FILMS. 4th EDItION THE DEAD The sound track is as creatively textured as are the images, and is Cast: Anjelica Huston( Gretta Conroy): Donal McCann(Gabriel every bit as demanding of the audience. The film sets up a tension Conroy); Helena Carroll (Aunt Kate): Cathleen Delany(Aunt julia) between the classical documentary and its omniscient narrator, cine- Dan O'Herlihy (Mr. Browne ): Donal Donnelly(Freddy Malins); ma-verite interviews, and fictional cinema. The omniscient documen Marie Kean(Mrs Malins); Frank Patterson(Bartell D'Arcy): Rachael tary provides sociological data on different facets of marginality. Dowling (Lily); Ingrid Craigie(Mary Jane): Maria McDernottroe Although this data establishes one framework for the'fictional"core of the film, its deliberately pompous tone warms us that we must Furlong): Maria Hayden (Miss O Callaghan); Bairbre Dowling critically question even such"official"pronouncements. (Miss Higgins); Lyda Anderson(Miss Daly ): Colm Meaney(Mr. This omniscient narrator is juxtaposed to the conversations which Bergin): Cormac O'Herlihy(Mr. Kerrigan); Paul Grant (Mr. Duty); take place around different aspects of marginalism. The manifesta- Paul Carroll(Young Gentleman); Patrick Gallagher(Mr. Egan);Dara ons of the culture of marginality are seen to be manifold-work Clarke(Miss Power): Brendan Dillon(Cabman); Redmond Gleeson absenteeism, machismo, delinquency-and the problem is hotl (Nightporter): Amanda baird (Young Lady) debated by everyone. Humberto is criticized for taking off from work on an unauthorized four-day jaunt with a girlfriend, while lying about Awards: National Society Critics award for Best film his''sick mother. Mario is criticized for denouncing Humberto, not 987: Special Achievement (ohn Huston), Tokyo Intema- because his attitude was counterproductive, but because Humberto tional Film Festival, 1987; Independent Spirit Awards for Best accused him of being an informer-a violation of male-bonding rules Director and Best Actress(Angelica Huston), 1988: Best American Yolanda criticizes the mothers of children who misbehave in school Film award. Bodil Festival. 1989 and is in turn criticized by her co-workers for her inability to empathize with women whose background is so different from hers though trenchant and acute, these critiques are also loving and constructive. Just as individuals in the film leave these confrontations with a clearer understanding of the revolutionary process to which Books. they are committed, so too does the audience leave the film with a more precise notion of dialectical filr McCarty, John, The Films of John Huston, Secaucus, New Jer At the end of the film, the factory workers meet where the fictional ey,1987 confrontation of Mario and Humberto took place and enter into Grobel. Lawrence. The Hustons. New York. 1989. a discussion of the case. They seem to rise up and incorporate Studlar, Gaylyn, editor, Reflections in a Male Eye: John Huston and themselves into the actual production of the film itself. This is as it he American Experience, Washington, D. C, 1993. should be, for this film demands the participation of all: real people Brill, Lesley, John Huston's Filmmaking, New York, 1997 and actors workers and marginal elements. teachers and housewives audience and filmmaker. The wrecking ball (in a sequence repeated Cohen, Allen, John Huston: A Guide to References and Resources, several times during the film) is not only destroying the slums and New York, 1997. etaphorically) the slum mentality, it may also be demolishing some of the more cherished assumptions of moviegoers in bourgeois Articles Zenith and Huston to Team on The Dead, in Variety(New York). vol. 325. 17 December 1986 John Mraz Harmetz, A. "Patient: John Huston: Rx: Film, "in The New York Times. 8 March 1987. Huston, T,"Family Ties, in American Film, voL. 12, Septem- THE DEAD ber 1987 Cart, T. McCarthy, "Film Legend John Huston Dead at 81: Final Pic Bows at Venice, in Variery(New York), vol. 328, 2 Septem- UK/US/West Germany, 1987 ber 1987 wiener, DJ,"The Dead: A Study in Light and Shadow, in Director: John Huston American Cinematographer(Hollywood), vol 68, November 1987 Sante, L,"The Last Chapter: The Dead, in Premiere(Boulder) vol. 1 December 1987. Production: Liffey; color; running time: 83 minutes. Filmed in Cargin, P,""Hustons Finale, in Film(London), no. 10. Decem- Dublin. ireland. and valencia. California Kael P. "The current cinema: Irish voices. in New yorker. vol Producer: Wieland Schulz-Keil, Chris Sievernich, William J. Quigley 63. 14 December 1987 (executive); screenplay: Tony Huston, from a story by James Joyce, O'Brien, T, ""Screen: Ethnic Colorings--Emperor, The Dead,and cinematographer: Fred Murphy: editor: Roberto Silvi; music: Alex Wannsee. in Commonweal. vol. 114. 18 December 198 North; casting: Nuala Moiselle; production design: Stephen Kauffman, S, ""Stanley Kauffmann on Films: Last Rites, in The Grimes, J. Dennis Washington; set decoration: Josie MacAvin; New Republic, vol. 197, 21 December 1987 costume design: Dorothy Jeakins: production manager: Tom Shaw, Baxter, B, in Films and Filming(London), no 399, December 1987 makeup: Fem Buchner, Keis Maes, Anthony Cortino, Louise Dowling, Pulleine, T,"A Memory of Galway, in Sight Sound (London), vol.5,no.1,1987/1988
