The Comfort of Strangers (1990)

Regisseur:

Paul Schrader

Drehbuchautoren:

Ian McEwan (novel)
Harold Pinter (screenplay)

Premierendatum:

April 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Werbezeile:

The appearance of innocence. The heat of desire...

Plot:

An English couple holiday in Venice to sort out their relationship. There is some friction and distance between them...

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Male Nudity | Drugged Beverage | Shaving | Cut Lip

Filmpreise:

1 win

Nutzerkommentare:

Great Walken, Great Pinter

Besetzung

Christopher Walken	...	Robert
Rupert Everett	...	Colin
Natasha Richardson	...	Mary
Helen Mirren	...	Caroline
Manfredi Aliquo	...	Concierge
David Ford	...	Waiter
Daniel Franco	...	Waiter
Rossana Canghiari	...	Hotel Maid
Fabrizio Castellani	...	Bar Manager
Mario Cotone	...	Detective
Giancarlo Previati	...	First Policeman
Antonio Serrano	...	Second Policeman

Alternativ:

Cortesie per gli ospiti (Italy)
Trost von Fremden, Der (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) [de]

Länge:

107 Min

Produktionsland:

USA | Italy | UK

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe (Technicolor)

Tonverfahren:

Stereo

Altersfreigabe:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Drehorte:

London, England, UK

Firma:

Erre Produzioni

Dialogzitate:

Caroline: Are you in love?
Mary: Well, I... I do love him, I suppose. Not quite like when we first met. I trust him, really. He's my closest friend. But, what do you mean by in-love?
Caroline: I mean that you'd do absolutely anything for the other person, and you'd let them do absolutely anything to you. Anything...
Mary: Anything?

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Verweist auf/spielt an auf/erwähnt The Sheltering Sky (1990)

Soundtrack:

ACCAREZZAME

Great Walken, Great Pinter

A British couple contemplating marriage (Natasha Richardson and her young, handsome paramour, played by Rupert Everett) take a vacation in Venice, to sort things out, as the Brits say. There they meet a local bar owner named Robert, played by Christopher Walken, a lyrical, dramatic fellow always going on about incidents in his childhood, his father, his grandfather, his virility and the like. His personality contrasts sharply with that of the Everett character, who is withdrawn and tentative. The Brits are strangely drawn to Robert and to his odd, sexually frank wife, played by Helen Mirren in the sort of role she apparently was born to play. But they are also at times revolted. They are vaguely aware that the Venetian couple have an unnaturally intense interest in them; the contact also seems to stimulate them, both sexually and emotionally.

No need here to go into the truly shocking denouement, beyond to say that it is what you would expect from anything in which Pinter has a hand. As always, his dialog achieves unique power through its precision and understatement. Best line -- Mirren's "I'll tell you where you are -- on the other side of the mirror." Positively chilling, positively precise.

Fine, fine acting, especially the tragic, sinister Walken, who is I think incapable of giving a bad performance -- this is probably the best I have ever seen him. Gorgeously and lushly filmed, with every scene bathed in deep colors and haunting, orchestral music. A deeply affecting film, well worth seeing.