Man of Flowers
| Man of Flowers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Paul Cox |
| Produced by | Jane Ballantyne |
| Written by |
Paul Cox Bob Ellis |
| Starring |
Norman Kaye Alyson Best Chris Haywood Sarah Walker |
| Cinematography | Yuri Sokol |
| Edited by | Tim Lewis |
| Distributed by |
International Spectrafilm Palace Academy Home Video Roadshow Entertainment |
Release date | 1983 |
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$240,000[1] |
| Box office | $396,041 (Australia) |
Man of Flowers is a 1983 Australian film about an eccentric, reclusive, middle-aged man, Charles Bremer, who enjoys the beauty of art, flowers, music and watching pretty women undress. Werner Herzog has a cameo role as Bremer's father. The film was directed by Paul Cox and was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
Plot
Charles Bremer (Norman Kaye) is a wealthy, reclusive man. He finds erotic satisfaction in the beauty of art, flowers, and a young woman (Alyson Best), who undresses for him. During the undressings he listens to operatic music such as Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor".[3] Throughout the film, he reads letters he has sent to his mother. His mother had long since died, and the letters, it is later revealed, are addressed to himself.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Norman Kaye | Charles Bremer |
| Alyson Best | Lisa |
| Chris Haywood | David |
| Sarah Walker | Jane |
| Julia Blake | Art Teacher |
| Bob Ellis | Psychiatrist |
| Barry Dickins | Postman |
| Patrick Cook | Coppershop Man |
| Victoria Eagger | Angela |
| Werner Herzog | The Father |
| Hilary Kelly | Mother |
| James Stratford | Young Charles |
| Eileen Joyce | Aunt |
| Marianne Baillieu | Aunt |
| Lirit Bilu | Florist |
| Juliet Bacskai | Florist |
| Dawn Klingberg | Cleaning lady |
| Tony Llewellyn-Jones | Church warden |
Production
The idea for the film came out of a discussion between Paul Cox and Chris Haywood where they decided to make a low budget erotic film, along with Haywood's then-girlfriend Alyson Best. Bob Ellis was brought on to work on the script. (Ellis says he spent nine hours on it because Cox didn't want to spend any more time.[4]) The movie was shot over three weeks.[1]
Reception
The film was an art house hit around the world. It grossed $396,041 at the box office in Australia,[5] which is equivalent to $1,045,548 in 2009 dollars.
Awards
| Result | Award | Recipients(s) |
| Winner | Australian Film Institute - Best Actor in Lead Role | Norman Kaye |
| Winner | Valladolid International Film Festival - Golden Spike Award | Paul Cox |
| Nominated | Australian Film Institute - Best Achievement in Cinematography | Yuri Sokol |
| Nominated | Australian Film Institute - Best Director | Paul Cox |
| Nominated | Australian Film Institute - Best Film | Jane Ballantyne |
| Nominated | Australian Film Institute - Best Original Screenplay | Paul Cox, Bob Ellis |
See also
References
- 1 2 David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p124-125
- ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Man of Flowers". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/embed/H9GW8lAP4lI
- ↑ Interview with Bob Ellis, 13 August 1996 accessed 14 October 2012
- ↑ Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office
External links
- Man of Flowers on IMDb
- Man of Flowers at Rotten Tomatoes
- Man of Flowers at Oz Movies
- Man of Flowers at Allmovie
- Article on Man of Flowers at Senses of Cinema 28 November 2009
- Man of Flowers at New York Times