FILMS, 4 THE DEAD th EDITION 295 The sound track is as creatively textured as are the images, and is every bit as demanding of the audience. The film sets up a tension between the classical documentary and its omniscient narrator, cinema-verité interviews, and fictional cinema. The omniscient documentary provides sociological data on different facets of marginality. Although this data establishes one framework for the ‘‘fictional’’ core of the film, its deliberately pompous tone warns us that we must critically question even such ‘‘official’’ pronouncements. This omniscient narrator is juxtaposed to the conversations which take place around different aspects of marginalism. The manifestations of the culture of marginality are seen to be manifold—work absenteeism, machismo, delinquency—and the problem is hotly debated by everyone. Humberto is criticized for taking off from work on an unauthorized four-day jaunt with a girlfriend, while lying about his ‘‘sick mother.’’ Mario is criticized for denouncing Humberto, not because his attitude was counterproductive, but because Humberto accused him of being an informer—a violation of male-bonding rules. Yolanda criticizes the mothers of children who misbehave in school, and is in turn criticized by her co-workers for her inability to empathize with women whose background is so different from hers. Although trenchant and acute, these critiques are also loving and constructive. Just as individuals in the film leave these confrontations with a clearer understanding of the revolutionary process to which they are committed, so too does the audience leave the film with a more precise notion of dialectical film. At the end of the film, the factory workers meet where the fictional confrontation of Mario and Humberto took place and enter into a discussion of the case. They seem to rise up and incorporate themselves into the actual production of the film itself. This is as it should be, for this film demands the participation of all: real people and actors, workers and marginal elements, teachers and housewives, audience and filmmaker. The wrecking ball (in a sequence repeated several times during the film) is not only destroying the slums and (metaphorically) the slum mentality, it may also be demolishing some of the more cherished assumptions of moviegoers in bourgeois cultures. —John Mraz THE DEAD UK/US/West Germany, 1987 Director: John Huston Production: Liffey; color; running time: 83 minutes. Filmed in Dublin, Ireland, and Valencia, California. Producer: Wieland Schulz-Keil, Chris Sievernich, William J. Quigley (executive); screenplay: Tony Huston, from a story by James Joyce; cinematographer: Fred Murphy; editor: Roberto Silvi; music: Alex North; casting: Nuala Moiselle; production design: Stephen B. Grimes, J. Dennis Washington; set decoration: Josie MacAvin; costume design: Dorothy Jeakins; production manager: Tom Shaw; makeup: Fern Buchner, Keis Maes, Anthony Cortino, Louise Dowling, Anne Dunne, Christopher Shihar. Cast: Anjelica Huston (Gretta Conroy); Donal McCann (Gabriel Conroy); Helena Carroll (Aunt Kate); Cathleen Delany (Aunt Julia); Dan O’Herlihy (Mr. Browne); Donal Donnelly (Freddy Malins); Marie Kean (Mrs. Malins); Frank Patterson (Bartell D’Arcy); Rachael Dowling (Lily); Ingrid Craigie (Mary Jane); Maria McDernottroe (Molly Ivors); Sean McGlory (Mr. Grace); Kate O’Toole (Miss Furlong); Maria Hayden (Miss O’Callaghan); Bairbre Dowling (Miss Higgins); Lyda Anderson (Miss Daly); Colm Meaney (Mr. Bergin); Cormac O’Herlihy (Mr. Kerrigan); Paul Grant (Mr. Duffy); Paul Carroll (Young Gentleman); Patrick Gallagher (Mr. Egan); Dara Clarke (Miss Power); Brendan Dillon (Cabman); Redmond Gleeson (Nightporter); Amanda Baird (Young Lady). Awards: National Society of Films Critics Award for Best Film, 1987; Special Achievement Award (John Huston), Tokyo International Film Festival, 1987; Independent Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best Actress (Angelica Huston), 1988; Best American Film Award, Bodil Festival, 1989. Publications: Books: McCarty, John, The Films of John Huston, Secaucus, New Jersey, 1987. Grobel, Lawrence, The Hustons, New York, 1989. Studlar, Gaylyn, editor, Reflections in a Male Eye: John Huston and the American Experience, Washington, D.C., 1993. Cooper, Stephen, Perspectives on John Huston, New York, 1994. Brill, Lesley, John Huston’s Filmmaking, New York, 1997. Cohen, Allen, John Huston: A Guide to References and Resources, New York, 1997. Articles: ‘‘Zenith and Huston to Team on The Dead,’’ in Variety (New York), vol. 325, 17 December 1986. Harmetz, A., ‘‘Patient: John Huston; Rx: Film,’’ in The New York Times, 8 March 1987. Huston, T., ‘‘Family Ties,’’ in American