DreamWorks, the successful Hollywood studio established in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, finally found cause for excitement with Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. This war film acclaimed both critically and commercially, was widely predicted to secure the Best Picture Oscar for that year. However, Harvey Weinstein had a different agenda.
As the co-chief of Miramax, Weinstein held high aspirations for a still-in-production Elizabethan dramedy titled Shakespeare in Love, directed by John Madden. Utilizing an aggressive and highly controversial campaign, Weinstein managed to snatch away Spielberg’s seemingly guaranteed victory, leading to what many consider the most significant Best Picture upset in cinematic history.
Steven Spielberg And Harvey Weinstein Were Interested In The Same Project
After the Oscars fiasco, a project which Harvey Weinstein had been developing for eight years, also captured the attention and curiosity of Steven Spielberg. The story delved into the tale of a 6-year-old Italian boy from 1858, who was separated from his Jewish parents by authorities and subsequently raised in a Catholic environment.
Although there was a brief flirtation with the idea of joining forces, it seemed highly improbable due to the tumultuous history between them, most notably the intense Best Picture Oscar campaign of 1999. In that contentious battle, Weinstein’s Shakespeare in Love emerged victorious over Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. As a result, the prospects of collaboration dwindled. Ultimately, Spielberg made the decision to proceed independently.
However, Harvey Weinstein refused to accept the situation passively and swiftly accelerated the development of his own rendition of the Mortara story. Mortara, who later rose to a prominent position as a high-ranking priest within the Augustinian order, became the central figure in Weinstein’s project.
The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara Left A Significant Impact
The film, directed by a famous filmmaker, explores the scary events when Mortara was taken away from his family. It helps us understand how religion, society, and politics played a role during that time.
In the movie, the story is told in a captivating way with great acting. It shows how the characters had to deal with difficult choices and right and wrong situations. The film focuses on conflicts between different religious beliefs, the rights of parents, and the impact of the Catholic Church. It shows the strong feelings and arguments that arose because of what happened in the incident.
The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara tells a powerful story about something that happened a long time ago but still had a big impact. It made people in different countries talk and think about important things like who they are, what they believe in, and what is fair. The movie forced people to think about how events like this can affect people and communities for a long time.
The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara is available for rent or purchase on Google Play.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
