Where do I even start with this movie...

This is probably the goofiest film I've ever seen in my life. No... scratch that. This IS the goofiest film I've ever seen in my life.

I've heard "Hausu" is a cult horror classic in Japan. Fine. I admit, I can see where it would be a cult classic just because it is so strange. And if you really legitimately like it, that's fine. But I saw this with a bunch of students at a university screening. Out of about 15 people, 3 walked out, 2 feel asleep, and the rest were either struggling to make sense of the crazy stuff they were watching or riffing on it the entire time. And what really bothers me is that in the post-screening discussion... even though no one could accurately explain or make sense of what they just watched... even though half the audience was making fun of it the entire time... even though it was an absolute goofy mess, NOT ONE PERSON SAID IT WAS BAD.

Now, this may just be me, but I'm of the opinion that if you can't watch a movie without giving it the MST3K treatment, it's not a good movie. You may enjoy making fun of it... but that doesn't make it good. For example, "Future War" is terrible. But you can have fun watching the MST3K version because they make fun of how terrible it is. That doesn't make the movie good. It just means you can have fun making fun of it.

Now, if you legitimately like "Hausu," that's fine. But don't say it's a good movie if you thought it was a confusing mess, or if the only way you could sit through it was by riffing on it with your friends.

I can't go into everything that bothered me about the movie so I won't even try. Every scene is packed with WTF laugh inducing moments.

The plot... I think... is that this girl doesn't like her father's girlfriend and goes to her creepy aunt's house with her friends. The aunt is a vampire... or maybe she's a cat... no wait... maybe there is no aunt... no... wait... the cat is the aunt who sucks life out of people so she can inhabit a body... and somehow this results in a guy getting turned into bananas... oh and there's a watermelon salesman, who's a skeleton... who might be selling heads... or might be the aunt too... or the cat...

CRAP!!! Let me start over. Okay, so there's this girl who's mad at her Dad. So she goes to her aunt's with some friends. And they are picked off one by one... for some reason... because the house is alive... no... wait... the house is the aunt... who's waiting for her husband... who's dead... or maybe HE's the watermelon salesman... but the watermelons are really heads... or maybe it was just that one... or maybe there is no watermelon...

D***IT!!! I can't into any depth trying to explain the plot. These girls go to a house where they're picked off one by one in the most ridiculous ways imaginable. The girls are all annoying stereotypes who don't act like logical people.

You see, if I found a skeleton in a closet, I would think, "Hmm... maybe I should... GET THE F*** OUT OF HERE!!!" When the girls see it, they just buy the aunt's crappy explanation. Something about a doctor using the house as a hospital or something. NO!!! SKELETONS SHOULD NOT BE IN CLOSETS!!! LEAVE!!! YOUR FRIENDS SHOULD NOT DISAPPEAR MYSTERIOUSLY!!! LEAVE!!! The only one who's even remotely tolerable is Kung Fu... because she's the only one who actually tries to fight what's happening to them.

So, the characters are annoying and the plot makes no sense. Aside from that... there is no logical editing. There is no logical structure to what's happening. All of a sudden we cut to a really campy 70's humor montage of someone getting stuck in a bucket. All of a sudden, there's a bear eating noodles with his friends in the middle of the big climax. All of a sudden, someone is bananas. The music is weird. The action scenes are cut so that you can't tell what's going on. What does Kung Fu do? You can't tell. All you know is that she's apparently beating something up. The effects are weird. There are weird cartoon sequences. THIS MOVIE IS JUST WEIRD!!!

So why is it a "3" and not a "1"... I found some of the cartoon integration with the live action footage inventive. I like some of the editing, even though it is crazy. I did like some of the scenery and some of the imagery. I love the way the girls are done in by their stereotyped personality elements. And it is at least an interesting watch, even if it doesn't make any sense at all.

OVERALL - This movie is goofy. It's a confusing mess. And the parts that aren't stereotypical horror clichés are absolutely insane. But what really bothered me was that people weren't willing to say it was bad in public, EVEN THOUGH THEY SAID SO IN PRIVATE. Again, if you really do like it... I'm not attacking you. I can see why this is a cult classic. But I didn't like it, and I know other people didn't like it, and I'm writing my review based on that.

3/10 - It's a confusing mess with a few redeeming elements. Definitely recommend for MST3K Home Edition, or if you want to see something REALLY weird.


I've heard and read on numerous occasions that "House" is an incredibly weird and far-out Japanese interpretation of a haunted house movie, but the truth is that absolutely nothing can fully prepare you for how crazy & demented this film really is. To simply label "House" as a horror movie would be a serious insult, as this is more like a fairy-tale on hard drugs, a wacko coming-of-age parable and even somewhat of a musical comedy. Even the often encountered description, saying this film is what "Beetlejuice" would look like if directed by Dario Argento, comes to naught. If you really must compare this to any other films, then rank it alongside the weirdest cinematic experiments ever made, like "El Topo", "I Walk like a Crazy Horse" and "Possession". I think you can philosophy about the deeper meanings and symbolism of "Hausu" for weeks, and every opinion and interpretation could be assumed as correct. Me, personally, I regard the plot as a sort of version of "Hansel and Gretel", but with seven Japanese Gretels and no Hansel and with an auntie in a remote creepy castle instead of a witch in a gingerbread cabin in the woods. Summer vacation is coming up, but the holiday plans of the cute teen Oshare abruptly become canceled when his father introduces his new and much younger girlfriend. Instead of traveling with them, Oshare invites her six closest school friends  all of them with adorable nicknames based on their personalities, like Fantasy, Kung-Fu and Melody  to head out to the countryside and pay a visit to Oshare's aunt whom she hasn't seen since her mother died. The aunt's welcoming is extremely warm and gracious, but she as well as her estate and even the white cat Snowflake are nevertheless surrounded with an aura of mystery and creepiness. Agatha Christie style, the girls then subsequently meet their highly imaginative deaths one by one. The girl who's always hungry, for example, has her head replaced by a watermelon and the musical chick literally becomes consumed by the piano. "House" is filled with optical illusion special effects that are not exactly terrifying but nevertheless very deadly to the main characters. Even though director Nobuhiko Obayashi maintains the ambiance of a fantasy/fairy-tale movie, the imagery he uses is often bizarrely nightmarish and grim, with decapitated heads in wells and tap-dancing skeletons and whatnot. The girls' characters are beautifully drawn, and hence you feel a lot of sympathy for each and every single one of them, and it's a very stylish film altogether. Especially for being a late 70's movie  when the horror movies were at their most explicitly rancid and exploitative  "Hausu" is an artistic and elegant accomplishment and it honestly deserves to be wider known, globally acclaimed and more discussed.


Wow! Noribuki Obayashi's "Hausu" aka. "House" of 1977 is easily one of the weirdest films I ever saw and I generally generally am a fan of the bizarre. A Horror-fan and avid lover of Japanese cinema, especially from the 70s, I had high expectations for this film, and I was not disappointed, even though the film was totally different than what I had expected. Having read no reviews of the film before seeing it, I expected a pure Horror film, but it turned out to be an incomparably bizarre and experimental Horror-parody, with a delightfully macabre and grotesque humor rather than scares. The film already starts out extremely strange (in an awesome manner), and it gradually gets weirder and weirder as it goes on.

The film starts off with a bunch of teenage high-school girls, all of whom have certain distinctive characteristics that are mentioned in their nicknames, who travel to the countryside to visit the aunt of one of the girls. I don't want to spoil even a tiny bit of the plot of this unique Horror-parody, and therefore won't carry with a plot description, but I can assure that fans of surrealism and weird cinema will be delighted. While "Hausu" is not a film I would recommend to everyone, this is an absolute must-see to all my fellow fans of Japanese film, the Horror-genre and bizarre art-house cinema. Director Obayashi uses a bizarre of editing imaginable, with grotesque cutting, totally insane effects. Sometimes the editing equals that of a (bizarre) video-clip, only to jump to an entirely different style. Yet all this strangeness never draws the viewer away from the story, which is itself just as surreal as the film's style. Overall "Hausu" can be described as a unique and bizarre fairy tale with a grotesque and ingenious, often macabre and always unique sense of humor. There are moments in this film at which the viewer will just stare at the screen not knowing what to think, and scenes at which one is barely able to breathe in laughter, and every second of the film is very strange. Very delightfully strange that is, as "Hausu" is a bizarre gem that must not be missed by lovers of the surreal. Mainstream audiences might not know what to think of this, but every fan of a more unique form of cinema should give this a try. Surreal, exceptional, and one of a kind!


One of those once in a life-time moments, when you will laugh so hard you p*#s yourself, and then c*&p your pants from being stunned by sheer cinematic prowess.

I had sat down expecting a cruel and mildly atmospheric J-horror ghost story, and I got a tornado of avant garde stylistic explosions married to tongue so deep in cheek characters and scenarios, my head was spinning was like "The Exorcist". If Dario Argento, Richard Lester, Vera Chytilova, Seijun Suzuki, and Takashi Miike, conspired secretly made to re-make Star-Wars, and privately screened it for you, while you were hung upside down over a tank of piranha's, it would be about half as remarkable as this movie.

7 Japanese school girls, and stock teen movie characters, who have names like "Prof" for the smart one, "Gorgeus" for the prettiest one, "Mac" for the overweight one, "Fantasy" for the stylish one, and my personal favorite "Kung-Fu"...cus she knows Kung-Fu. They are all in some sort of group together, a team of some kind, though I'm not sure what exactly and they need a place to train for the summer, as they do every year. Gorgeous' father is getting re-married to a woman who only appears with a breeze blowing, in super slow mo, to the accompaniment of etheric string music, and as you can imagine, that slo-mo s*&t all the time, can get kind of irritating, and she wants to get away from it all. She writes a letter to an estranged Aunt of hers, that she has never met, asking if her and her friends can spend the summer doing whatever it is they do. The aunt agrees, and they are off.