Film, vol. 12, September 1987. Cart, T. McCarthy, ‘‘Film Legend John Huston Dead at 81: Final Pic Bows at Venice,’’ in Variety (New York), vol. 328, 2 September 1987. Wiener, D.J., ‘‘The Dead: A Study in Light and Shadow,’’ in American Cinematographer (Hollywood), vol. 68, November 1987. Sante, L., ‘‘The Last Chapter: The Dead,’’ in Premiere (Boulder), vol. 1, December 1987. Cargin, P., ‘‘Huston’s Finale,’’ in Film (London), no. 10, December 1987. Kael, P., ‘‘The Current Cinema: Irish Voices,’’ in New Yorker, vol. 63, 14 December 1987. O’Brien, T., ‘‘Screen: Ethnic Colorings—Emperor, The Dead, and Wannsee,’’ in Commonweal, vol. 114, 18 December 1987. Kauffman, S., ‘‘Stanley Kauffmann on Films: Last Rites,’’ in The New Republic, vol. 197, 21 December 1987. Baxter, B., in Films and Filming (London), no. 399, December 1987. Pulleine, T., ‘‘A Memory of Galway,’’ in Sight & Sound (London), vol. 5, no. 1, 1987/1988
THE DEAD FILMS. 4 EDITIoN 减 The dead sS,A, " The Task of Turning Joyces Prose to Film Poetry, in It,s hard to think of a major filmmaker who relied more on literary e New York Times, vol. 137, section 2, 3 January 1988 daptations than John Huston. The great majority of his 36 features Denby, D,"The Living, in New York Magazine, vol. 21, 18 and virtually all the best ones-were drawn from novels, short stories January 1988 or plays; and he was invariably, though never slavishly, faithful to the Varjola, M, ""Elava Kuollut, in Filmihullu( Helsinki), no. 4, 1988 pirit of the original. This quality of loving respect for his source James, C,""Film View: When Film Becomes a Feast of words. in material shines through the culminating film of his long The Dead.a bitter-sweet meditation on transience and mortality Cardullo, B,""Epiphanies, " in Hudson Review, vol 41, no 4, 1989. Dead is taken from the last and longest story in James Joyces 1914 Shout, JD,"Joyce at Twenty-Five, Huston at Eighty-One: The collection Dubliners. The setting is Dublin in the winter of 1904 when Dead, in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury), vol. 1 twoelderly sisters, Kate and Julia Morkan, and their niece, Mary Jane, no.2,1989 give their annual dinner party and dance. The scenario, by Hustons Yetya, N, ""Los Muertos, in Dicine, no 36, September 1990 son Tony, sticks closely to the original story and often uses Joyces "The Angel Gabriel, in New Yorker, vol 68, 28 December1992/4 own dialogue. On the surface, very little happens. ("The biggest 199 piece of action, Huston noted ironically, is trying to pass the Pederson, A, ""Uncovering The Dead: A Study of Adaptation, in port.' )The guests assemble; they eat, drink, dance, banter, and in one Literature/Film Quarterly(Salisbury), vol. 21, no. 1, 1993 or two cases firt mildly; the party winds to its end; and in the closing Pilipp, F, "Narrative Devices and Aesthetic Perception in Joyce's fifteen minutes we follow two mpany as they and Huston's The Dead, in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salis- hotel. We seem to be watching the casual, happening flow of life, bury), vol. 21, no. 1, 1993 convivial but unremarkable. No voices are raised, except now and then in song: no dramatic emphases in the acting, scoring, or camerawork urge our attention. Yet every detail, unobtrusive
THE DEAD FILMS, 4th EDITION 296 The Dead Burgess, A., ‘‘The Task of Turning Joyce’s Prose to Film Poetry,’’ in The New York Times, vol. 137, section 2, 3 January 1988. Denby, D., ‘‘The Living,’’ in New York Magazine, vol. 21, 18 January 1988. Varjola, M., ‘‘Elava Kuollut,’’ in Filmihullu (Helsinki), no. 4, 1988. James, C., ‘‘Film View: When Film Becomes a Feast of Words,’’ in The New York Times, vol. 138, section 2, 30 July 1989. Cardullo, B., ‘‘Epiphanies,’’ in Hudson Review, vol. 41, no. 4, 1989. Shout, J.D., ‘‘Joyce at Twenty-Five, Huston at Eighty-One: The Dead,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury), vol. 17, no. 2, 1989. Yetya, N., ‘‘Los Muertos,’’ in Dicine, no. 36, September 1990. ‘‘The Angel Gabriel,’’ in New Yorker, vol. 68, 28 December1992/4 January 1993. Pederson, A., ‘‘Uncovering The Dead: A Study of Adaptation,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury), vol. 21, no. 1, 1993. Pilipp, F., ‘‘Narrative Devices and Aesthetic Perception in Joyce’s and Huston’s The Dead,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury), vol. 21, no. 1, 1993. *** It’s hard to think of a major filmmaker who relied more on literary adaptations than John Huston. The great majority of his 36 features— and virtually all the best ones—were drawn from novels, short stories, or plays; and he was invariably, though never slavishly, faithful to the spirit of the original. This quality of loving respect for his source material shines through the culminating film of his long career, The Dead. A bitter-sweet meditation on transience and mortality, The Dead is taken from the last and longest story in James Joyce’s 1914 collection Dubliners. The setting is Dublin in the winter of 1904 when two elderly