The Magus (film)
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| The Magus | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Guy Green |
| Produced by | Jud Kinberg John Kohn |
| Written by | Novel & screenplay: John Fowles |
| Starring | Michael Caine Anthony Quinn Candice Bergen Anna Karina Julian Glover |
| Cinematography | Billy Williams |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | December 10, 1968 |
| Running time | 117 minutes |
| IMDb profile | |
The Magus is a 1968 film directed by Guy Green. Screenplay by John Fowles, based on his novel of the same name. Starring Michael Caine, Anthony Quinn, Candice Bergen and Anna Karina
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[edit] Plot Summary
Michael Caine stars as Nicholas Urfe, a young Englishman who has taken a teaching position on the Greek island of Phraxos following the previous instructor's suicide. For Nicholas it is a chance for different surroundings, and it is also an attempt to escape his relationship with his emotionally unstable lover, Anne (Karina).
At first Nicholas' life on Phraxos is uneventful but peaceful. He soon becomes intrigued by a reclusive man named Maurice Conchis (Quinn) who owns an estate on the opposite side of island and has a beautiful young woman named Lily (Bergen) as his companion. Immediately upon being introduced to the couple Nicholas' life begins to unravel. He tries to find out who the mysterious Conchis really is, but he continually runs into dead ends.
Is he a psychiatrist? A film producer? A Nazi sympathizer? Or is he a magician who controls the lives and destinies of those around him? Nicholas quickly begins to lose his grip on reality as he sinks further and further into Conchis' game.
During visits to Conchis and his estate, Nicholas has a series of interesting experiences which gradually start to become more and more unexpected and bizarre. Many of these events re related to (or are re-enactments of) past events from Conchis' life which he has been relating to Nicholas. Ultimately, these events also begin happening off the estate as well, at unexpected times and places, raising questions as to how much power and control Conchis can actually exercise over others' lives.
Near the end of the film, the story climaxes with a "trial" directed by Conchis with Nicholas (and many others) participating, in which Nicholas must take on a totally unexpected role.
The final scene (which may be interpreted almost as a coda) has to do with Nicholas' relationship with Anne and whether or not it continues.
[edit] Cast
Fowles has a minor role as a boat captain.
[edit] Reception
The film was a critical disaster. Fowles was extremely disappointed with it laying most of the blame on director Guy Green[1] despite having written the screenplay himself. Woody Allen has made the comment that if he could live his life over again, he would do everything the same except for seeing "The Magus."
[edit] Further release
The film was released to DVD by 20th Century Fox on October 16, 2006, marking the first time that it has ever been available on home video in the U.S.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Diary, Granta #86, 2004, ISBN 0 90 314169 8
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