The bus trip is like a day-glo version of Willy Wonka's psychedelic boat ride, only through an artificial rainbow streaked countryside. The girls arrive but soon discover that the house is actually possessed by a ghost/demon who likes to eat virgins, and so it does. Girls are devoured by mattresses and pillows, turned to glass, eaten by piano's(one of the funniest and truly most disturbing things I've ever watched), attacked by severed floating heads, plagued by horrible visions of banana's, etc. While the phrase, "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this" becomes an all purpose punch-line.

"Hausu" is horror-comedy-coming of age tale, par excellence. Every scene has some kind of cinematic interjection and manipulation, from the shifting color filters, to deranged collage and montage of events and images, to wildly eclectic animations, mattes, props(the wall paper in the rooms of the house match the print on some of the girls dresses), mini-movies stylized as beautiful and heart felt silent films and WW2 era romances, and of course whirlwind obligatory action scenes, "save us Kung-Fu!". Not to mention music, Gorgeous' dad is a composer, he is mentioned to have auditioned for Segio Leone, who said he was better than Ennio Marriconne, and the spaghetti western's emphasis on music is heavy here. It's wall to wall, full of eerie horror themes, cartoonish comedy sections, pop songs, strings, and sounds which are just generally unclassifiable, possibly because two songs might be played at the same time, or against a scene that is completely inappropriate.

It occurred to me a day after I watched this movie that I had seen a film by Nobuhiko Obayashi before, the campy kaleidoscopic "Sada"(a true story about a woman who castrated her lover and became an overnight celebrity in WW2), and though that is a mere hint of the full on onslaught of this movie, it makes me want to see more. Obayashi was apparently most famous for directing Japanese game shows, and it only adds, to the kitchen sink showman dynamic that he brings to the table here.

What is least important is plot, there is so much happening in literally every scene (the only other film as unrelenting in terms of visual excess is maybe Jorodowsky's "The Holy Mountain", maybe...), that's it's easy to forget what the girls are doing, at all, until a cat's eyes start glowing, or dolls walk around by themselves again. I've never laughed so much at a film that was so dazzling to watch. It's skyrocketed into my favorites instantly. "It's like were trapped in a b-movie.", "An out of date of one too..." See this movie and share it with those you love.


Oh man,"Hausu" is an extremely weird and grotesque horror parody.It is also supremely stylish and visually mindblowing.The plot of "House" is quite easy to describe:seven schoolgirls travel to visit grandmother at her spooky old house.It's not clear whose grandmother she is,as every character in the movie is referred to by a nickname and they all call the old woman Ojii.The house turns out to be a demon that wants to eat them and grandmother is apparently a cat.Words can't describe how positively bizarre this movie is.It plays like the cross between "Suspiria" and "Beetlejuice".There are plenty scenes of kitschy humour plus some scares for example when one of the girls tries to sneak the watermelon out,she finds a human head down the well instead.One girl is even eaten by a piano in a very gory fashion and the dead victim's fingers are still playing the piano after being bitten off.9 out of 10.


Hausu is a horror comedy which depicts the subtle art of Japanese film-making. The scare factor here does not lie on the visuals, but more on the emotions of the characters, Oshare, the teenage girl who lost her Mom and eventually reunited with her father during her vacation. Her bliss faded when her father introduced her to her stepmother. That disappointing fact made her change to be sullen, and started writing letters to her aunt, and that was the start of her journey with her bunch of friends to the mysterious house.

The loss of a loved one, being in solitude, hoping for broken promises are the every person's fears that are hard to recognize. Amidst the funny visuals and average effects,(what can we expect from the technology in 1970s and movie-making is not that much better as we have it now) the movie wants to impart these things and I believe this what makes this film worth seeing and truly a classic.


House (Hausu) has to be seen to believed, preferably with a full audience in a theater or with some friends really for anything that can happen in a movie. The haunted house of this movie provides the kind of freakish nightmare things and just total bizarre flashes of comedy that you wouldn't be able to find in a Manga. And the style of the film that sets up this kind of not exactly is it ghost story is already warped to a trippy state of things. If you think you've seen weird, pick up this movie on video or try to find whenever its playing at an art-house or wherever, and give it a shot. You'll be surprised and befuddled and laughing all the way home.

It's about... oh dear me, it's about I guess seven girls (named 'Prof' and 'Sweet' and 'Kung-Fu' and 'Mac') who go with one of the girls to her Auntie's house for the summer. This after the one girl has become distraught and confused as to what to do or say to her composer father ("So good Leone thought I was better than Morricone" haha line), and there is not much else to do one guesses that to go off to an Auntie's house. If this sounds like a thin plot it's because it is. But House, from its director (first-timer!) Obayashi, is not like any other film you might have seen. It's not original in its premise exactly- I'm sure there are other J-horror movies or just slasher movies with a crazy killer waiting for victims to come- but it is an original film.

So original, in fact, it sometimes threatens to come apart at the seams and explode in front of the audience. The pace is fast-fast-fast and then slow for a little, then BANG there it goes again. A flashback to 1940s era Japan for one of the girls is seen by all of the girls as if in an old newsreel. When they get to the house, or even before that with the watermelon salesman, there's some inklings of trouble. The Auntie is always excited to see if they're hungry - or if she is. A well has a floating head come out. A piano eats someone who plays for too long. And a cat also gets in on the killing or maiming or whatever action, a lot. Indeed if you love those recent "Keyboard Cat" videos on youtube, you may just about lose your cool with this one.

It's not a 100% excellent execution of pure Gonzo cinema (one scene that goes into that kind of choppy style one often sees in Wong Kar Wai is done at a couple of points that slows things down and not in a good parody-romantic way), but aside from a couple of minor complaints it's a grand slam. It's pure movie-making in a great sense of the word, since its filmmaker is just so in love with doing a kitchen sink with a kung-fu grip with giving a wide smile and lots and lots of blood in front a blue-screen. You'll laugh, you'll... laugh some more, and give a few looks like you just saw the most confusing thing in your life. Hausu is a marvel that is bizarre for *Japan* nevermind America and the rest of the world, and should be seen by anyone interested in the kind of kick-ass-do-whatever-for-crazy-art it takes (i.e. Riki-OH) that you can't help but admire it even if you're left speechless.


There are some films that are bizarre beyond words. HOUSE is such a zany and really warped haunted house tale, unlike your typical of the genre, this one has such surreal sequences as a girl being eaten by piano(..her decapitated fingers actually playing the musical instrument afterward!), a girl's removed lower torso actually karate kicking a painting of a cat causing the evil cannibalistic spirit to overflow with blood, a disembodied head biting a girl on the buttocks, mattresses attacking a girl, giant lips attempting to eat the remaining girls not yet swallowed, and our lead girl's face shattering like glass, her body becoming a human inferno. This has to be seen to be believed. The premise is bonkers. A young teenage student, Gorgeous, rebels against her widower father after he informs her of his future plans to wed a new love in his life. Along with her fellow school chums, including Fantasy(..who's in love with a teacher named Mr. Togo), decide to spend their summer vacation at Gorgeous' mysterious Auntie's creepy mansion resting on a hill overlooking a uninhabited town(..featuring only a very suspicious watermelon salesman!). Over the night, the girls discover that wheel-chair bound Auntie is actually a ghost awaiting her lover to return home after heading off to war. Auntie eats unmarried women which provides her with a life force to continue living as an undead spirit with supernatural powers witnessed over the length of the movie. Auntie and her white cat Blanche are ever present images as the girls futilely attempt to escape, succumbing to her unwillingly. Director Nobuhiko Obayashi never allows the film to look realistic and the music is often melodic featuring a bubble-gum score to match the energetic, naive teens who walk right into a truly difficult and unusual situation, to say the least. Obayashi tries every cinematic technique in the book and while his special effects are indeed dated, they provide the audience with a jaw-dropping bombardment of weird images and set-pieces. There's nothing quite like this film anywhere. It's one of a kind, and continues getting stranger every minute, from scene to scene, as Auntie's power grows and the terror towards the girls heightens, with each character falling one by one in very creative ways. While the film is by and large a film whose reputation is built on it's wacky nature, there are some genuine scenes of beauty, often even melancholy, but even the most romantic moment is off-set by a truly eye-popping follow-up. The characters are bubbly, enthusiastic, giggly sorts one is accustomed to in regards to teenage girls. What happens to them over the course of the film is what gives HOUSE it's growing cult following. I can promise you that HOUSE definitely lives up to the hype regarding sheer insanity and crazed visuals.


One of the Weirdest Movies of All Time!!! Imagine Ed Wood, Dario Argento, the Coen Brothers, Sid & Marty Kroft,The Evil Dead, Alice in Wonderland, Rocky Horror, Natural Born Killers, MTV, Kenneth Anger, Ernie Kovacs, Willy Wonka, Kill Bill, Monty Python, Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Teletubbies, Battle Royale, and the Banana Splits -- all crammed into a blender! I've never seen so many silly cinematic tricks crammed into a single movie. Outrageous and hilariously entertaining. It's hard to believe it's the first-time effort of a Japanese director in 1977. He sure had fun experimenting, and I sure had fun watching. Midnight movie fans: DON'T MISS IT!