sisters, Kate and Julia Morkan, and their niece, Mary Jane, give their annual dinner party and dance. The scenario, by Huston’s son Tony, sticks closely to the original story and often uses Joyce’s own dialogue. On the surface, very little happens. (‘‘The biggest piece of action,’’ Huston noted ironically, ‘‘is trying to pass the port.’’) The guests assemble; they eat, drink, dance, banter, and in one or two cases flirt mildly; the party winds to its end; and in the closing fifteen minutes we follow two of the company as they return to their hotel. We seem to be watching the casual, happening flow of life, convivial but unremarkable. No voices are raised, except now and then in song; no dramatic emphases in the acting, scoring, or camerawork urge our attention. Yet every detail, unobtrusively
FILMS. 4th EDItION DEAD OF NIGHT placed, contributes to the final effect: a rare depth of poignancy, all DEAD OF NIGHT the more moving for being so quietly expressed When he made The Dead Huston was himself dying, and knew it UK,1945 Suffering from terminal emphysema, he directed from a wheelchair, hooked up to an oxygen cylinder. He had hoped to make the film in Directors: Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden Ireland, as a farewell to the country where he had lived for twenty Robert hamer years and whose citizenship he'd taken, but it proved impractical nstead, a wintry Dublin was convincingly recreated in a warehouse Production: A Michael Balcon Production for Ealing Studios: filmed in Valencia, north of Los Angeles, with a second unit sent to Ireland to as a set of five stories, with a linking narrative directed by Dearden pick up location shots. Much of the time, constrictions of space made from a story by E. F. Benson:"Christmas Party"(director: Cavalcanti, it impossible for Huston to be on set with the actors, and he directed from a story by Angus Macphail),""Hearse Drivers"(director: via a TV monitor. None of these limitations shows in the film, which Dearden, from a story by E. F. Benson), "The Haunted Mirror feels effortlessly relaxed and natural (director: Hamer, from a story by John V. Baines), Golfing Story Throughout the long party sequence that takes up the first hour of (director: Crichton, from a story by H G. Wells),"The Ventriloquist the film, Hustons camera roams around the various groupings Dummy(director: Cavalcanti, from a story by John V. Baines) picking up snatches of conversation, conveying unspoken nuances in black and white; running time: 102 minutes. Released Septem a gesture or a glance. Matters of politics and religion are touched on. ber 1945 Ivors, mocks the hostesses'nephew, Gabriel Conroy, for being Producer: Michael Balcon; associate producers: Sidney Cole, John a"West Briton"who neglects Irish culture, and Aunt Kate tactfully Croydon; screenplay: John V Baines, Angus Macphail; additional efers to the Protestant Mr. Browne as being"of the other persua- dialogue: T. E. B. Clarke, photography: Stan Pavey, Douglas ion. The scapegrace Freddy Malins arrives tipsy, to the alarm of his Slocombe: editor: Charles Hasse: art director: Michael Relph; music: Georges Auric mother who anxiously steers him away from further boozing. Mary Jane plays a showy piece on the piano; older guests listen politely while the younger ones escape to the drinks table in the next room Cast: Linking narrative: Mervyn Johns(Walter Craig): Renee Gadd (Mrs. Craig): Roland Culver(Eliot Foley); Mary Merrall (Mrs. The cast, all Irish except Anjelica Huston(who, having grown up in Foley): Frederick Valk(Dr. van Straaten): Barbara Leake(Mrs Ireland, fits in seamlessly)and many of them from the Abbey Theatre O'Hara)."Christmas Party": Sally Ann Howes(Sally O'Hara): company, give a note-perfect display of ensemble acting. Gradually, beneath the light comedy, more sombre themes emerge The older, frailer sister, Miss Julia, is persuaded to sing a Bellini aria; her quavery voice suggests this will be the last year she'll be there to sing it. Talk turns to lost glories of the past, to friends now dead, to ks who sleep in their coffins as a reminder of "their last end And alongside these intimations of mortality comes the idea of a love bsolute and all-consuming when one of the guests recites an old Irish poem, the sole notable element in the film not drawn from Joyce's original: " You have taken the East and the West from me, you have taken the sun and the moon from me .. During this, Gabriel casts a glance at his wife Gretta(Huston) who is listening, rapt. This brief shot foreshadows the turning moment of the film. The party is breaking up, Gabriel and Gretta are on their way downstairs when from above comes the voice of a tenor singing a melancholy old llad, "The Lass of Aughrim. Gretta stops on the stair, transfixed, her whole posture suggesting a sorrow long held within her like an unborn child. At the hotel she tells gabriel how the song was once sung by a gentle boy who died-perhaps for love of her. She weeps herself to sleep, while Gabriel gloomily reflects how prosaic, by comparison, is his love for her, how poor a part I've played in her fe. He muses on the dead boy, on his aunt soon to die, on others departed, and as the snow swirls outside the window, his voice-over thoughts ease into the words that end Joyce's story: "Snow is general over Ireland.. falling faintly through the universe, and fa falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead, John Hustons last film, an elegy for Ireland and for himself
