Product Details

• Actors: John Gielgud, Dirk Bogarde, Ellen Burstyn
• Directors: Alain Resnais
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001P1UF8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,175 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Masterwork deserves a DVD release, October 31, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Providence [VHS] (VHS Tape)

An oldie but goodie (1969). This film has been one of my favorites since presenting it via a film society 22 years ago. That audience seemed to enjoy it as well.

This unique film possesses some of the most alive English language dialogue to ever hit the screen. Incorporated within the stream of consciousness visuals of master French director Alain Resnais (his first work in English), this film, written by playwright David Mercer, delivers the audience into the mind of a dying and somewhat bitter author (Sir John Gielgud) as he attempts to write one last work of fiction through a painful and sleepless night of rectal pain, albeit increasingly under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. As his minds clouds, his script becomes confused, often with comedic effect.

While sad, bitter sweet, moving and often serious, this film possesses wonderful humor. The recurring images of the "famous footballer" (David Warner), Ellen Burstyn's slicing of a phallic-shaped vegetable while accusing her husband of infidelity and the delivery of Dirk Bogard's pithy lines all conspire to amuse even the most jaded moviegoer. If you don't like a certain scene, be patient, the director/author will take another whack at it - usually with a subtle visual twist.

This is one film worth watching more than once. In fact, you will want to watch it more than once to see what you missed previously.

This masterwork seriously deserves to be re-released as a DVD.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Masterwork deserves a DVD release, October 31, 2002

By 

"kccoates" (Bethesda, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Providence [VHS] (VHS Tape)

An oldie but goodie (1969). This film has been one of my favorites since presenting it via a film society 22 years ago. That audience seemed to enjoy it as well.

This unique film possesses some of the most alive English language dialogue to ever hit the screen. Incorporated within the stream of consciousness visuals of master French director Alain Resnais (his first work in English), this film, written by playwright David Mercer, delivers the audience into the mind of a dying and somewhat bitter author (Sir John Gielgud) as he attempts to write one last work of fiction through a painful and sleepless night of rectal pain, albeit increasingly under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. As his minds clouds, his script becomes confused, often with comedic effect.

While sad, bitter sweet, moving and often serious, this film possesses wonderful humor. The recurring images of the "famous footballer" (David Warner), Ellen Burstyn's slicing of a phallic-shaped vegetable while accusing her husband of infidelity and the delivery of Dirk Bogard's pithy lines all conspire to amuse even the most jaded moviegoer. If you don't like a certain scene, be patient, the director/author will take another whack at it - usually with a subtle visual twist.

This is one film worth watching more than once. In fact, you will want to watch it more than once to see what you missed previously.

This masterwork seriously deserves to be re-released as a DVD.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One more vote for a DVD release of this tremendous film., April 12, 2003

By 

Tim Idsole (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Providence [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is, to my mind, one of the four or five best films of the seventies, and one that continues to give pleasure and inspiration. It's a shame that it isn't better known in the US, and scandalous that it hasn't been issued on DVD.