I saw about ten minutes of this movie once, and it blew my mind! This movie used a brilliant experimental mixture of animation (both video and hand drawn), collage, special effects and props. This was like nothing i've ever seen before. This movie had really inventive and unique elements to it, and I would love to track it down. SPOILER: the scene i saw involved a hanging lamp moving of its own accord, and attacking and electrocuting a girl. this scene also involved drawers of a dresser opening and shutting on their own, bloody body limbs flying around the room, and a painting of a laughing cat that came to life and then starting spewing blood. more than a couple elements of this movie found their way into sam raimi's evil dead trilogy, including the props, use of camera and frame-by-frame animation. incredibly trippy, experimental horror movie that seems to have been overlooked (is it even released in the US?); if anyone has a copy of this or knows how to obtain one, even for rental, i'm interested! kinkonmusic@hotmail.com


I was skeptical. The movie began, and the introduction had my attention right away. The color shifts or black-and-white- to color, back and forth, was very good. The music was hers, obviously, and were wise choices as the soundtracks. This movie made me see Madonna as less than simply a superstar, but as a human being, with her flaws very evident. The highlight of the whole documentary are the clips of her concert, which is probably the best she has ever done. The stage, the choreography and costumes are phenomenal. Madonna has proved that age simply made her get better,and that even though she may be under the radar sometimes, she is still very relevant.


i FINALLY saw 'i'm going to tell you a secret' tonight from a copy someone had and was absolutely stunned for words when i saw it. i found the whole film enormously riveting and gripping...and yet i am more stunned that there hasn't been more hype about it.

is this because a lot of people still haven't seen it yet? even on IMDb. i have read reviews by people and external reviews by matthew rettenmund (madonna encyclopedia author) and everyone seemed to say it was good but not fantastic.

i actually thought the film was far more ambitious than truth or dare and had a depth missing in first documentary.

i absolutely loved it and cried a couple of times! why has this film not been hyped as much as it should be? any thoughts?


Movie seems to be motional and real, Madonna is the Queen, I am not her fan, but I better will be, cause she is so strong women, I would like to applause to this movie and her. Very nice work on the show and special effects, also Madonna is hard-worker and she showed her work in real kind manner, she is hard, women, mother, boss, artist, wife, dancer - it is difficult or enjoyable?! fun? You better see this movie! As a person who have been at stage I can admit, that movie is very much realistic, as a person who believe in God, I agree with Madonna that wanted to send messages through this movie - "every one needs love, is it enough to everyone, what are we waiting for?" (hopefully I got it right).


The documentary "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" is beautifully shot and is quite inspirational. Uplifting and optimistic, it takes you on a journey from the beginning to the end of the creative adventure of this project. It is a more mature Madonna that allows the viewer to see a certain side of her that has long been developing. Those who were expecting something more playful like her other documentary projects, they will be disappointed, but shouldn't be surprised because it is nothing like anything you have seen from Madonna before. Many people will ask, "what is her secret?" Is it metaphoric or was it an attention getter? The documentary is a revelation of the essence of her happiness -- her family and spirituality aside from all things material.


I'm a die hard Madonna fan...I mean literally obsessed so i've seen, heard, and read just about everything shes ever done unfortunately i wasn't able to view this film when it originally premiered because of work but thankfully i caught a late night showing of it last night on VH1 hopefully they plan on showing it again cause i'm definitely looking forward to repeat viewings...now i have to say cause its only natural that people will be comparing this movie to "Truth Or Dare" after all they do share some similarities...like they're both documentaries for a Madonna tour..oops sorry but thats where the similarities end...the person Madonna has become is nothing like the person from TOD not that she was a bad person the but her life has changed so much...she's finally experienced some success with her acting (Evita)..she's finally won Grammys(something that should have happened long ago)...shes discovered a newfound spirituality...which i think has a lot to do with the changes i observed...but most of all and most importantly the biggest difference now is that shes a mother...and wife...2 roles that i know lot of people thought she'd never play...but she is and with great success..after almost 5 years of marriage her and Guy act more like close friends than husband and wife and it is truly beautiful to see her interact with her children...even though we don't get to see too much...but i think what was most touching was seeing how more open she is about her emotions and how much kinder she is and ultimately how much happier she is...i thought this movie was beautifully done hell i think the cinematography is award worthy...and there were a couple scenes when she was talking about peace that made me get a little choked up...particularly at the end when she went to Isreal to give a speech about that very subject...well i have to say the biggest difference between the 2 films is that TOD is for fans only...IGTTYAS is one anyone can enjoy or at least learn something from whether fan or not so check your local listings and when it comes out on DVD don't just buy a copy for yourself but for everyone you know


Finally after a long year of waiting i got to see this movie. My expectations for this "Rockumentary" where very high and i was hoping i could see this as a sequel to "Truth or Dare (in bed with Madonna)". But nowhere this documentary can be compared to the 1991 Madonna documentary, the only similar thing these two "docu's" share is the use for black & white footage for off stage scenes, and full color footage for on stage scenes. The great difference between these two docu's is Madonna herself, and it is really great to see that the same egocentric woman who shocked the world by touching herself on stage has grown to be such a tender and caring person who now uses the "shock-element" to make a difference in the world. The docu begins with a stunning new video of "the Beast Within" which is perhaps the most dark and scary thing Madonna ever did. After that you can see Madonna at work in the studio mixing the soundtrack for her Re-invention tour. Step by step you see the preparations for such a massive tour, the audition of the dancers, rehearsing songs, shooting of backdrop screens. Then the docu follows Madonna from opening night until the last show in Lissabon, and also shows some of the strongest performances she did during the tour. Songs like "Vogue", "American Life", "Like a Prayer" and more. After some emotional footage of the last show the docu shows Madonna's visit to Israel. In my opinion the docu would be better of without these scenes. I do understand that this also is an important part of Madonna's life, but some of the footage you get to see is so hard and depressing that it leaves more impact then the 100 minutes before. I think it is save to say that although this docu isn't that good as "Truth or Dare" you won't be disappointed by this one.


This is a very good example of what a documentary of a musician should be: music, private life, beliefs, we really have the illusion of entering in her life. The difference with Truth Or Dare and this latter shows how much Madonna has changed in this last decade. But let's talk about the documentary: it opens with the pop star choosing her dancers and it's a very good beginning. Then there's a bit of politics: she asks her troupe not to vote for Bush and even Moore is interviewed during a live show of hers. The political part it's very short indeed while a lot of space is given to the artist's new belief: the Kaballah. The final part shows us Madonna in Isral talking in front of an audience of the importance of peace and the need of a better future for all those children with guns in their hands. The movie ends with two boys of two different religions holding their hands. It's very touching. There are of course some performances ( but not too much ): the stunning and stylish Vogue, the strong anti-war American Life, the moving Lament and Mother And Father and much more. Of course some Madonna detractors would find it pedant and pretentious, but the artist gives us a lot of beautiful and meaningful messages with this documentary and every one has seen it, has the impression that if we want we can make a better world. Really worths!


Hello!!! I just bought the DVD "I' m going to tell you a secret" and i watched it with great enthusiasm and extreme admiration the the female pop-star. She -once more- proved that she really is the Queen of Pop, a tremendous trend-setter as far as fashion, politics and religion are concern. Her show was clearly provocative but was extremely inspired and glamorous. Madonna stands alone between two worlds... The stage and her family. There are numerous juxtapositions inside the film...Madonna is spectacular on the stage, but she is also a woman with political and ethical values. I have to admit that perhaps she gave too much emphasis to her being a follower of Caballah, but on the hole the film is great...A must for all Madonna fans and for people who love show business. A graphic and artistic triumph by any means. Generally speaking, I saw a Madonna much more wise, raw,authentic and determined. She has a belief and she stands for it.

Oh, and if you need some extra pop-star glam quality seek for the name Anna Vissi. She is huge...


This film is absolutely fantastic! Madonna, as usual, is so great... It's interesting to learn all the process of the show and all the work that is done by people! Every Madonna's fans will love it .. and the others.. you should like it because everybody loves the Queen! ;-)I think it's a good film to know more about Madonna and her "new life". There are a lot of talented people in it that deserve to be discovered like Stuart Price, her musical director, and all of her excellent dancers!! The documentary is done in a very spiritual mood, but the're also a lot of humor. Madonna, Her husband, Guy Ritchie and her children are lovely and it's cool to enter in their world for about 2 hours... Plus, it's a good way to understand things that are going on in the world. It's not SO political, but there's a bit of that. We can see Michael Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow and many other artist that support Madonna in the film.Finally, you must see it. It worth a sincere 10/10. :) P.S Sorry for the bad quality of my writing, but i'm french!!!