FILMS, 4 DEAD OF NIGHT th EDITION 297 placed, contributes to the final effect: a rare depth of poignancy, all the more moving for being so quietly expressed. When he made The Dead Huston was himself dying, and knew it. Suffering from terminal emphysema, he directed from a wheelchair, hooked up to an oxygen cylinder. He had hoped to make the film in Ireland, as a farewell to the country where he had lived for twenty years and whose citizenship he’d taken, but it proved impractical. Instead, a wintry Dublin was convincingly recreated in a warehouse in Valencia, north of Los Angeles, with a second unit sent to Ireland to pick up location shots. Much of the time, constrictions of space made it impossible for Huston to be on set with the actors, and he directed via a TV monitor. None of these limitations shows in the film, which feels effortlessly relaxed and natural. Throughout the long party sequence that takes up the first hour of the film, Huston’s camera roams around the various groupings, picking up snatches of conversation, conveying unspoken nuances in a gesture or a glance. Matters of politics and religion are touched on, sketching in a sense of the period: an assertive young woman, Molly Ivors, mocks the hostesses’ nephew, Gabriel Conroy, for being a ‘‘West Briton’’ who neglects Irish culture, and Aunt Kate tactfully refers to the Protestant Mr. Browne as being ‘‘of the other persuasion.’’ The scapegrace Freddy Malins arrives tipsy, to the alarm of his mother who anxiously steers him away from further boozing. Mary Jane plays a showy piece on the piano; older guests listen politely while the younger ones escape to the drinks table in the next room. The cast, all Irish except Anjelica Huston (who, having grown up in Ireland, fits in seamlessly) and many of them from the Abbey Theatre company, give a note-perfect display of ensemble acting. Gradually, beneath the light comedy, more sombre themes emerge. The older, frailer sister, Miss Julia, is persuaded to sing a Bellini aria; her quavery voice suggests this will be the last year she’ll be there to sing it. Talk turns to lost glories of the past, to friends now dead, to monks who sleep in their coffins as a reminder of ‘‘their last end.’’ And alongside these intimations of mortality comes the idea of a love absolute and all-consuming when one of the guests recites an old Irish poem, the sole notable element in the film not drawn from Joyce’s original: ‘‘You have taken the East and the West from me, you have taken the sun and the moon from me. . . .’’ During this, Gabriel casts a glance at his wife Gretta (Huston) who is listening, rapt. This brief shot foreshadows the turning moment of the film. The party is breaking up, Gabriel and Gretta are on their way downstairs, when from above comes the voice of a tenor singing a melancholy old ballad, ‘‘The Lass of Aughrim.’’ Gretta stops on the stair, transfixed, her whole posture suggesting a sorrow long held within her like an unborn child. At the hotel she tells Gabriel how the song was once sung by a gentle boy who died—perhaps for love of her. She weeps herself to sleep, while Gabriel gloomily reflects how prosaic, by comparison, is his love for her, ‘‘how poor a part I’ve played in her life.’’ He muses on the dead boy, on his aunt soon to die, on others departed, and as the snow swirls outside the window, his voice-over thoughts ease into the words that end Joyce’s story: ‘‘Snow is general all over Ireland. . . falling faintly through the universe, and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.’’ John Huston’s last film, an elegy for Ireland and for himself, closes on a grace-note at once regretful and reconciled. —Philip Kemp DEAD OF NIGHT UK, 1945 Directors: Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer Production: A Michael Balcon Production for Ealing Studios; filmed as a set of five stories, with a linking narrative directed by Dearden from a story by E. F. Benson: ‘‘Christmas Party’’ (director: Cavalcanti, from a story by Angus Macphail), ‘‘Hearse Drivers’’ (director: Dearden, from a story by E. F. Benson), ‘‘The Haunted Mirror’’ (director: Hamer, from a story by John V. Baines), ‘‘Golfing Story’’ (director: Crichton, from a story by H. G. Wells), ‘‘The Ventriloquist Dummy’’ (director: Cavalcanti, from a story by John V. Baines); black and white; running time: 102 minutes. Released September 1945. Producer: Michael Balcon; associate producers: Sidney Cole, John Croydon; screenplay: John V. Baines, Angus Macphail; additional dialogue: T. E. B. Clarke; photography: Stan Pavey, Douglas Slocombe; editor: Charles Hasse; art director: Michael Relph; music: Georges Auric. Cast: Linking narrative: Mervyn Johns (Walter Craig); Renee Gadd (Mrs. Craig); Roland Culver (Eliot Foley); Mary Merrall (Mrs. Foley); Frederick Valk (Dr. van Straaten); Barbara Leake (Mrs. O’Hara). ‘‘Christmas Party’’: Sally Ann Howes (Sally O’Hara); Dead of Night
