Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- passionate
- witty
- sumptuous
- historical film night
- romantic evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an engaging, visually rich historical romance distinguished by its unusually strong female perspective, though its inspiration is tempered by conventional melodrama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Veronica uses literacy, wit, sexuality, and public influence to affect Venetian affairs and defend women at her inquisition.
Veronica loves Marco Venier but cannot marry him because she is well born yet penniless.
The courtesans' rich red clothing and cultivated arts visibly grant them access to elite Venetian society.
The story centers on sixteenth-century Venice, its courtesan culture, war diplomacy, plague, and church authority.
Films like Dangerous Beauty, and why
A Room with a View
shared historical romance, female agency, and social-class constraint in an ornate period setting
The Duchess
shared women-centered historical drama, forbidden desire, and conflict between social convention and personal freedom
Elizabeth
shared sumptuous period romance, courtly intrigue, and a heroine navigating patriarchal power structures
The Portrait of a Lady
shared biographical drama, romantic sacrifice, and a woman asserting intellectual and social independence
Movie Details
- Director
- Marshall Herskovitz
- Release Date
- 1998-02-20
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (300)
Cast
- Catherine McCormack
- Rufus Sewell
- Oliver Platt
- Fred Ward
- Naomi Watts
- Jacqueline Bisset
- Moira Kelly
- Jeroen Krabbé
- Joanna Cassidy
- Melina Kanakaredes
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dangerous Beauty about?
- A gifted Venetian courtesan turns intellect, desire, and public influence into weapons against class hierarchy and religious persecution.
- What is Dangerous Beauty like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dangerous Beauty as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dangerous Beauty violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dangerous Beauty as mild.
- What did critics think of Dangerous Beauty?
- Critics broadly found the film an engaging, visually rich historical romance distinguished by its unusually strong female perspective, though its inspiration is tempered by conventional melodrama.
- Which films are like Dangerous Beauty?
- Films with a similar feel include A Room with a View, The Duchess, Elizabeth, and The Portrait of a Lady.
- How long is Dangerous Beauty?
- Dangerous Beauty runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dangerous Beauty?
- In United States, Dangerous Beauty streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