This is the best documentary I've seen EVER. Madonna shows that she pulls out all the stops and never fails to push the envelope in any department, in this case it's political. "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" chronicles the events of her 2004 "Re-Invention World Tour" and Madonna showcases herself as a pop sensation, devoted Mother and Wife, political warrior, and most of all, her true self and her devotion to the study of Kaballah. From the beginning with the opening of "The Beast Within", Madonna begins with her partnership with music producer Stuart Price and having a very candid conversation about God and her beliefs and throughout the documentary, voices her opinion on the political and material world we live in today, yet she never comes across as preachy. There are several clips of her performances from the concert and her views on life off stage. It's genuinely touching, making us realize that we all have to be grateful for the blessings that we have in life and to not take them for granted. Want what you have and not what you don't is one of the most important messages. Her rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" is absolutely mind blowing. The images depicted of the poverty stricken countries during the song is enough to make the toughest of people cry their eyes out. She delivers many important messages with her dancers and states that we all enter the world as better people than who we are and have compassion for all mankind and take into consideration the pain and suffering that is going on in the world. Without taking responsibility for your own actions and watching what you say to others makes your talents useless. This is so true. Madonna never ceases to amaze and impress and expose the world to closeted issues that must be tackled. In her own words, we are all responsible for making the world a better place. You could not ask for a better documentary. Even the if you're the least bit involved in her art/music and not an aficionado, anyone would appreciate this masterpiece. It is highly recommended.


even that many people didn't like Madonna's message at her last tour, i think it's her pretty damn right to say what she wants! the only sad thing about this doc is, that they re-engineered her voice what shouldn't be. we all know that she has problems to keep the beautiful voice on stage. her original voice would better match to the re-invention title so she could show the world: i am proud of my voice doesn't matter that my voice is not always 100% perfect!!! this doc is not only be recommended for Madonna fans! i had the chance to see the TV version of it. and i must say the f***ing beeps made me crazy.. how stupid to just beep every f**k word i mean in that modern times but anyway will buy the original DVD without beeps hopefully


A great documentary with a thoughtful ending. Madonna on tour during her Re-Invention Show, this tour celebrated 20 years of Madonna being in the music industry and all her favorite songs were covered from every album. The beginning of the show and documentary have the same haunting images from the song The Beast Within, the photography was used for a limited edition book called X Static Process and the photographer was Steven Klein. I think Madonna was showing how she had changed since the movie In Bed with Madonna. It's been a few years now since this was filmed and at the time there were big issues about the United States involvement with the Iraq war and Madonna own thoughts are aired. During the film there are flashes of music from the Re-Invention Show that are heavily edited.


I believe Clavell was a great historical novelist, and when he tried out the silver screen, with all its limitations, he maintained his integrity. The sheer quality of this flick shines through. It's set in Vietnam in 1950, and, as usual, if it's Eastern society, he can teach it.


I was against film censorship and film ratings less than zero until I saw the aptly named Five Gates of Hell.

As a previous critic noted, 'A shabby little shocker'.

When asked to name a movie I wanted to 'unwatch', this is at the top of my list. Oh, and just when you thought the sociopathic film couldn't be worse, there's Nancy Kulp(Miss Jane Hathaway from the Bev Hillbillies) with a hand grenade, and Neville Brand in oriental blackface.

If you're interested in the fates of women in World War II and Asian prisoner-of-war camps, I suggest you watch the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) miniseries 'Tenko'.


George Bernard Shaw once referred to Puccini's Tosca as that "shabby little shocker." That's an apt description for this Vietnam war film written and directed by James Clavell. Every manner of atrocity is committed in this unredeemable mess: garroting, rape, human boiling, crucifixion, pick-ax murder, and of course point blank shooting. Sure, it's a bloody war, but Clavell goes for the obvious sensational effect, without meaningful human values, much in the same way we've seen more recently in slasher pics.

Clavell manages to elicit terrible performances from his usually-commendable team of actors. Patricia Owens as a cynical nurse and Shirley Knight as a sanctimonious nun win the awards for bad acting against fierce competition. And for all the murders he commits, the usually tough Neville Brand is surprisingly innocuous, although it doesn't help that he's forced to play a Vietnamese leader. Greta Chi gives the best performance; doesn't that say it all?

There's some consolation at the end of the film when the women take arms against their captors. It's rather cathartic, I have to admit. But for sheer unpleasantness for most of its running time, this is a movie to avoid.


Jack Stone is following in his father's footsteps. His trade is to find "missing heirs", that is those people who inherit money from relatives they never heard of, etc. Jack's take is a third of the cash. But, the IRS is not his friend. It seems Jack only filed a return the year he work for Mickey Dee's and has not bothered to submit a tax form since. He asks a longtime friend for help and dollar bills but is given a by-the-book accountant instead, a man named Everett (Wallace Shawn). While Jack is snooping around, trying to find a particular wealthy heir, Everett is trying to make sense of the man's financial records. Both of them land in way over their heads, as unsavory characters wish to stop them. Will it end well? This was a silly movie that started off nicely but ran out of horsepower very early. Yes, Shawn is one of the most delightful character actors to ever grace the screen and he tries very, very hard to make the material work. However, the rest of the cast is as uneven, although Jack is handsome and there is a lovely lady in the film, too. It is the script that bombs. It has more loose ends and hairpin turns than anyone can imagine and the dialogue is most mundane, too. The production values are not high, either. If you like Wallace Shawn, sit down for the first half of the film and enjoy a few moments. But, don't feel compelled to finish it. This is a forgettable film for all but the most undemanding of viewers.


"Nickle & Dime" is a lame little subpar comedy about an unscrupulous heir tracer (Howell) and his unwanted sidekick and CPA (Shawn) and their escapades with a couple of babes, some crooks, etc. A poorly written and assembled piece of work barely worth the time which has little to offer save a few laughs and a few poignant moments.


First of all this movie is about the wacky adventures of a heir hunter who may or may not be a con artist. and a public accountant (played by you guessed everybody's favorite annoying wuss wallace shawn) this movie is full of coincidences that could only happen in movieland. this whole thing is ridiculous. the whole movie is populated with people you've seen before and will probably see again. people whose names you don't know but are sure you have seen their faces before. I myself am really good at knowing the names to these people. so called character actors when there is almost no character to play. for example: larry hankin is in it and if your asking yourself who's larry hankin? then your skills at this game need work. this movie is beyond belief epecially when towards the end a prostitute falls in love with wallace shawn. the fact alone that any woman could fall for wallace shawn makes the movie pretty unbelievable. He by the way is a serious playwright and i remember seeing him say on the later show (1:35 am after conan on nbc) that the only reason he does films like this is to have financing for his plays. NO i thought it was because of the brilliant script! however it is generally worth it to see him in a movie (because he generally appears in odd films the exception being the princess bride-my sister's favorite movie) c. thomas howell (what the hell happened to him) plays the main character. The film itself is pretty awful full of coincidences and bad actors with terrible accents. it is however very unusual and i for one love a good unusual film that no one has ever heard of which is why i reommend Just Your Luck. that movie and this one have very little in common except for that they are both unheard of by many people. this one is hopefully unheard of for a reason oy! the other one is great though. to summerize this film is pretty lousy but its does have a unique take on buddy movie cliches and is better then most films cliches.instead of one's black and the other white or one's a ticking time bomb and the other is as wise cracking street cop or one's a suicidal partner and the other is danny glover or one's a dog and the other is a human or one is a couch cushion and the other is a blender in this movie one's an arrogant son of a bitch and the other is a whiny annoying mess. also i must comment on the credits to this movie at the end are unusual in that each actor who had a line in the movie has their line written underneath the character's name like for prisoner#2 underneath it said i'm bad. again i don't know why the director chose this way especially since no one will remember the movie let alone who played such low parts.

thankfully wallace shawn has gone on to be in much better movies since this its too bad i can't say the same thing for c. thomas howell haha.


I saw this listed in TV guide, and watched it because the description made me imagine it would be a simple, charming movie. I didn't realize it was a John Sayles movie until I saw his name on the credits and then I thought it might be something different; I don't associate Sayles with simple family movies. But in fact, this is pretty much the movie I was hoping for, full of Irish charm and blarney, beautiful filmed and full of magic and wonder. One hesitates to call it a children's movie or a family movie because those are generally awful, but it is very much the sort of movie that is perfect to take the family too (although it is unaccountably rated PG). But it's not *just* a kid's movie, it's a movie with magic for anyone, and I would put it in the same category as Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess, another movie that treats children not in the Disney aren't-they-cute way but as real thinking individuals. This is a lovely drama featuring a child rather than a kid's movie, but it works on either level.


One of the things I love about the Irish culture is it's rich legends and storytelling. This story follows Fiona (Jeni Courtney) who has returned from the city with her father to live with her grandparents. They had previously lived on the island of Roan Inish, but are now living on the mainland. The director, John Sayles, bring us a version of the legend of the selkie, a creature that is half seal-half human. I found this movie to be very heartwarming and rich in Irish culture, but not in a sappy way. Jeni Courtney turns in an excellent and completely believable performance as Fiona who learns about the legend of the selkie and uses it to find her little brother Jimmy who had disappeared at sea at an infant. The Irish landscape and sea are gorgeously filmed and it's as if you are there in Ireland learning about the legends yourself through the eyes of Fiona. '

***1/2 (out of 4)


The Secret of Roan Inish is a departure for John Sayles, in that his normal cynicism and mildly jaundiced eye is replaced by the completely credulous child's view, and his film is all the more charming because of it. In essence, this is a children's movie, and only through Sayles' brilliance are we adults allowed in.

Roan Inish is a deserted island off the coast of Donegal, where Fiona's mother died and her baby brother was lost at sea. Her father has moved to the city but Fiona is sent back to live with her grandparents for her health. Her grandparents live on the coast opposite Roan Inish, having moved off the island at the same time. In fact, the Conneelys have a very special bond with Roan Inish, as Fiona starts to discover as she talks with the local townfolk, especially to a dark and brooding relative named Tadhg. Tadhg tells her about the selkie -- a shapeshifter of Irish lore who is half-seal and half-human -- and why Roan Inish is so important to the family. From that, Fiona must unravel the mystery of what happened to her baby brother.

I don't want to spoil any of the story, so rather than recount any more of the plot, I'll just tell you that all the performances are wonderful. Mick Lally as the grandfather especially shines, as does Eileen Colgan as the grandmother. Jeni Courtney is terrific as young Fiona and Richard Sheridan as Eamonn, her young cousin, is very good too. In fact, I couldn't pick out any bad performances at all.

The Secret of Roan Inish features some beautiful Irish music, both instrumental and Irish-language, and of course features lush cinematography of the Donegal area and coast. Beautifully shot, wonderfully written and performed, and masterfully directed, The Secret of Roan Inish will delight everyone in the family. Don't hesitate to buy or rent this one.