DEAD RINGERS FILMS. 4 EDITIoN Michael Allan(Jimmmy); Robert Wyndham(Dr. Albury)."Hearse level, Dead of Night reveals a male fear of domesticity, which is here Driver: Antony Baird(Hugh): Judy Kelly (oyce): Miles Malleson equated with emasculation and the presence of strong, independent hearse Driver/Bus Conductor)."The Haunted Mirror: Googie women who are seen to have usurped male authority (one thinks of Withers (Joan): Ralph Michael(Peter): Esme Percy(Antique Dealer). Googie Withers organising her wedding while her fiancee waits Golfing Story": Basil Radford( George ) Naunton Wayne(Larry); passively in his flat, and of Sally Ann Howes violently rejecting the Peggy Bryan(Mary)."The Ventriloquists Dummy: Michael amorous advances of a fellow teenager). The film is full of weak, Redgrave(Maxwell Frere ) Hartley Power(Sylvester Kee): Elisabeth crippled, and/or victimised male characters: an injured racing driver, Welch(Beulah): Magda Kun(Mitzi): Garry Marsh(Harry Parker) a boy murdered by his elder sister, a meek accountant dominated first by his fiancee and then by the infuence of the" haunted mirror, and-in an extraordinary performance by Michael Redgrave-a Publications neurotic ventriloquist who eventually collapses into complete insan- ity. It is significant in this light that the character whose dream the film turns out to be is an architect, a symbolically charged profession at a time of national reconstruction. That this architect is indecisive Klaue, wolfgang, and others, Cavalcanti, Berlin, 1952. frightened, and, at the end of his dream, shown as harbouring Pirie, David, A Heritage of Horror: The English Gothic Ciner murderous desires underlines the films lack of confidence in the future 1946-1972, London,1973 This can be connected with what is in effect a systematic under Everson,William K, Classics of the Horror Film, New York, 1974. mining of one of the characteristic themes of British World War II Barr, Charles, Ealing Studios, London, 1977. cinema, namely the formation of a cohesive group out of diverse Perry, George, Forever Ealing, London, 1981 social elements(Ealing Studios, which produced Dead of Night, Eberwein, Robert T, Film and the Dream Screen: A Sleep an contributed to this with, among others San Demetrio London and The Forgetting, Princeton, 1984 Bells Go Down. Dead of Night begins with a group of characters Brown,Geoff, Michael Balcon: Pursuit of Britain, New York, 1990. coming together, but here this is not in the interests of establishing Barr, Charles, Ealing Studios, Berkeley, 1999 a national consensus. Instead this group is fragmented by the films insistent stress on the ways in which each individual is trapped within Articles his or her own perceptions and mental processes. Each story tells of a private experience, something that more often than not is witnessed Documentary Newsletter(London), no. 7, 1945 by only one person. Kine Weekly(London), 6 September 1945 The sense of alienation thereby produced further manifests itself Variety(New York), 19 September 1945 in the many references in the film to acts of vision which are Monthly Film Bulletin(London), 30 September 1945 unreliable or compromised in some way. Repeatedly characters stare Hollywood Reporter, 28 June 1946 disbelievingly at the""events unfolding before them. New York Times. 29 June 1946 Seeing is no longer believing. The faith in an objective reality central Variety(New York), 3 July 1946 to British wartime documentaries and which also contributed to the Motion Picture Herald(New York), 6 July 1946 style adopted by many fiction films has been eroded. Dreams and villegas Lopez, Manuel,""Analisis de los valores, Al morir la fantasies have taken its place, to the extent that, as one character puts noche, in Cinema: Tecnica y estatica del arte nuevo, Madrid, 1954 it, ""None of us exist at all. Were nothing but characters in Mr Agee, James, Agee on Film 1, New York, 1958 Craigs dream Barr, Charles, ""Projecting Britain and the British Character"(2 parts), the moment where the psychoanalyst who throughout the film has Brossard, Chandler, in Film Comment(New York ) May-June 1974. argued for logic and reason accidentally breaks his spectacles. The Ecran Fantastique(Paris), no 2, 1977. clarity of vision induced by a wartime situation has been similarly Ecran Fantastique(Paris), September 1986 shattered. All that remains is an uncertainty and fear which the film Branagh, K, in Premiere(Boulder), February 1993 records in an obsessive and disturbing detail Aachen, G,"Dead of Night, in Reid's Film Index(wyong), no. DEAD RINGERS Dead of