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Under the Volcano

6.5

1,574

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Original title

Under the Volcano

Year

1984

Running time

109 min.

Country

United States

Director

John Huston

Screenwriter

Guy Gallo. Novel: Malcolm Lowry

Cast

Music

Alex North

Cinematography

Gabriel Figueroa

Producer

Universal Pictures

Genre

Drama | Alcoholism. 1930s

Synopsis

Against a background of war breaking out in Europe and the Mexican fiesta Day of Death, we are taken through one day in the life of Geoffrey Firmin (Albert Finney), a British consul living in alcoholic disrepair and obscurity in a small southern Mexican town in 1939. The Consul's self-destructive behaviour, perhaps a metaphor for a menaced civilization, is a source of perplexity and sadness to his nomadic, idealistic half-brother, Hugh, and his ex-wife, Yvonne, who has returned with hopes of healing Geoffrey and their broken marriage.

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Awards: 1984: 2 Nominations for Oscar: Best Actor (Albert Finney), Original Soundtrack

1984: Golden Globes: Nom. Best Actor Drama (Finney) & Supp. Actress (Bisset)

1984: New York Film Critics Circle: Nominated for Best Actor (Finney)

1984: Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Actor (Albert Finney)

1984: Cannes Film Festival: Nominated for Palme d'Or (Best Film)

1984: National Society of Film Critics (NSFC): nominated to Best Actor.

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Critics' reviews

"[Albert Finney] gives the best drunk performance I've ever seen in a film (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: rogerebert.com
"To the considerable extent that it succeeds, it owes a great deal to the warmth and humanity contributed by the actors. That is especially true of Mr. Finney and Miss Bisset"

Janet Maslin: The New York Times
"The pungent poetry of Lowry's prose comes through in [Finney's] pitch-perfect performance, with its exquisite turns of phrase, boozy bravado, and theatrical panache"

Nathan Rabin: AV Club
"Although this voyage into self-destruction won’t be to the taste of many, there will be few unmoved by Finney’s towering performance"

Variety
"Albert Finney has moments of technical brilliance, but Huston's direction gives him no inner life"

Dave Kehr: Chicago Reader
"'Under the Volcano' is poetic, powerful and richly rewarding."

Peter Travers: Rolling Stone
"'Under the Volcano' is intelligent... beautifully acted and directed... it's a beautiful movie. Albert Finney's performance is truly astonishing"

Jack Mathews: USA Today
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Under the Volcano

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