31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Read the book first, then watch the documentary, then see the feature..., October 20, 2007
I saw this film a while back, and while I liked it, but it never really sent me, despite all the critical acclaim. Years later, I read the book, and the book is light years better than the film. I usually say the opposite, but Lowry's prose is amazing to behold, and this film is a rather straightforward rendering of the novel, which diminishes its power. I would have preferred a more hallucinatory quality to the film, similar to that of the novel. I commend John Huston for tackling such a daunting project. Albert Finney's performance is superb. The film isn't horrible, and it should be seen at least once. The feature, though, just doesn't have what the novel had, which is a shame.
One of the great things about this new Criterion edition is that it contains a rare, rare Canadian documentary called Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life of Malcolm Lowry. This documentary was briefly on VHS, then disappeared for a very long time. I bought it in a used VHS sale at my Blockbuster. I asked them why they were selling it, and they said "it had only been rented once in 2 years" (guess who was the sole renter). It was made at a time where documentaries were very rarely made (and getting them released was even more difficult). It is a remarkable film chronicling one of the most self destructive authors/artists you will ever likely encounter. Many of the images from the film were shot in Mexico during the Day of the Dead celebration, giving this film a strange, surreal vibe that is very effective. Lowry had spent time in Mexico during this celebration, and it had a major impact on his novel. Lowry was a major alcoholic, completely innudated by booze, beyond repair. His life was such a catastrophe in many ways, yet, he somehow wrote one of the greatest novels of the 20th century (which continues to be in print and talked about today). Under the Volcano is the only novel that Lowry really completed during his lifetime, but it's magnificent. This film really delves into Lowry's pysche, and you see the horror of being a man. It's a difficult and painful film, but the filmmakers never turn it into a cheap, sensationalistic film. It's narrated by Richard Burton, who had one of the greatest voices an actor ever possessed. Burton's narration lends a dignity to this film, and to Lowry's life. This is one of the greatest documentaries I've ever seen, and hopefully, it will become better known, thanks to its release on DVD. The documentary on Lowry is better than Huston's film.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Under the Table, October 29, 2005
This review is from: Under the Volcano [VHS] (VHS Tape)
John Huston was 78 when he made Malcolm Lowrey's novel of one man's descent into booze, death and bitterness (south of the border style)into a film.
It is well documented-- Author, Lowrey, tortured himself and then wrote a 400 page-- sad-sack account of a British diplomat drinking himself and his soul into oblivion (just before WWll).
Albert Finney gives one of the most devastating portrayals of an intellectual mind pickled in alcohol-- ever captured on-screen. And, the legendary director, John Huston, shoves our faces in it.
To be sure, it's beauty with a black-heart.
Don't miss it before you die.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Powerful and emotional rollercoaster, September 15, 1999
This review is from: Under the Volcano [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This film strikes at the heart with the impact of a Hemingway Novel. The characters get under your skin easily and you find yourself pleading for their release from the demons that haunt them, the demons they have created. Albert Finney gives a superb and command performance. My only question is where is the DVD ??? This is one that belongs in everyones collection.
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