The film examines a young Irish girl, Fiona Coneely, and her search for her baby brother, Jamie, in the late 1940's. Jamie disappeared a few years earlier, and hints begin to emerge that he may have been carried off by the many seals that haunt the island where he lived.

Fiona is portrayed quite well. Although she looks frail physically, she nevertheless conveys a deep strength and fearlessness as she uncovers strange elements of her family's past and begins to believe that Jamie may still be alive

The Irish setting is played up very strongly. There are lovely seascapes and good use of Irish music. The faces of the people are very evocative as well, with many rugged, homely appearances that feel very honest and comfortable. The magical elements are portrayed seriously and delicately without getting too corny -- no dancing leprechauns.

The messages of the film are done intelligently, without much dialogue, relying mostly on visuals. One thing I noticed in a second viewing is how much of the time the film shows people working. It opens up in a tough-looking laundromat or factory of some sort, and many of the key scenes are set with the main characters talking while they are busy with the work of their daily lives. There is an important scene where children labor especially hard for something that has a strong influence on the resolution of the story. At no time is there an overt quote about working, but the importance of labor comes through seeing people do it.

"Roan Inish" works well for young children as well. My younger sons were swept into it, although it is quite unlike any film they had seen before. They definitely thought it was unusual, but they seemed to enjoy the characters and situations and had a lot of interested questions about what was going on.


You have to suspend belief during "The Secret of Roan Inish" and accept Irish legend as fact. This shouldn't be too difficult for moviegoers weaned on Star Wars and Die Hard. Let's hope so because "The Secret of Roan Inish" is a rare movie, a fairy tale, told from a child?s perspective, but for adults as well as children.

Roan Inish is an island off the coast of western Ireland from which 10-year-old Fiona's family has recently decamped for the mainland because of hard times. Now directly across the water from their beloved island, Fiona's grandparents take her in after her city-living father can no longer care for her. And there are secrets. Unbeknownst to Fiona there is a branch of her family descended from Selkies, beings half seal and half human. Unlike mermaids though, Selkies are either all human or all seal, depending on their mood. And if you can catch a human Selkie, they're yours until they discover where you've hid their seal skin. And with a beautiful female, Fiona's grandfather did just that, married her, raised a family, but alas one day she finds her seal skin and she's off to the sea. This legend segues into a modern mystery and a challenge Fiona must face.

Slow paced, beautifully photographed, well acted and directed, this is a unique gem of a movie.


I love this movie for a number of reasons. First, its just a beautiful setting. Second, John Sayles does not succumb to Hollywood norms and resort to special effects, rock songs or cheap dramatic plot twists to jazz up what seems to be a simple folk tale. Most of all, I love that all of the characters are allowed their humanity and dignity. Fiona, the 10 year girl who is at the center of the film, follows her curiosity in a brave but realistic way, never spouting wise cracks so common with most American child characters. Imagine being told an old family story by your favorite Uncle or Grandfather while sitting around a living room late at night, with only the low light provided by the glow of a fire or one old lamp so nothing distracts your imagination's journey. That is what this film is like...


At first I didn't know what to expect from this film. I began watching it with the mistaken conclusion that it was nothing more than a drama. So, naturally, I was surprised when it began to show trappings of a fantasy. But it won me over, mainly with it wonderful "Come over by the fire and hear a story" feeling.

It's almost a miracle that the film succeeds as well as it does. If the film had been Americanised, it would have been a disaster. The fact that all (or nearly all) of the cast is Irish greatly lends to a feeling of authenticity. Most of the actors have hardly had any experience on film, either.

On the technical side is the expert direction of John Sayles, and the great Haskell Wexler handling the cinematography. Simply a very good film, and nearly without flaws.

8.8 out of 10


I love this movie, but be warned. I have recommended it dozens of times and no one who has seen it at my urging has sought my movie advice again. Hmm. I would like to think that these are friends who don't appreciate fine film, but I must, in all fairness, entertain the thought that perhaps this is a movie that isn't for all tastes. Do you like poetry? Fantasy? Story-spinning? This movie is like a song. It can take you away, if you're willing to go. It effortlessly shows off the beauty and mystery of Ireland in a way that "The Matchmaker" (with Janeane Garofalo) wanted, but that film just made the landscape a lovely background to a silly, throw-away plot. That's not the case with "The Secret of Roan Inish." The story belongs in Ireland and makes you want to go and capture a bit of the magic it spins.


A truly charming film, with wonderful actors, which captures the very essence of rural Ireland and its windswept islands offshore. Few movies can be shown to children these days; however, this is one that can. Jeni Courtney as "Fiona" is terrific, and a remarkable young actress.

Having spent time on the unspoiled coast and in the quaint villages of County Donegal, this film brings them to life for all to see and enjoy. It is a magic movie and I recommend it to anyoneunless magic and "fairies" have gone out of your life, in which case this film and "Finding Neverland" (with brilliant acting by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet) might bring them back.


It's a great Irish movie and you can actually understand what they are saying. The seals in the movie were mysterious and cute. It's a movie about one of those moments in life where life is stranger than fiction. But totally believable. :)

The characters are not over done, the story is pretty simple and would be a great film for anyone of any age to see.

The main heroine is a young girl who leaves to go live with her grandparents after her mother's death. She learns more about her family and the family stories. The family is originally from the island Roan Inish where the stories come from.


This film is absolutely lovely! I watched this film a few years ago with my little brother, who was 8 years old at the time and only watched Disney. However, he was hooked on this film. It shows everything that is good and pure about Ireland. It is a bit similar to 'Fairytale, a true story' but is so pure and lovely. I have just spent an hour searching for this film (as I'd forgotten the name) just so that I can buy it for myself, and I would recommend it to people. I challenge you not to feel touched by this magical film! The girl (Fiona) is sent to live with her grandparents in a remote part of Ireland, which overlooks the deserted Islad of Roan Inish. There are legends relating to this island which she learns, including the fact that her baby brother disappeared. She see's a small boy on the island, and is sure that the seals are bringing him up as their own. This begins her search for the truth.


The Secret of Roan Inish is a unique film which reveals in a slow paced story, the relationship of the Irish people to the sea and land. Roan Inish weaves its magic through the well written dialogue of characters who tell the story of a family ancestor who was a mythological selkie, as well as the lost infant raised by seals who populate the abandoned island. They comment on the loss of native language and culture by a generation of young islanders who left for jobs in the city. The return of a small island girl to her grandparents permits director John Sayles to examine with the girl, the island's history, and its community whose knowledge is grounded in oral history and the past. Set in the post-war economy, desire to leave the old ways to incorporate benefits of modern urban life is seen only briefly as intrusive on the people whose community is intimately tied to the sea. The strength of the film is in how it presents the need and place of intergenerational knowledge, the preservation of the language, and the unique place of ethnic heritage based in oral traditions.

What sets this film apart from others is how it is a "family film" without resorting to clichés, but instead, is the kind of movie entertaining to all age groups without talking down to anyone. That the film was not better marketed is likely the fault of the studio that did not know how to sell the film's idea to American audiences grown accustomed to mindless car chases, exploding buildings, and gratuitous violence as well as irritating, smart-mouth kid actors. Roan Inish has none of these elements although the brief nudity of one child actor could offend some who would find offense in any presentation of the human form in any context. But for this, the film allows audiences to be drawn into the story of children who value and desire to restore their heritage and family, and take responsibility to act.

The production values of this film are high, its plot thoroughly believable. DP Haskell Wexler uses the beauty of the Irish countryside to paint a stunning image of the landscape and sea that makes one wish to return to the old sod. Sayles's cast are character actors not familiar to most audiences in the US, but who are able to carry the film with authenticity and grace. The child actors are especially mature and believable. This is a film that should be seen by more audiences but probably won't and that is unfortunate for The Secret of Roan Inish is a gem in a sea of mediocre Hollywood fare.


The reviewer who reveals his ignorance by decrying, "What's a selkie?" and then proceeds to place both feet in his mouth, should bother to read a bit of Irish folklore. A selkie is NOT what some suggest, a half seal, half human. A selkie is a spirit which can take the body of a seal and a woman. It is the celtic counterpart to the Greek sirens or the oceanides, river spirits, to the Japanese kawakami, the Basque Lamiñak and others. Shapeshifters abound in folklore and this story winds around such a tale. Bored? Go watch one of those mindless teenage slice'n dice films and leave this gentle tale about a little girl's odyssey in a breathtakingly beautiful setting in a wonderful land to children of all ages. My grandfar came from County 'Derry (what the Protestants call Londenderry) in Northern Ireland near Lough Boyle and told me stories as a child that were as gentle and awesome as this. This is a fine film. Not as goofy as Waking Ned Devine, as wacky as the Purple Taxi, as wrenching as Angela's Ashes or as poignant as The Quiet Man. But, it wasn't meant to be. It is wonderful. Check it out.


This is a magically quiet masterpiece of storytelling by John Sayles, who also gave us, amazingly, LONE STAR. No one tells stories the way the Irish tell stories. This movie celebrates that gift and passion with story after story told within the frame of the film's story. The idea of the ultimate return home is given an even greater resonance than usual with a special reunion here. The whole notion of the loss of language, Gaelic in this instance, is universally moving and significant today. A wonderful story, gorgeously shot by Haskell Wexler, with beautiful music. The seals are amazing. This is a real find.


My father's family left a small island off the Donegal Coast early in the 20th Century and this film gave us a wonderful insight into life on such an island.

