrate Shakespeare purists.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film preserves Shakespeare's courtship plot while emphasizing broad humor, physical performance, and lavish visual presentation.
Petruchio pursues Katharina while Lucentio and other suitors compete for Bianca, with the relationships repeatedly affecting one another.
Katharina's fiery temper and Petruchio's deliberate challenge make verbal and behavioral conflict the engine of their relationship.
The Padua setting is presented through elaborate costume design, art direction, and highly stylized period staging.
Films like The Taming of the Shrew, and why
Much Ado About Nothing
lavish Shakespearean romantic comedy with verbal sparring, theatrical performances, and gender conflict
Twelfth Night
period romantic comedy driven by disguise, courtship complications, and witty Shakespearean dialogue
Romeo and Juliet
stylized Shakespeare adaptation combining romance, comic conflict, and elaborate period production design
Movie Details
- Director
- Franco Zeffirelli
- Release Date
- 1967-03-08
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (188)
Cast
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Richard Burton
- Natasha Pyne
- Michael York
- Cyril Cusack
- Michael Hordern
- Alfred Lynch
- Alan Webb
- Victor Spinetti
- Roy Holder
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Taming of the Shrew about?
- A lavish, spirited Shakespearean battle of wills turns a fortune hunter and a fiercely independent woman into an unlikely romantic pair.
- What is The Taming of the Shrew like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Taming of the Shrew as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Taming of the Shrew violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Taming of the Shrew.
- What did critics think of The Taming of the Shrew?
- Critics broadly find the adaptation highly entertaining and funny, even if its irreverent approach may frustrate Shakespeare purists.
- Which films are like The Taming of the Shrew?
- Films with a similar feel include Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, and Romeo and Juliet.
- How long is The Taming of the Shrew?
- The Taming of the Shrew runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Taming of the Shrew?
- In United States, The Taming of the Shrew streams on fuboTV.
