Movielogr
Under the Volcano (1984)
Directed by John Huston
Twitter Facebook Google+Overview
Against a background of war breaking out in Europe and the Mexican fiesta Day of Death, we are taken through one day in the life of Geoffrey Firmin, a British consul living in alcoholic disrepair and obscurity in a small southern Mexican town in 1939. The consul’s self-destructive behaviour, perhaps a metaphor for a menaced civilization, is a source of perplexity and sadness to his nomadic, idealistic half-brother, Hugh, and his ex-wife, Yvonne, who has returned with hopes of healing Geoffrey and their broken marriage.
Rated R | Length 112 minutes
Actors
Albert Finney | Jacqueline Bisset | Anthony Andrews | Ignacio López Tarso | Katy Jurado | James Villiers | Dawson Bray | Carlos Riquelme | Jim McCarthy | José René Ruiz | Eleazar García Jr. | Salvador Sánchez | Sergio Calderón | Araceli Ladewuen Castelun | Emilio Fernández | Arturo Sarabia | Roberto Sosa | Hugo Stiglitz | Ugo Moctezuma | Isabel Vázquez | Gustavo Fernandez | Irene Díaz de Dávila | Alberto Olvera | Eduardo Borbolla | Alejandro Suárez | Rodolfo De Alexandre | Juan Ángel Martínez | Martín Palomares Carrión | Mário Arévalo | Ramiro Ramírez | Günter Meisner | Alfonso Castro Valle
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/15/2011 | TV | DVD | Library | 7 stars |
| (Average) 7 stars |
Viewing Notes
This was one of two Criterion movies I watched the same evening, checked out from the Library.
Albert Finney does a fine job as a drunken British consul living out his last day on earth (though he doesn’t know that) in Mexico on the eve of World War II.
The movie feels overly long now, but it’s well worth the watch and has a great ending.
I mostly read this as a metaphor for European civilization leading up to World War II; and if you approach it that way, I think it makes more sense and holds your attention.
No comments yet. Log in and be the first!