The reality of the film really made it for us, the soda bread (or scone bread) as we called it on the table, the turf fires and the whitewashed walls. Even the seal colony is like Inishtrahull Island where our Dad was from.

I recommend this film without hesitation if you have any roots or interest in Ireland.

One blooper we noted in the subtitles. A kid is being teased for speaking Irish at the start (the film clearly shows why the language was so damaged in the early 20th Century and who was to blame).

His fellow pupils are shown in the subtitles as saying "Eject, Eject" when of course they are actually shouting "Eeejit", the word Idiot in an Irish accent!.

One other blooper we noted in the subtitles was a complete misinterpretation of Killybegs, a fishing port in Donegal which was titled something completely different.


Just a simple little film, wonderfully done. An Irish ballad in pictures, a skillful rendering of legend and family.

Sort of "Quiet Man" meets "Ring of Bright Water."

If the folks who butchered "Mists of Avalon" had only hired John Sayles...


I just finished watching this movie and immediately went online to see just how terrible the reviews were only to see it has a 97% on rotten tomatoes upwards of 7 out of 10 on IMDb. Shocked by this I filled out the required information just to write this one review. This film struck me as borderline unwatchable. The child acting is on par The Phantom Menace. The little girl is cute, but good lord it was just embarrassing to watch. I kept telling myself it had to be intended as a children's movie and I was being unfair to assess it as harshly as I was until the movie had been playing for about an hour and NOTHING HAD HAPPENED! The only event that had occurred, excluding the painfully boring exposition, was the little girl chasing the naked kid for 40 seconds or so only to lose him in his little boat. I kept holding on hoping something, anything, would happen, but it never really did. This is literally how the movie ends: The little girl's family , for no reason, starts believing her about the little boy so they go out in the storm to find him. They walk outside their newly repaired house and the girl yells "Look!" We then see the kid on the shore and when he sees his sister he tries to flee, perhaps horrified at his sister's acting ability. When he tries to get in his little boat some seals, bear with me, come onto the shore. One seal chases him away from his boat and the others push the boat into the water. The family captures him and that's the happy ending? Does that not seem, at best, extremely dumb to anyone else? I can maybe buy someone liking the cultural overtones of the movie or even the occasional whimsy, but who in their right mind could truly say that they were ENTERTAINED by this film? Maybe this movie just went over my head, but in order for me to enjoy a movie i would need a few events to occur and maybe a plot or something.


This is the most emotionally satisfying film John Sayles has ever made, which tops a long and excellent list. Working with a virtually unknown Irish cast, Sayles brings to life a story that wanders on the borderland between mystical and blue-collar realism, without becoming cloying or simplistic. The only film to which i think Roan Inish can be effectively compared is Whale Rider, but with no insult intended to Whale Rider, to me Roan Inish is a richer and more complex film.

The basic story concerns the relationship between humans and non-humans and how long- standing relationships between species can be torn apart by world events; in this case the Second World War, which forces a community of Irish fisherfolk to relocate to the mainland. A young girl, whose family has been damaged through these actions and other forces, is sent to live with her grandparents on the coast, at which point her nonhuman relatives contrive to bring her and her family back to the home they once shared with other life forms.

The little girl, Fiona, who is the primary human character, played by Jenny Courtney, is wonderfully written and played. She is not your standard cutie-pie, but a budding force of nature. It is obvious why of all the members of her family, the nonhumans single her out for their attention. The story is drawn from the traditional Irish and Scots stories of relationships between humans and seals, or selchies, but transposes this into a more modern setting, without losing any of the mystery or wonder.

One of the strongest recommendations I can give this film is that has become one of the most popular and respected films at Haskell Indian Nations University here in Kansas. Indigenous Americans seem to identify with the experience of the Irish, which shows them that modern European culture has been destructive to Indigenous peoples in Europe, and allows them to realize that there have been and continue to be, Indigenous people with distinct cultures in Europe as well as the Americas.

I was once in a video store, when a person I knew slightly asked me if I could recommend a film that would appeal both to him and his children. Without hesitation I went over and picked up the store's copy of Roan Inish, and told him, "Not only will you enjoy this, but it will give you and your kids a lot to think and talk about." I make the same recommendation to anyone who reads this.


I am a Language Arts Teacher and I use this movie to go along with my folktale unit. In the literature book that I use there is a story called Sealskin, Soulskin, which is an Eskimo story about the selkies and so after we read that story we watch "The Secret of Roan Inish". It shows the Irish side of the selkie story. It is a great closing activity for this unit.

I would recommend this movie to any seventh grade Language Arts teacher who uses the Holt, Reinhart Elements of Literature book. It really goes along with the folktale unit. I hope you can get as much enjoyment from this movie as I and my classes have.


This is truly one of the great films of our time. It's a fantasy, set in the glories of Western Ireland and involves the story of a little girl who is sent from the city to her grandparents in the isles. Once there, she learns of a mysterious lady who came into the family having once been a seal. The disappearance at sea of the girl's little brother leads the girl to the ancestral home on the island of Roan Inish. There, in time, and only after the family decides to move back to Roan Inish, the child is found, mysteriously cared for the seals. The movie is filled with glorious photography, splendid acting, and a story that should appeal to all sensitive people. John Sayles was responsible for the writing, directing, and editing. It is a tribute to his genius.


I have liked every one of John Sayles's movies that I've seen, and "The Secret of Roan Inish" is no exception. The movie mainly focuses on ten-year-old Fiona going to live with her grandparents in Donegal, Ireland, and learning family stories. But there were two aspects that I found particularly important.

One was the focus on how England sought to destroy the Irish culture. Students weren't allowed to speak their native language in school, and Fiona's grandparents have to give up their house to an English family. But there was also the focus on seals. Aside from the story about the woman who could turn into a seal, there's Fiona's disappeared younger brother: might the seals be raising him? Rarely have I ever seen such a mystical and edifying look at the relationship between humans and animals.

All in all, this is the sort of movie that could only come from John Sayles. It's about as far from a Hollywood movie as you can get, and I recommend it to everyone. You just might want to take a trip to the Emerald Isle after watching it.


Enchanting version of a children's book about a ten year old girl in post WWII Ireland who, following the death of her mother, is sent by her father to live with his parents in a small village near Roan Innish, the island where she grew up. Once there, she begins to hear colorful stories about her ancestry that lead her to seek her baby brother who was lost in the ocean during the evacuation of Roan Innish during the war.

Jeni Courtney, who plays 10 year old Fiona, is a revelation. Unlike some of the precocious and/or obnoxious children so often used in Hollywood, she is miraculously innocent, sweet without being cloying, and talented. The movie lives and dies by her performance, as most of the action is seen through her eyes, and she surpasses expectations. You can't help but root for her plucky character. The rest of the small cast is superb as well.

John Sayles is an incredibly gifted writer and director as he has shown in past films like Return of the Secaucus Seven and Eight Men Out, and he is at the top of his form here. The film has a beautiful and dreamy look to it, perfectly suited to the subject. It's never boring and always original, with a really terrific ending. Altogether a magical film experience for children and adults.


The best understanding and best feeling of this movie are hard to quantify. The element that caused me to rate it highly is the sense of the return to an old life, as well as the connection to the ocean and the islands. I've always wanted to renovate my mother's bulldozed home in Kansas, the old stone house that was bulldozed when fire raged through the area and consumed the beams. This is a story of young folks cleaning up the old abandoned spaces and convincing the old folks to come back. That always finds a place in my heart. Further, this story tells of a link between the ocean creatures and humans, and that speaks of goodness as well. This is an extremely satisfying movie if you love family and beautiful, simple older ways of life. The touch of the supernatural heals and suggests that we don't know or predict everything that can happen in the natural world.


In this film John Sayles creates a mood of mystical enchantment where Irish myths come alive in a way that can involve even a hardened realist. One thing that makes this story work is that it is told through the eyes of a young girl - I was able to identify with her belief in the story she tells.

The natural setting around Denegal, Ireland, is one of the big stars. The seascapes are beautifully filmed and the extensive footage of the seals is endearing. Is there anyone with soul so dead who does not find seals adorable?

One of the greatest values this movie had for me was Sayles' reference to Robert Flaherty's "Man of Aran" in his director's commentary. He said that he had watched that in preparing for the filming of "Roan Inish." That put me on to watching "Man of Aran," which I had never heard of. It provides background, in addition to being a worthy film in its own right. Having liked "Man of Aran" I went on to see Flaherty's "Louisiana Story" which is better yet.


I have always admired the style that John Sayles uses in making his films and this one is no exception. The movie is based on Irish stories of seals and the dark women and how one family grew up on Roan Inish. I did not get the chance to see this film in the theater , however, I saw it on cable and then purchased the tape. What an excellent film. As usual, John Sayles flushes out the very human qualities of his character. I felt pained for Fiona in that she lost her mother so young and her father was having a very hard time raising her on his own. You could almost see the sweetness of her grandparents . The grandfather with his excellent story telling abilities retelling stories to Fiona of family history. The grandmothers run of the house. I just really loved the story and the characters that were present. The movie contains many of the human elements that I have seen in all of John Sayles films that I have viewed. He has this great ability to flush out very human elements in his character. This particular film tugged at me because of my Irish heritage, but I think anyone could enjoy it.


This movie captures the beauty of Ireland and the magic of the Irish to create a enchanting story. The actors and actresses give stunning performances and repeatedly throughout the movie I had to remind myself that characters weren't real. I loved this movie so much that I have watched other movies about Ireland and based their merit upon this exceptional production.


This is one of the most pleasant, enchanting movies I've ever seen. It is part fairly tale, part folk tale, part fantasy. A wonderful film to watch with a friend or a loved one. I give it my highest recommendation. If you haven't seen it, take a chance on this one.


