The Immortal Story
The Immortal Story | |
---|---|
Louise de Vilmorin Orson Welles | |
Based on | The Immortal Story by Karen Blixen |
Produced by | Micheline Rozan |
Starring | Jeanne Moreau Orson Welles Roger Coggio Norman Eshley |
Cinematography | Willy Kurant |
Edited by | Claude Farny Françoise Garnault Yolande Maurette Marcelle Pluet |
Distributed by | Altura Films S.L. (US) Omnia-Film (world) |
Release dates | May 24, 1968 (French TV) September 18, 1968 (NYFF) February 1969 (US) |
Running time | 48 mins (French version) 60 mins (English version) |
Country | France |
Languages | English French |
The Immortal Story (
Plot
In nineteenth-century
Levinsky approaches Virginie (Jeanne Moreau), the daughter of Clay’s one-time business partner. Clay’s ruthless dealings drove Virginie’s father to bankruptcy and suicide, and she is eager to participate in this action to get her revenge. The destitute sailor, a young Dane named Paul (Norman Eshley) recently rescued from a desert island, is discovered on the street and recruited. Having heard the story himself as well, Paul at first refuses to participate, but agrees when Clay reminds him that he needs the money.
Virginie and Paul find an emotional bond in their brief union, but go their separate ways – Virginie is exorcised of her bitterness against Clay while Paul disappears into Macao’s teeming streets. Before doing so, he asks Clay to give Virginie a shell he found on his desert island that will play a “song” if she holds it to her ear. Levinsky goes to inform Clay about what took place, but discovers the old merchant has died. He puts Paul’s shell to his ear, and remarks to Virginie that he has heard the song before but cannot remember from where.[1]
Cast
- Jeanne Moreau as Virginie Ducrot
- Orson Welles as Mr. Charles Clay
- Roger Coggio as Elishama Levinsky
- Norman Eshley as Paul, the sailor
- Fernando Rey as Merchant
Production
Orson Welles was a self-professed admirer of the writing of Karen Blixen and, at one point, announced plans to create a series of films based on her writing.
Welles received financing from l'Office de Radio-Télévision Française to create The Immortal Story for premiere presentation on French television, to be followed by theatrical release in France and other countries. As part of the financing, Welles was contractually obligated to shoot the film in color. Welles was not a fan of color cinematography, and in one interview he stated: "Color enhances the set, the scenery, the costumes, but mysteriously enough it only detracts from the actors. Today it is impossible to name one outstanding performance by an actor in a color film." [4]
Much of the film was shot in Welles’ home in Chinchón, a small location outside of Madrid, Spain.[5] The location for the port of Macao was the main square of Chinchón, and other exterior scenes depicting the Portuguese-built city in China were also shot in the nearby towns of Pedraza, Brihuega and Valdemoro. Welles used Chinese restaurant waiters from Madrid as extras to recreate the setting for Macao.[3]
Release
The Immortal Story was entered into the 18th Berlin International Film Festival in June 1968. The film had its U.S. premiere at the 1968 New York Film Festival. In February 1969, it had its U.S. theatrical release on a double feature bill with Luis Buñuel's Simon of the Desert.[6]
Home media
On 30 August 2016, The Immortal Story was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the U.S. by the
References
- ^ Cowie, Peter. “The Cinema of Orson Welles.”1978, A.S. Barnes & Co.
- ^ "Film Threat". Film Threat.
- ^ ISBN 9780312312800– via Google Books.
- ISBN 0-684-18982-8]
- ^ Rotella, Valeria. "The Fog of Welles: A Trip to Chinchón". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
- ^ Weiler, A. H. (12 February 1969). "Screen: Festival Films on Double Bill:Bunuel Makes Modern Fable of St. Simon". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "The Immortal Story". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
External links
- The Immortal Story at IMDb
- The Immortal Story at the TCM Movie Database
- The Immortal Story at AllMovie
- The Immortal Story: Divas and Dandies an essay by Criterion Collection