The King (2005 film)
The King | |
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Directed by | James Marsh |
Written by | Milo Addica James Marsh |
Produced by | Milo Addica |
Starring | Gael García Bernal Paul Dano William Hurt Pell James Laura Harring |
Cinematography | Eigil Bryld |
Distributed by | THINKFilm (USA) ContentFilm International (UK) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
Countries | United Kingdom United States |
Language | English |
The King is a 2005 drama film about a troubled man, recently discharged from the Navy, who goes to Corpus Christi, Texas, in search of the father he's never met. The film stars Gael García Bernal, who received strong critical acclaim for his portrayal of the main character Elvis, as well as William Hurt, Pell James, Paul Dano and Laura Harring.
The film is deeply rooted in a Southern Gothic style and features themes similar to those in Greek tragedy. It was written by its British director James Marsh and also by Milo Addica, the Academy Award–nominated writer of Monster's Ball and Birth.
Synopsis
A man enlisted in the
Elvis moves into a local motel and gets a job as a pizza delivery man. Having met Pastor Sandow's teenage daughter Malerie earlier at the church, he soon begins to pick her up from school where they go on drives and take walks at a local park. They start a passionate affair and have sexual relations on a regular basis. Meanwhile, Pastor Sandow's son Paul leads a high school movement where he attempts to change the school's science curriculum from evolution to intelligent design, though his plans are rejected by the school board. Disappointed by this setback, Paul, who leads a Christian rock band at his father's church, performs an intimate song before the congregation about his frustrations, the song being a cover of Sparklehorse's "Sad and Beautiful World". Pastor Sandow severely chastises his son for such indulgence. One evening, Elvis sneaks into the Sandow's home to spend the night with Malerie. After they have sex, he leaves the house in the middle of night and is spotted by Paul, who follows Elvis back to his motel and interrogates him about his affair with his sister. Paul threatens to tell his father and Elvis abruptly stabs Paul in the stomach, killing him.
Elvis dumps Paul's body in a nearby pond and returns Paul's car to the Sandow's house. The next day the police are called to investigate Paul's disappearance and the family becomes distraught. Pastor Sandow believes Paul has run away because of the argument they had about his musical performance. Meanwhile, Elvis continues his affair with Malerie and she soon becomes pregnant. Elvis takes Malerie to the pond where he dumped Paul's body and reveals to her what happened. Deeply in love with Elvis, Malerie holds his hands and they pray together to God and ask for forgiveness.
After seeing Elvis one day at a traffic light, Pastor Sandow follows him to his motel. Together, they drive to a local archery range where he teaches Elvis to shoot with Paul's hunting bow. He invites Elvis to dinner where he sits at the family table in Paul's chair. In private, Elvis explains to Malerie that his arrival at dinner is because of his acceptance into her father's church. Elvis soon moves into the Sandow's home, taking Paul's bedroom. During a Sunday sermon, Pastor Sandow's wife Twyla walks out of the church, still distraught over Paul's disappearance and doubting the existence of God. She walks into a busy street of traffic and attempts suicide, but Elvis saves her from injury. Elvis begins to plant flowers in the family garden, and Twyla compliments him on his work, slowly accepting him into the family. Malerie and Elvis continue to have sexual relations, with Elvis sneaking into her room each night.
One Sunday, Pastor Sandow finally decides to make a confession to his congregation. He reveals that Elvis is his illegitimate son, the product of an affair he had many years ago with his mother Yolanda, a
A long camera shot through the Sandow's picturesque home eventually reveals Elvis placing the bodies of Malerie and Twyla on Pastor Sandow's bed. Malerie is still breathing, and Elvis smothers her with a pillow. Elvis then sets fire to the Sandow home. Elvis drives in Paul's car to Pastor Sandow's church. With blood on his shirt and hands, he walks into Pastor Sandow's office and says to him, "I need to get right with God".
Cast
Actor | Role |
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Gael García Bernal | Elvis Valderez |
William Hurt | Pastor David Sandow |
Pell James | Malerie Sandow |
Paul Dano | Paul Sandow |
Laura Harring | Twyla Sandow |
Reception
On the
Some
It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.[5]
References
- ^ "The King". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- Fandom, Inc.Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (15 June 2006). "The Prodigal Son has left the building". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ Wise, Damon (28 April 2006). "The King Review". Empire. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: The King". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
External links
- The King at IMDb
- The King at Rotten Tomatoes