Litan (film)
{{missing information|the film's production, theatrical/home media releases, and reception|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Litan
| image = Litan,_French_Theatrical_release_poster,_Feb_1982.jpg
| caption = Original French theatrical release poster
| director = Jean-Pierre Mocky
| producer = Jean-Pierre Mocky
| writer = Jean-Pierre Mocky
Jean-Claude Romer
Patrick Granier
Scott Baker
Suzy Baker
| starring = Marie-José Nat
Jean-Pierre Mocky
Nino Ferrer
Marisa Muxen
| cinematography = Edmond Richard
| music = Nino Ferrer
| editing = Jean-Pierre Mocky
Catherine Renault
| studio = Films A2
M. Films
| distributor = Coline
Océanic Films
| released = {{Film date|1982|2|24|df=yes}}
| country = France
| language = French
| runtime = 88 minutes
}}
Litan is a 1982 French horror film co-written, produced, edited, and directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky and Jean-Claude Romer. It stars Marie-José Nat, Jean-Pierre Mocky, Nino Ferrer, and Marisa Muxen.
“Litan” is also recognised under alternate titles, including “La cité des spectres verts” and “Le voleur de visages,” which may vary by region.
Plot Summary
The film follows Nora and Jock, a couple visiting the enigmatic town of Litan, during its peculiar annual festival. Nora awakens from a prophetic nightmare in which she witnesses Jock's death, setting the tone for the unsettling events to come. Disturbed by her vision, she begins searching for him amidst the town’s eerie celebrations.
As they navigate the mysterious streets, the couple encounters a series of bizarre and disturbing phenomena. Their investigation leads them to a local hospital, where they uncover horrific experiments conducted by Dr. Steve Julien, the chief physician. Julien is obsessed with reviving the dead and communicating with the deceased, a grotesque pursuit that casts a macabre shadow over the already sinister setting.
The town is also terrorized by a glowing, worm-like entity that infests the waters. This parasitic creature possesses individuals and rapidly dissolves corpses, intensifying the atmosphere of dread. The couple witnesses other horrifying acts, including the removal of vocal cords from dogs, symbolizing the pervasive madness that grips Litan.
As the festival reaches its climax, the line between reality and nightmare blurs. Nora and Jock face mounting threats from the possessed townspeople and the supernatural forces controlling the town. Their desperate attempts to escape culminate in a harrowing finale, forcing them to confront existential questions about life, death, and their own mortality.
Cast
- Marie-José Nat - Nora
- Jean-Pierre Mocky - Jock
- Nino Ferrer - Le docteur Steve Julien
- Marisa Muxen - Estelle Servais
- Bill Dunn - Cornell
- {{Interlanguage link|Georges Wod|fr}} - Bohr
- Dominique Zardi - Le chef des fous
Release
Litan, was released in France on February 24, 1982. The film was recently re-released in a 4K restoration on May 4, 2022.
Reception
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=Awards and nominations=
Litan won the Critics Award at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival.{{cite book|author=Otto Penzler|title=The Big Book of Jack the Ripper|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OuAVDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA445|year=2016|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-101-97113-0|page=445}} It also won the award for Best Screenplay at the Catalonian International Film Festival.{{cite book|author=F. Maurice Speed|title=Film Review 1983-84|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0g4nAQAAIAAJ|date=November 17, 1983|publisher=W.H. Allen/Virgin Books|isbn=978-0-491-03012-0|page=45}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0163716}}
- {{Rotten tomatoes|litan}}
Category:1980s avant-garde and experimental films
Category:French avant-garde and experimental films
Category:1980s French-language films
Category:Films directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky
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