MILAN – A young girl is sitting by the pool reading a book. At a certain point the girl, feeling observed, stops reading and, taking off her sunglasses, she glances at the man who is looking at her. Yes, it might look like the opening scene of a movie but it’s not. This scene is the beginning of the troubled and crazy love story between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. We are in the summer of 1953 when, during a pool party at the home of Steward Granger and Jean Simmons, the most talked-about couple of the twentieth century meets for the first time. That day, however, besides an exchange of glances, nothing happened. It will be 9 years before Richard and Elizabeth see each other a second time. They don’t know yet but that second meeting will mark the beginning of their “ Furious Love“. It was written, literally, on the pages of a script. CLEOPATRA AND MARCO ANTONIO – Rome, January 2, 1962. The young Elizabeth is, once again, in costume but this time it is a stage costume. The set is that of “ Cleopatra ”, a colossal by Joseph Mankievicz. She plays the role of the fascinating Cleopatra, he and Marco Antonio. As expected, the two of them had to play the part of lovers and, as often happens, from fiction to reality. Their clandestine relationship shocked public opinion (the Vatican goes so far as to define the couple as an example of immorality) and every escape, every quarrel, every dinner ended up on the covers of all the gossip magazines. Richard and Liz became the most talked about lovers on the planet. CRAZY LOVE– After the first year of fake illegal immigration, the two become “officially” a couple. Going against everything and both lovers get married. Theirs is a life made of love, a love that Richard describes in his diary, in poems or in letters dedicated to his beloved. “I love you more than a bucket of ice thrown on a hot body, of ice cream dripping on parched lips, of common sense that sweetens madness” he writes. He calls her “a great force of nature” emphasizing, in every line, how much she loves her. But their love story, in addition to sweet words, was made up of excesses, alcohol, jealousies, legendary quarrels (almost always in public) followed by legendary reconciliation, almost always studded with very expensive jewels (the Taylor-Burton diamond from 69, 42 carats and gone down in history) of which Liz considered herself the “keeper” rather than the owner. The couple resisted even when, in 1968, their dream of becoming parents was finally shattered. But the quarrels increase, the abuse of alcohol as well. Richard, who has always been loyal to Liz, cheats on her with Nathalie Delon (Alain’s ex-wife) on the set of the film “Bluebeard “. It is the beginning of the collapse and, in June 1974, the golden couple of the Hollywood star system divorces. Despite her betrayal, despite her divorce, Richard continues to love Liz and continues to dedicate letters and poems to her.
“First of all you must know that I worship you. Second, at the risk of sounding repetitive, you need to know that I love you. Third, I can’t live without you. Third, I mean fourth, you have a huge responsibility on your shoulders because if you really leave me, I will have to kill myself. There is no life without you and I am afraid. I’m scared. Lost. Alone. Thick headed. Stupid. Fifth, I like you. Sixth, I bet you could make me stop acting, a practice that I have always considered deplorable ”
And again:
“I love you, beautiful woman. If someone hurts you, send me a message. Just write “I need”, or a single magical word, “Elizabeth”, and it will come faster than the sound. You know, for sure, how much I love you. You know, for sure, how badly I treated you. But the basic, wicked, murderous and immutable truth is that you and I totally misunderstand each other… We operate on different wavelengths… I love you and will always love you. Come back to me as soon as you can. ”
He continued to write her letters until in 1975, after being separated for a year, Richard and Liz remarried, only to separate for the second and last time in August 1976. ONE LIFE NOT ENOUGH– August 1984. Richard has been married for two years to young production assistant Sally Hay, but still thinks of Elizabeth. That evening, August 2, he picks up a pen and writes, once again, a letter to the love of his life. With wonderful words Rich declares that she needs to go home, because for him “home” is where they are together. A moving letter, arrived too late at its destination. Three days after sending it, Richard Burton dies. “From the first moments in Rome we were madly in love. But we didn’t have enough time, ”says Elizabeth. But (perhaps) for a love like theirs, time is never enough.