Night's status as the first British horror film of note (advanced most convincingly by David Pirie in his book A Heritage of Horror) rests largely on the robert Hamer-directed""Haunted M Canada, 1988 or"episode. Certainly this masterful piece of work, with its depic tion of a destructive sexuality emerging from the 19th-century setting Director: David Cronenberg reflected in the mirror, anticipates elements of Hammer horror in the 1950sand1960s. Production: Mantle Clinic II Ltd.. in association with Morgan Creek However, the film as a whole can also be seen as a response to the Productions; colour, 35mm; running time: 1 15 minutes social dislocations caused by the end of the war, and in particular a confusion in masculine identity arising from difficulties in integrat- Producers: David Cronenberg and Marc Boyman; executive pro- ing a large part of the male population back into civilian life. On one ducers: Carol Baum and Sylvio Tabet; screenplay: David Cronenberg
DEAD RINGERS FILMS, 4th EDITION 298 Michael Allan (Jimmy); Robert Wyndham (Dr. Albury). ‘‘Hearse Driver’’: Antony Baird (Hugh); Judy Kelly (Joyce); Miles Malleson (Hearse Driver/Bus Conductor). ‘‘The Haunted Mirror’’: Googie Withers (Joan); Ralph Michael (Peter); Esme Percy (Antique Dealer). ‘‘Golfing Story’’: Basil Radford (George); Naunton Wayne (Larry); Peggy Bryan (Mary). ‘‘The Ventriloquist’s Dummy’’: Michael Redgrave (Maxwell Frere); Hartley Power (Sylvester Kee); Elisabeth Welch (Beulah); Magda Kun (Mitzi); Garry Marsh (Harry Parker). Publications Books: Klaue, Wolfgang, and others, Cavalcanti, Berlin, 1952. Pirie, David, A Heritage of Horror: The English Gothic Cinema 1946–1972, London, 1973. Everson, William K., Classics of the Horror Film, New York, 1974. Barr, Charles, Ealing Studios, London, 1977. Perry, George, Forever Ealing, London, 1981. Eberwein, Robert T., Film and the Dream Screen: A Sleep and a Forgetting, Princeton, 1984. Brown, Geoff, Michael Balcon: Pursuit of Britain, New York, 1990. Barr, Charles, Ealing Studios, Berkeley, 1999. Articles: Documentary Newsletter (London), no. 7, 1945. Kine Weekly (London), 6 September 1945. Variety (New York), 19 September 1945. Monthly Film Bulletin (London), 30 September 1945. Hollywood Reporter, 28 June 1946. New York Times, 29 June 1946. Variety (New York), 3 July 1946. Motion Picture Herald (New York), 6 July 1946. Villegas Lopez, Manuel, ‘‘Analisis de los valores, Al morir la noche,’’ in Cinema: Técnica y estatica del arte nuevo, Madrid, 1954. Agee, James, Agee on Film 1, New York, 1958. Barr, Charles, ‘‘Projecting Britain and the British Character’’ (2 parts), in Screen (London), Spring and Summer 1974. Brossard, Chandler, in Film Comment (New York), May-June 1974. Ecran Fantastique (Paris), no. 2, 1977. Ecran Fantastique (Paris), September 1986. Branagh, K., in Premiere (Boulder), February 1993. Aachen, G., ‘‘Dead of Night,’’ in Reid’s Film Index (Wyong), no. 30, 1997. *** Dead of Night’s status as the first British horror film of note (advanced most convincingly by David Pirie in his book A Heritage of Horror) rests largely on the Robert Hamer-directed ‘‘Haunted Mirror’’ episode. Certainly this masterful piece of work, with its depiction of a destructive sexuality emerging from the 19th-century setting reflected in the mirror, anticipates elements of Hammer horror in the 1950s and 1960s. However, the film as a whole can also be seen as a response to the social dislocations caused by the end of the war, and in particular a confusion in masculine identity arising from difficulties in integrating a large part of the male population back into civilian life. On one level, Dead of Night reveals a male fear of domesticity, which is here equated with emasculation and the presence of strong, independent women who are seen to have usurped male authority (one thinks of Googie Withers organising her wedding while her fiancée waits passively in his flat, and of Sally Ann Howes violently rejecting the amorous advances of a fellow teenager). The film is full of weak, crippled, and/or victimised male characters: an injured racing driver, a boy murdered by his elder sister, a meek accountant dominated first by his fiancée and then by the influence of the ‘‘haunted mirror,’’ and—in an extraordinary performance by Michael Redgrave—a neurotic ventriloquist who eventually collapses into complete insanity. It is significant in this light that the character whose dream the film turns out to be is an architect, a symbolically charged profession at a time of national reconstruction. That this architect is indecisive, frightened, and, at the end of his dream, shown as harbouring murderous desires underlines the film’s lack of confidence in the future. This can be connected with what is in effect a systematic undermining of one of the characteristic themes of British World War II cinema, namely the formation of a cohesive group out of diverse social elements. (Ealing Studios, which produced Dead of Night, contributed to this with, among