Dangerous Beauty

Set in Renaissance Venice, Dangerous Beauty follows Veronica Franco, a gifted poet and striking beauty who attracts the attention of Marco Venier, a nobleman whose wealth and status would make marriage possible in many societies. Yet his aristocratic circle refuses a match that lacks a dowry and compatible standing. Facing such barriers, Veronica's mother, Paola, steers her toward the world of courtesans who mingle with Venice's powerful men, turning eyes and appetites into opportunity. Veronica enters this life with intelligence and wit, using conversation, verse, and carefully managed charm to secure influence and comfort. As she negotiates love and independence in a male dominated world, her choices reveal the costs and rewards of autonomy, and the world they shape together.

Directed by Marshall Herskovitz and released in 1998, Dangerous Beauty features a screenplay by Jeannine Dominy and Margaret Rosenthal that draws on Veronica Franco's life and era, translating scholarly history into a vivid period romance for mainstream audiences today everywhere.

Worldwide box office gross was $4,553,271, a modest return for a prestige period drama. The numbers reflect a limited theatrical run and a modest afterlife through international sales, home video and periodic television airings that kept the film in circulation.

The movie has a devoted niche following among fans of historical romance and Renaissance settings. Catherine McCormack brings Veronica's wit and vulnerability to life, and the film's lush costuming and salon scenes remain memorable for viewers who enjoy literary drama. Fans cite its lines in discussions of poets and courtesans.

Critics tended to applaud the performances and the wrap of period atmosphere, while noting some melodrama in service of romance. The film quietly centers themes of female agency, art as power, and the tension between love and social constraints in a city ruled by class.