The Widower (film)
{{Infobox film
|name= The Widower
|image=
|caption =
|director = Kevin Lucas
|producer = Aanya Whitehead
|writer = Lyndon Terracini
|based_on = Poetry of Les Murray
|starring = Chris Haywood
Frances Rings
|music = Elena Kats-Chernin
|cinematography = Kim Batterham
|editing = Kevin Lucas
|country = Australia
|language = English
|released={{Film date|2004}}
|runtime = 60 minutes
|studio =
|distributor =
}}
The Widower is a 2004 Australian film based on the poetry of Les Murray and directed by Kevin Lucas. It has no dialogue, instead using operatic-style music in its place.{{Citation | last= Molitorisz | first= Sacha | title= The Widower | url= https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-widower-20051005-gdm700.html | periodical= The Sydney Morning Herald | date= 5 October 2004}} Lyndon Terracini wrote the screenplay and performed the vocals with Slava Grigoryan on guitar. The score was composed by Elena Kats-Chernin.{{Citation | last= Slavin | first= John | title= The Widower | url= https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/no-words-for-the-widower-20041008-gdyre4.html| periodical= The Age | date= 12 October 2004}} When the film first opened, many of the screenings were accompanied by live music.{{Citation | last= Webb | first= Carolyn | title= No words for the widower | url= https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/no-words-for-the-widower-20041008-gdyre4.html| periodical= The Age | date= 8 October 2004}}
Plot
A woodcutter mourns his dead wife.
Cast
- Chris Haywood as Neville
- Frances Rings as Mary
- Matt Dyall as Blake
- Blake Pittman as Young Blake
- Djakapurra Munyarryun
- Jay Bailey
- Tony Barry
- Ben Harkin
Reception
The Age's John Slavin writes "I don't think it has made up its mind whether it is a poetic elegy for bush life or a character study of the bushman. Haywood's superb performance emphasises the second approach." The Herald Sun gave it two stars, saying that "Director Kevin Lucas often settles for a far-too-literal interpretation of his source, which only invites the unwelcome (but not totally unwarranted) accusation that this isn't much more than a pretentiously highbrow music video."{{Citation | last= | first= | title= The Widower | url= | periodical= The Herald Sun | date= 7 July 2005}} Paul Lepetit of the Daily Telegraph gave it three stars, saying "Almost contemplative at times, The Widower exercises a mesmerising effect upon its audience; for the most part, it is a delicate combination of high art and fine cinema."{{Citation | last= Lepetit | first= Paul | title= The Widower (M) | url= | periodical= The Daily Telegraph | date= 3 July 2005}} Reviewing in The Australian, Evan Williams gives it 3 1/2 stars sand said "The film as a whole, however -- fragmentary, impressionistic, essentially plotless -- never quite lives up to its high ambitions."{{Citation | last= Williams | first= Evan | title= Kidman gets there by a nose | url= | periodical= The Australian | date= 9 July 2005}} Paul Byrnes of the Sydney Morning Herald finishes his review with a similar conclusion, "The film still has a power – Haywood's performance is magnificent – but it never achieves a strong inner reality. It falls short of its own tall ambitions."{{Cite web| last= Byrnes | first= Paul |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-widower-20050630-gdllne.html|title=The Widower|date=30 June 2005|website=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
Awards
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0425650|title=The Widower}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Widower, The}}
Category:Australian musical films
Category:2000s English-language films
Category:2000s Australian films