More (1969 film)

More

Theatrical poster to More (1969)
Directed by Barbet Schroeder
Produced by Barbet Schroeder
Written by Barbet Schroeder
Paul Gégauff
Starring Mimsy Farmer
Klaus Grünberg
Music by Pink Floyd
Cinematography Néstor Almendros
Editing by Denise de Casabianca
Rita Roland
Distributed by Jet Films
Release date(s) August 4, 1969
Country West Germany
France
Luxembourg
Language English

More is an English language film directed by Barbet Schroeder, released in 1969. Starring Mimsy Farmer and Klaus Grünberg, it deals with heroin addiction on the island of Ibiza. It features a soundtrack written and performed by Pink Floyd, released as the album Soundtrack from the Film More.

Contents

Synopsis

A German student, Stefan, who has finished his studies, decides to have an adventure, get out of his conservative skin and to burn his bridges. After hitch-hiking to Paris, he commits burglary to get money and meets a free-spirited American girl, Estelle, following her to Ibiza. He discovers she is in trouble with a man named Dr. Wolf. Stefan saves Estelle from Dr. Wolf only to find she does not really want to be saved, and she introduces him to heroin (referred to by the old street name, "horse") which she has stolen from Dr. Wolf. The inevitable spiral into drug abuse and denial leads him down a dark road.

This story is modeled on the myth of Daedalus and Icarus with Estelle as the Sun.

Production

The French film Censorship Board in 1969 insisted that some of the dialog be censored around the 81 minute mark before the film could be released. In the film, as the couple mix up a hallucinogenic concoction in the kitchen, the ingredients "benzedrine" and "banana peel" are deleted from the audio track. On the DVD, the words have been re-added as subtitles.

Most of the movie was shot on the island of Ibiza. The castle of Ibiza, which dominates the harbour and the town, is the scene for the final act. The location of Stefan's death, a tunnel near the castle, has since become a place of pilgrimage for addicts.

Soundtrack

'His (Barbet Schroeder's) feeling about music for movies was, in those days, that he didn't want a soundtrack to go behind the movie. All he wanted was, literally, if the radio was switched on in the car, for example, he wanted something to come out of the car. Or someone goes and switches the TV on, or whatever it is. He wanted the soundtrack to relate exactly to what was happening in the movie, rather than a film score backing the visuals.'

References

External links