The magic of this movie sneaks up on you. Our heroine, Fiona, is a quiet child, who tends to isolate herself. At first, we think this is a gentle tale of a lonely little girl. Woven through the mystery, and then the magic of the tale is the common child's lament, "no one ever listens to me, no one ever believes me". And Fiona uncovers a mystery that is fairly unbelieveable!

The old sorrow of her family is in the tale of her lost baby brother, who's cradle washed away out to sea one day. Local legends tell of silkies, wonderful creatures who are seals in the water, and beautiful women on land. It is said that Finona's baby brother is now being brought up by the silkies, and there is some reason to think she may be correct!


"The Secret of Roan Inish" is a film for those who want a taste of the Irish myth. It is wonderfully filmed and heartwarming in its characterization. The whole world revealed by director Sayles is enticing and intriguing magic. But it's believable magic in the way some life elements defy normal explanation. That's why this film stands out and apart from equally sweet tales like "Into the West".

I warn you that it's old-fashioned storytelling. Its pace is slower than what most are accustomed to these days, but that doesn't mean it's boring. If you must have fantastic elements and don't like subtlety and family focus, this film isn't for you. But if you like rich and original old-style tales that make you feel good and happy to have heard them, see "The Secret of Roan Inish" and relish its perfection.


This story is charming and refreshingly uncontrived. Imaginative whimsy fills a tale that takes the viewer into a land overlaid by myth. The soundtrack is one of my personal favorites, filled with authentic Irish music. I highly recommend this for viewers interested in a movie that's a little different from the norm, but is still rich, innocent fun.


I don't completely understand why HGTV continues to air episodes of this show. Hosts Matt Fox and Shari Hiller certainly have a friendly, down-to-earth manner in sharing their ideas and techniques, and the show is especially useful for learning about simple building and sewing projects. However, the show still fails to inspire, as most people who watch HGTV and follow design magazines will likely find their room makeovers nothing short of tacky. Their selections of paint, fabric, and accessories are rather outdated and kitschy, and they faux finish to the point of excess, dangerously giving viewers the impression that drawing design inspiration from the dining room of a Mimi's Cafe or Olive Garden is a good thing.


Matt and Shari are wonderful in their upbeat and entertaining show, "Room by Room". I found the show when I had just moved into my own house and their decorating ideas have been very valuable to me. Their personalities are also engaging as they make all the tasks seem easy. I also enjoy their coffee break crafts. There isn't any type of room that they haven't tackled over the years. Their seasonal programs are some of my favorites as they show decorating ideas for Halloween, Christmas or springtime! Matt is playful, and his expertise on tools, painting and woodcraft show anyone how they can tackle even the most complicated project. Shari is wonderful. She has a real flair for decorating and making a house a home. It is their joined on screen presence that enlivens the program. They are the best, and I never miss the show.


I generally refrain from participating in web postings, but in this case, I felt it necessary. Room by Room is uninspired, bland and often insulting. Let me recap what you are likely to see on most any episode you watch (please, don't eat before viewing)...

Beige, grey and white for walls, counters, tile, carpet and any place you can put it. Color is a very bad thing when used in paint, wall paper counters and flooring.

You will not meet the home owners. I only infer that this is because they are embarrassed.

Fake flowers, and more often, greenery. Sheri, the Stepford-Wife host will put it anywhere and everywhere there is an open space.

Cheap, home made wood items. Matt, the even worse host (I am not sure he understands where he is), likes to build stuff - lots of stuff, and use cheap wood. Look for wall units, stools, headboards, tables, knick knack holders, and things you'd never dream of building.

Furniture at an angle - they seem to put something in every episode at an angle - sometimes it's a couch, sometimes a bed, sometimes just whatever is handy. Sheri tells us that this becomes the center piece.

And so it goes. Take that, sprinkle in bad taste, insultingly childish facial expressions and totally unbelievable surprise reactions to what each is doing, and you've got this mess.


when i rented this film , i expected very little from the movie , the title seemed intriguing enough for me to rent it ...what i got was a well made film about a couple in love or maybe more about their breaking up ...it reminded me of when harry met sally at times , but must say this seems so much more close to real life . some nice humorous scenes are like icing on the cake ... they love each other , everything's right but the eternal doubt , so subtly put in one of the scenes ** SPOILERS ** where russel crowe's character asks ' what do u mean by IF we marry ?'...one of the best scenes ** SPOILERS*** is when steve (russel crowe) gets set to leave in the middle of the night ...its funny yet at the same time it reveals an important aspect of any relationship ...the insecurity ...the insecurity of what if this wont work and the whole sequence is beautifully treated . a movie worth watching especially if you can relate it to it ....true to life. i especially liked the subtlety with which it sends out messages to the viewers , never in your face . yet it speaks. well written movie with a lot of maturity and depth .


Russel Crowe and Salma Hayek does a great job in this film playing two difficult roles. It`s not often you see a film with only two people speaking in it. But Crowe and Hayek doesn`t have any problems with this.

*spoiler* (maybe)

 I think the film was entertaining the whole way. Normally it would become boring in the length with all the switching those two between; at first they are toghether, they brake up, they come back together again, they brake up again... but it isn`t boring at all. The movie keeps you at the screen all the way. <br /><br />*spoiler end*<br /><br /> I just love Russel Crowe after I watched Gladiator. He`s a great actor. I just can`t wait for his movies in the future. Salma Hayek isn`t so bad either...

A good an entertaining movie...


This extremely well written and acted movie is a little treasure that I discovered on the "not rented very much" section of the video store. It follows the relationship of two commitment phobic people who were madly in love with each other but are always looking for a reason not to be happy. Alternatingly absolutely hysterical and poignant, this movie is a must see for all who enjoy a well done realistic romantic comedy (as opposed to an unrealistic one such as Runaway Bride). Certainly not least, Salma Hayak is absolutely gorgeous, sexy, and funny and Russell Crowe shows why he will be a heavyweight in the industry for a long time. You will see why he was robbed of the Best Actor Oscar last year for the Insider after viewing. 9++ Enjoy.


I watched this movie for the first time last night and was completely blown away. I read somewhere that it came from a stage play, and you definitely get the feeling for that. So all of those of you who can't sit through movies like The Big Kahuna or Glengarry Glen Ross because "nothing happens", don't bother trying to watch this - you'll be bored. But for those of you who want to watch a movie about something, that will actually deal with it, rather than pander to the lowest common denominator, you might want to give this movie a shot.

One reason I liked it so much is that I like a healthy dose of symbolism in my movies, and this movie has it in spades. A lot of the complaints that I've seen about this movie is that the movie never tells us what is keeping these two characters apart. (There may be spoilers ahead.) Well, the answer, it seems to me, is that these characters symbolize men and women in love, not just individual characters. Men are often seeking independence and individuality while women are often looking for reassurance of love. (Yes, those were two big stereotypes, but the reason they are stereotypes is because you see them so often in reality.) And the fact that the two characters go out to interview people on the street about how to stay in relationships, I get the feeling that the movie is trying to broaden its horizon beyond these two characters.

The other reason I liked this movie is that it recognizes that real love, that passionate feeling that controls your actions whether you want it to or not, is so intense that it has a tendency to both pull people together and tear them apart. I especially liked the way it brought in the philosophies of Marx, Einstein and Freud to give the movie's ideas context from history, science and psychology.

The final thing that caught my attention was the way the the movie tried to make a universal statement about love vs. happiness (because they aren't the same thing), and the best way to make it through this muddled life may not have anything to do with either, even if it is dull. I found the whole thing very fascinating and insightful.

And if that hasn't completely scared you off, it is an incredibly funny and touching movie. I laughed as I recognized my own reactions to relationships brought to life in front of me. The performances are wonderful. Russell Crowe is one of the best actors working now, and Salma shows that she has a real talent waiting to come out to play. So, if you're still with me and this sounds like something that will appeal to your particular tastes, you might want to give it a chance.


This is not a mainstream movie. This is the film of a play. And its excellent. I rented it because of the cast. I couldn't turn it off because of their truly awesome performances.

Monica is in love with Steve. Steve is in love with Monica. The only problem is, they don't know why. They don't know what questions to ask, of themselves or each other. They struggle with expressing what they believe is honesty. They wound one another raging against unmet expectations they've never admitted, thinking that such admissions would be contrary to their love. They're both too young to handle the intensity of their emotions, to understand what's happening.

This film is billed as a comedy. As a comedy, it fails miserably. Watch it instead as a tragedy, and you'll fall in love with it.


Geat movie. Salma and Russell really shine together, and the dialog is amazingly good and really hits the spot.

The two main characters spend a lot of time talking about relationships, but it never gets cheesy - quite the opposite. Its real, its insightful, and it vividly portrays the complex emotions that go into relationships and the conflicting feelings that make them so exasperating and yet so irresistible.

And of course Salma is absolutely a treat to the eyes.

If you've been in love, and if you've ever felt the pain of parting - even temporarily - you'll just fall in love with this move.

A must see.


Personally, I rented this movie because Russell Crowe starred in it before he got huge. That fact was the only thing that saved this movie. Granted, it was a good story and the casting was wonderful, however, at the end of a movie, one is not supposed to be left with questions. What were their last names? What grade did she teach? What was it he did? What city were they in? Basic questions should be answered in the beginning. I can see asking yourself at the end, "Why did their relationship turn the way it did?" Of course, you should almost have an answer for that too. Film makers definitely do not want to leave you with the question, "Why did I rent this movie?" but this movie would achieve that if it hadn't been for the young, mostly shirtless, incredible actor, Russell Crowe.


