The Dead (1987 film)

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The Dead
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Huston
Produced by	Chris Sievernich Wieland Schulz-Keil
Written by	Tony Huston James Joyce (original story)
Starring	Anjelica Huston Donal McCann Dan O'Herlihy Donal Donnelly Helena Carroll Cathleen Delany
Release date(s)	December 17, 1987
Running time	83 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Dead is a 1987 film directed by John Huston, starring his daughter Anjelica Huston. The Dead was the last film that Huston directed, and it was released posthumously.

It was adapted from the short story of the same name by James Joyce (from his book Dubliners), and nominated for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Costume Design.

The film takes place in early twentieth century Dublin at an Epiphany party held by two elderly sisters. The story focuses our attention on the academic Gabriel Conroy (Donal McCann), and his discovery of his wife Gretta's (Anjelica Huston) memory of a deceased lover.

Contents 1 Film Adaptation 2 Cast 3 Awards 3.1 Academy Awards - 1988 3.2 Other Awards 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Film Adaptation

The film adaptation is largely faithful to Joyce's short story, with minor concessions made to alter the dialogue to aid the narrative for cinema audiences.

The most significant change to the story was scriptwriter Tony Huston's inclusion of a new character, a Mr Grace, who recites an eighth-century Irish poem, "Donal Og": ^[1].

You have taken the east from me; you have taken the west from me;

you have taken what is before me and what is behind me;

you have taken the moon, you have taken the sun from me;

and my fear is great that you have taken God from me!

The effect of this is to act as catalyst for the "Distant Music" which provokes the confrontation between Gabriel and Gretta towards the end of the film.

[edit] Cast

• Gretta Conroy - Anjelica Huston
• Gabriel Conroy - Donal McCann
• Mr. Browne - Dan O'Herlihy
• Freddy Malins - Donal Donnelly
• Mrs. Malins - Marie Kean
• Aunt Kate - Helena Carroll
• Aunt Julia - Cathleen Delany
• Lily - Rachael Dowling
• Mr. Grace - Sean McClory
• Miss Furlong - Kate O'Toole
• Bartell D'Arcy - Frank Patterson

[edit] Awards

[edit] Academy Awards - 1988

Nominations:

• Best Costume Design - Rachael Dowling and Dorothy Jeakins
• Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium - Tony Huston

[edit] Other Awards

Winner

• 1987 Tokyo International Film Festival - Special Achievement Award, John Huston
• 1988 National Society of Film Critics Awards (USA) - Best Film

• 1988 Independent Spirit Awards (US Independent Film Awards) - Best Director, John Huston
• 1988 Independent Spirit Awards (US Independent Film Awards) - Best Supporting Female, Anjelica Huston

• 1989 Bodil Awards, (Danish Film Critics) - Best Non-European Film
• 1989 Fotogramas de Plata (Spain) - Best Foreign Film

• 1989 London Critics Circle Film Awards - Director of the Year, John Huston

Nominated

• 1988 Independent Spirit Awards (US Independent Film Awards) - Best Cinematography, Fred Murphy
• 1988 Independent Spirit Awards (US Independent Film Awards) - Best Screenplay, Tony Huston

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Dead at the Internet Movie Database
• New York Times review

v • d • e Films directed by John Huston 1940s The Maltese Falcon • In This Our Life • Across the Pacific • Report from the Aleutians • The Battle of San Pietro • Let There Be Light • The Treasure of the Sierra Madre • Key Largo • We Were Strangers 1950s The Asphalt Jungle • The Red Badge of Courage • The African Queen • Moulin Rouge • Beat the Devil • Moby Dick • Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison • The Barbarian and the Geisha • The Roots of Heaven 1960s The Unforgiven • The Misfits • Freud the Secret Passion • The List of Adrian Messenger • The Night of the Iguana • The Bible: In the Beginning • Reflections in a Golden Eye • Casino Royale • Sinful Davey • A Walk with Love and Death 1970s The Kremlin Letter • Fat City • The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean • The Mackintosh Man • The Man Who Would Be King • Wise Blood 1980s Phobia • Victory • Annie • Under the Volcano • Prizzi's Honor • The Dead