others, San Demetrio London and The Bells Go Down.) Dead of Night begins with a group of characters coming together, but here this is not in the interests of establishing a national consensus. Instead this group is fragmented by the film’s insistent stress on the ways in which each individual is trapped within his or her own perceptions and mental processes. Each story tells of a private experience, something that more often than not is witnessed by only one person. The sense of alienation thereby produced further manifests itself in the many references in the film to acts of vision which are unreliable or compromised in some way. Repeatedly characters stare disbelievingly at the ‘‘impossible’’ events unfolding before them. Seeing is no longer believing. The faith in an objective reality central to British wartime documentaries and which also contributed to the style adopted by many fiction films has been eroded. Dreams and fantasies have taken its place, to the extent that, as one character puts it, ‘‘None of us exist at all. We’re nothing but characters in Mr. Craig’s dream.’’ The complexities of Dead of Night are beautifully crystallised in the moment where the psychoanalyst who throughout the film has argued for logic and reason accidentally breaks his spectacles. The clarity of vision induced by a wartime situation has been similarly shattered. All that remains is an uncertainty and fear which the film records in an obsessive and disturbing detail. —Peter Hutchings DEAD RINGERS Canada, 1988 Director: David Cronenberg Production: Mantle Clinic II Ltd., in association with Morgan Creek Productions; colour, 35mm; running time: 115 minutes. Producers: David Cronenberg and Marc Boyman; executive producers: Carol Baum and Sylvio Tabet; screenplay: David Cronenberg
FILMS. 4th EDItION DEAD RINGERS and Norman Snider, based on the book Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Shaviro, Steven, The Cinematic Body, Minneapolis and London, 1993 Geasland; photography: Peter Suschitzky: editor: Ronald Sanders; Parker, Andrew, "Grafting David Cronenberg, in Media Spectacle music: Howard Shore; art director: James McAteer; production edited by Marjorie Garber and others, New York and Lon designer: Carol Spier; sound: Bryan Day: costumes: Denise don,1993 Cronenberg; special effects design: Gordon Smith Morris, Peter, David Cronenberg: A Delicate Balance, Milford, 1994. Cast: Jeremy Irons(Beverly Mantle/Elliot Mantle ): Genevieve Bujold Articles: (Claire Niveau); Stephen Lack(Anders Wolleck); Heidi von Palleske (Cary); Shirley Douglas(Laura): Barbara Gordon(Danuta); Nick Jaehne, Karen, ""Double Trouble, in Film Co (New York) Nichols(Leo): Lynn Cormack(Arlene): Damir Andrei (Birchall) Miriam Newhouse(Mrs. Bookman) Variety(New York), 7 September 1988 Gleiberman, O,"Cronenberg's Double Mea Publications Elia, M, Sequences(Paris), November 1988 Lee, N, "Visuals for Dead Ringers Inspire Belief, in American Cinematographer(New York), December 1988 Books: Beauchamp, M, ""Freres de sang, in 24 Images(Montreal), winter 1988-89 Moorman, David, David Cronenberg A Horror Filmer in Transfor Stanbrook, A,"Cronenbergs Creative Cancers, in Sight an ation, Rotterdam, 1990. Sound (London ), winter 1988-89. Cronenberg, David, Cronenberg on Cronenberg, London, 1992 Baron, A.-M, Cinema(Paris), January 1989
FILMS, 4 DEAD RINGERS th EDITION 299 Dead Ringers and Norman Snider, based on the book Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland; photography: Peter Suschitzky; editor: Ronald Sanders; music: Howard Shore; art director: James McAteer; production designer: Carol Spier; sound: Bryan Day; costumes: Denise Cronenberg; special effects design: Gordon Smith. Cast: Jeremy Irons (Beverly Mantle/Elliot Mantle); Geneviève Bujold (Claire Niveau); Stephen Lack (Anders Wolleck); Heidi von Palleske (Cary); Shirley Douglas (Laura); Barbara Gordon (Danuta); Nick Nichols (Leo); Lynn Cormack (Arlene); Damir Andrei (Birchall); Miriam Newhouse (Mrs. Bookman). Publications Books: Moorman, David, David Cronenberg: A Horror Filmer in Transformation, Rotterdam, 1990. Cronenberg, David, Cronenberg on Cronenberg, London, 1992. Shaviro, Steven, The Cinematic Body, Minneapolis and London, 1993. Parker, Andrew, ‘‘Grafting David Cronenberg,’’ in Media Spectacles edited by Marjorie Garber and others, New York and London, 1993. Morris, Peter, David Cronenberg: A Delicate Balance, Milford, 1994. Articles: Jaehne, Karen, ‘‘Double Trouble,’’ in Film Comment (New York), September 1988. Variety (New York), 7 September 1988. Gleiberman, O., ‘‘Cronenberg’s Double Meanings,’’ in American Film (Marion), October 1988. Elia, M., Séquences (Paris), November 1988. Lee, N., ‘‘Visuals for Dead Ringers Inspire Belief,’’ in American Cinematographer (New York), December 1988. Beauchamp, M., ‘‘Frères de sang,’’ in 24 Images (Montreal), Winter 1988–89. Stanbrook, A., ‘‘Cronenberg’s Creative Cancers,’’ in Sight and Sound (London), Winter 1988–89. Baron, A.-M., Cinéma (Paris), January 1989