For ninety minutes this film has two characters talk and argue about the troubles that they are having in their relationship and I thought of one thing, if a friend of yours started to complain about their relationship could you listen to them for ninety minutes? Me either, but this film expects you to. Story is about a couple that have been dating for a few years but decide that they should break up and after spending some time apart it doesn't take long before they start calling each other and getting together for great sex. Steve (Russell Crowe) and Monica (Salma Hayek) talk about that they are not together anymore but still hop into bed with one another and then talk and argue until one of them leaves. Later one of them will phone the other up and the whole process starts again with sex, talk, and more arguing.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

One day Steve shows up at Monica's work and tells her that they should get married and after mulling about it for a short time she accepts. Steve starts dreaming and when he finally wakes up he is at the altar but he is unable to utter the words "I do" and passes out. Monica has had it with him and leaves him for good and even though he doesn't want her to leave there isn't anything he can say to change her mind.

This film is directed by Robert Greenwald who was either handicapped by an extremely thin budget or has no clue how to construct a real film. This was shot in New York City but aside from a taxi with New York printed on the doors you would have been hard pressed to figure out where it's suppose to take place. There isn't one good shot of that beautiful city and instead the films focus remains on the two lead actors and even with their immense talent they just cannot keep the audiences attention on something so trivial and mundane. Glenda Jackson starred in a film called "Stevie" in the 1970's and she had to carry that film herself also and even though I thought she succeeded this is a task that's practically impossible even for the best actors. It all boils down to the material that they are handed and this script is just to dull. Some have said that Crowe and Hayek have no chemistry on screen but I'm not so quick to agree with that because the lines that they are forced to utter is so banal. Greenwald directed this film from the play by Michael Cristofer and I'm not sure what drew his attention to this but the end result is a dull film that is both poorly constructed and repetitious.


... Was my initial reaction but BREAKING UP is a bit of a turkey . To all intents and purposes this is an inferior WHEN HARRY MET SALLY for a younger generation . It`s episodic and never feels convincing , but the worst criticism I have is that the two stars never shine on screen . Maybe if Crowe`s character beat up a few people while all Salma`s scenes revolved lying on top of that body builder in the gym it would have been more watchable ?


I like Salma Hayek, I like Russell Crowe.. I had never heard of this movie until I noticed it on the TV guide, but seeing who were starring in it, I was expecting some entertainment.. How wrong was I!! :O It turned out to be really, Really bad! Forced dialogue all through the movie, plus I felt the director had been playing with as many different camera techniques as he could think of - ending up making a big mess of waste. Such disappointment..

The only potential bit was the scene where he was taking a bath, getting a mental image of the bodybuilder type she described on the phone.. But it wasn't funny enough to save the movie.

This one's best avoided..


What a fine and refreshing movie. But there is more to it than this. It is a well-made film about a very common and credible situation. It shows us both sides of an ending affair and makes you feel sympathy for each character. Only two players, Salma Hayek and Russell Crowe, to play the game and carry the story to the end. They do well.

The story doesn't go on straight. There are twists in the presentation, cuttings, slow-motion - movie-stills, split-screens, showing off a lot of the pinches of film-making. None of this ever going heavy. It all just fits in, and I like it. Enjoy it. I will again.


Salma Hayek is quirky and delightful in this work, but let me ask you a question: With a title like Breaking Up, did you really expect them to work it out? WHO in their right mind would want to be with a man like Crowe!?! All too often, his characters are rude, crude, abusive, and psychotic. It leads me to believe he plays these roles so often because there is something inside him, which identifies with this type of man. Indeed. News reports would tend to corroborate this opinion.

The story is dull and uneventful, and the execution is pretty lame. Again, Hayek was great, but she can't do a "couples" movie alone and have it work. Crowe just plain sucks as an actor.

This is a crapfest, and as such, rates a NOTHING from...

the Fiend :.


The guidelines of this website state that the minimum length for comments is 10 lines of text. My last three paragraphs is all I wanted to say. So here goes:

Salma is one of my favorite actresses, she has great talent, while Russell Crowe is my least favorite actor next to Tom Cruise. I decided to watch the movie in spite of Crowe. I saw him on James Limpton and he was such a pompous ass, totally in love with himself. I've never understood why he's considered a great actor. He has, though, been in some good movies.

What I did like about this movie (besides watching Salma) was the style and editing. I liked the way the director filmed the sex, the arguments, the trashing of the apartments and the black and white thing.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed this movie if it hadn't reminded me of a couple of stupid relationships I had a million years ago.

But the characters in this movie should just stick to having great sex and quit wasting time trying to communicate with each other in any other manner.

They annoyed me so much I wanted to smack 'em!

I am sorry I wasted my time watching this movie and I advise you not to waste yours.


The story was not compelling at all. I found myself noticing all of the inconsistencies instead. The one that really bothered me is when Salma Hyak is moving out after the wedding fiasco. I don't know a single person who would pack their stuff without tying their hair. I'm supposed to be sympathising, but instead I find them petty and senseless, and all I notice is her perfectly parted hair while she's packing.

If it holds my interest like that, it's can't be good. I would have loved a better accent from Russell Crowe, or no accent at all. That was something that kept grating on me because of points in the film where I totally lost interest.

You are never led understand why their motivations really make sense, or why their feelings are so capricious and petty. Ultimately, you end up with two frustrating people in a pointless relationship that is a circle of hope and failure over and over again.

The fact that the ending left it open for them to get back together was also disturbing. It shows what vapid morons the characters are if they couldn't realise they were right for each other all along and now have to drag their innocent spouses and offspring into divorces. I can't root for people who keep doing the wrong thing, hurting each other, then possibly hurting innocent people who trusted them.

In fact, they're to awful, perhaps they do deserve each other before they ruin their families any more than they would. I wanted to identify with this movie, but I just couldn't because I am not a clod.


The most dull film ever made. Completely devoid of any wit, charm or even plot. Uniquely depressing, wretched, uninspired, dragging, useless, sleep-provoking, irritating; I think I have already made my point.


I was really surprised by the lack of any identifiable emotion this movie instilled in me. I think I kept waiting for that magic moment when all the tension, in the form at times of boredom, would break into a mad stirring of passion...or something other than boredom. I don't want to blame this on the actors, since I didn't really see anything wrong with them, but the script had all the strength of a wet grocery sack. It seemed to have potential, and the camera work was well done, but I just never caught on to whatever I was supposed to care about.


I struggled to figure out what was it all about but failed. The duel between a man and a woman in love is seen by me as the most exciting genre on Earth however what this movie offered was, with exception for some sequences, awfully boring and senseless. I would rather blame it on script which was raw and weak despite all the credits of the writer. The whole film is one and the same recurrent scene and plot turns urge a huge question mark in respect to normal human logic, patience and reason. It is hard to conceive how our good Lord could share the throne of the world with Devil but human relationships are always understandable. The characters in the movie mentioned a word love' a couple of times but whatever it was in the end the kind of relationship those two people had in the course of the movie gives a clear indication that it was not love even at the beginning - that was all what the bare lust can produce and you could still cheer yourself up with catching the flashes of the seductive Salma's body. For other sort of emotions, watch The whole wide world'.


Ronald Colman shines in the dual role of the dissipated Crown Prince Rudolph and the "simple Englishman", Rudolph Rassendyl. The crown prince's predilection for the bottle recalls Colman's earlier portrayal of the dark side of Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities. In contrast, Rassendyll's reluctant gallantry and abiding integrity and honor epitomize the qualities for which matinée idol Colman had become known during his famous film career.

His scenes with the incandescent Madeleine Carroll are especially felicitous, both visually and aurally. The poignant, penultimate scene of the film left this reviewer with a wistful sense of regret that The Prisoner of Zenda was to be their only cinematic collaboration.

Raymond Massey was never better as the ambitious Duke Michael. The expressionistic qualities of his facial contortions make his lines almost superfluous.

The rakish Count Rupert, played by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., represents the archetypal rogue. His perennial smile, abiding charm, and sardonic wit make him a curious composite of Don Juan and Mephistopheles. Like Massey, I have never seen the underrated son of the silent screen's most dashing hero in better form.

The film's remaining actors acquit themselves more than adequately. Mary Astor is the lovely Antoinette, Duke Michael's devoted, yet unfairly, neglected paramour. Her consistently dark raiment and shadowy movements are perhaps reflective of her lover's illegitimate origins, while at the same time belying her kind heart. Visually this is contrasted with the always radiant Princess Flavia.

The two royal bodyguards, Colonel Zapt and Captain von Tarlenheim, are a case study, to my mind, as to why films like The Prisoner of Zenda are consistently superior to today's mediocre fare. Although relatively lesser roles, they are capable of, and on more than one occasion, do dominate a given scene; moreover, in their own way they are as fully developed as any of the principals. The abiding sense of honor and loyalty expressed by C. Aubrey Smith's Colonel Zapt is so profoundly felt and reflective of a long-vanished ethos, that one laughs to think of any contemporary actor making such utterances. The paradox would be striking!

As for Zapt's protégé, Captain von Tarlenheim, given the camera's fondness for the handsome young star, it will come as no surprise to learn that this role was reputedly David Niven's first acting breakthrough. His gift for dry English understatement is the occasion for one especially humorous scene-stealing moment that I will generously leave to the curious viewer to enjoy for himself.

With such an outstanding, marquee cast that lives up to its advanced billing and then some, it is not difficult to understand why this film was such a rousing success when it premiered in 1937; so successful, in fact, that it was copied verbatim by MGM 15 years later after it purchased the rights from Selznick. With no slight intended to Stewart Granger et al., you cannot improve on perfection.