#Joseph blatchley

[anamon-book]

アデルの恋の物語 フランソワ・トリュフォー没後10年追悼上映 コムストック 監督＝フランソワ・トリュフォー／出演＝イザベル・アジャーニ、ブルース・ロビンソン、シルヴィア・マリオット、ジョゼフ・ブラッチリー、イヴリー・ギトリス ほか

[fabioemme78]

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

mordred through time (movies, tv shows, opera and musicals)

Part 2: From 1982 to 2002

Other Parts: Part 1: From 1949 to 1981 -> here Part 3: From 2002 to 2010 Part 4: From 2014 to 2017 Part 5: From 2018 to 2023

EDIT: There is a mistake in the video, Blind Guardian's Mordred's song was released in 1995 not 1989, so I corrected it in the description.

Complete list of part 2 media with extra information and some of my thoughs regarding the evolution of Mordred’s role is under cut.

We left part 1 with Mordred appearing only as a generic villain not related to Arthur until 1960 where White's novel is adapted into a musical. The musical follows the novel enough to introduce Mordred as Arthur's incestuous son with Morgause. Since then the "son" element has been kept in almost every single adaptation. We also have the first tv iteration of Mordred as Morgana's son instead of Morgause: Excalibur 1981.

This is not only the first time we see Morgana as his mother on tv, but also one of the first time ever. I made a list of the evolution of Mordred's mother in novels here.

You can see Morgause is pretty constant until 1980-1982. I have no idea what happened in those years but for the first time we have the 1980 novel "Firelord" by Parke Godwin itroducing Morgana as Mordred's mother instead of Morgause (in this case Morgause is completely eliminated). The 1981's movie Excalibur does something similar (Morgause is eliminated and Morgana absorbs her role), and I am pretty sure it could not have been influenced by "Firelord", given the two events happened so close in time (and less than a year is not usually sufficient to write and produce a movie). In 1982 Marion Zimmer Bradley published "The Mists of Avalon" which does something similar to Catherine Christian's "Pendragon": Morgause is still officially Mordred's mother by adoption.

From this point onwards you will see that Morgause ends up completely eliminated in her role as Mordred's mother from future movies and tv shows.

Full list for part 2 and more info:

1982 Camelot: I wrote a bit about the musical in part 1. This is a stage adaptation filmed live, so it retains all the songs (even Mordred's songs previously cut in the movie) and Richard Backus plays Mordred.

1984 Morte d'Arthur: A tv movie that probably was preserved thanks to Jeremy Brett's popularity as he played King Arthur. This movie is a strange adaptation of Morte d'Arthur, with the actors playing the scenes on a stage with no dialogue. A narrator tells the tale (and the dialogues themselves). Nickolas Grace played Mordred.

1985 Merlin and the Sword: Also known as "Arthur the King", this movie actually exists in two versions, the cut version missing some scenes (Arthur's funeral apparently!). The movie focuses mainly on Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot and Mordred plays the role of Arthur's son (from Morgana) and a kind of minor comedic fumbling villain. He was played by Joseph Blatchley.

1988 New Adventures of a Yankee in King Arthur's Court: One of the many adaptations of Mark Twain's novel, this one is a bizarre Ukranian (Soviet) movie that depicts Hank Morgan as a destructive force in Camelot. The movie is absolutely stunning, but being in Russian I could not understand the dialogue. Mordred plays a very minor role, he is Morgana's son and he is killed by Hank in a treacherous duel (Hank shoots him). His death is what leads Arthur and Morgana to ally to try and defear Hank Morgan. Mordred is played by Ukranian actor Mark Gres.

1989 Mordred's song by Blind Guardian: the correct date is 1995.

1989 A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: This is without a doubt my favorite adaptation of Twain's novel. Here Hank Morgan is actually a little girl called Karen. Mordred is a comedic-like antagonist and the main antagonist of the movie, played by Hugo Blick (who is mainly known now as a movie director).

1989 Doctor Who Battlefield: This is a 4 episodes arc in the 26th season of Doctor Who, with the Seventh Doctor being revealed as Merlin. Later on it was adapted into a novel. The episodes are set in modern times, with Morgana and her son Mordred having survived Camlann and travelling through time. Mordred is mainly shown to hate a new knight called Ancelyn who also survived Camlann. Christopher Bowen played Mordred.

1995 Mordred's song by Blind Guardian: So I decided to add the few songs/album that acts like a "Mordred's point of view/as if he was singing" kind of media. The singer here is singing as Mordred. It was also used in this 2016 rap song!

1998 Merlin: Probably one of the most popular arthurian miniseries! It follows the life of Merlin, from his childhood to his elderly years and the second episode mainly focus on Camelot and Arthur. Mordred is Morgana and Arthur's son, magically aged (like we saw in Excalibur 1981) and he becomes the main villain of the story alongside Mab. He is played by Jason Done.

2001 The Mists of Avalon: This is a miniseries adaptation of Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel, focusing on Morgana, Arthur and Guinevere. In my opinion it makes the novel much more palatable and easier to digest. Mordred here appears once more as Morgana's son, but he is a adopted by Morgause and raised to hate Arthur. Mordred is the main antagonist in the second part, and his character here is turned into an almost sympathetic villain. Hans Matherson played adult Mordred (I was obsessed with that man 15 years ago).

2002 Justice League (and the 2004 sequel Justice League Unlimited): Justice League (two seasons) and Justice League Unlimited (3 seasons) are animated shows (for a younger audience) which adapts some stories from DC (both DC and Marvel have interations of Morgana and Mordred). Mordred is a kid (Morgana put a spell on him to keep him young) and immortal, both him and Morgana are villains who use magic. He is voiced by Soren Fulton.

A small note: All these movies here are for tv! Cinematic releases for arthurian movies in general do not seem to be as prominent. It is kind of heartbreaking noawadys to see the disappearance of cheap tv movies.

[yesabanne]

By Tim Masters

Entertainment and arts correspondent, BBC News

Geraldine James on the funny side of Chekhov - and how her Little Britain cameo helped get her cast in the US movie version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

With her chiselled cheekbones and Titian locks, Geraldine James has been one of the most recognisable actresses across stage, screen and TV during the past three decades.

In her latest stage role, she plays a fading actress in a new production of Chekhov's Seagull at London's Arcola Theatre.

"I read the script and I thought, 'She's a complete cow! I don't want to play this part!'" says James ahead of the opening night.

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She was, however, persuaded to take on the role of Arkadina by her husband, Joseph Blatchley, who also directs and co-translated the new version.

This is Chekhov with the original censor's cuts restored. References to dishonesty and thieving are back, adding - says James - texture to some of the characters in the play.

The story, set in 19th Century rural Russia, sees an an anxious young writer, Konstantin (Al Weaver), put on a performance of his new play, with disastrous consequences.

"It's a funny play," James says. "Chekhov calls it a comedy, the original production was a complete catastrophe, and the audience laughed at it in completely the wrong way. Chekhov was very upset and said he'd never write another play."

The play's comic credentials are boosted by the presence of Roger Lloyd Pack, star of TV comedies such as Only Fools and Horses and The Vicar of Dibley.

"As with Shakespeare, we keep revisiting Chekhov," says James.

"For some reason in England, the word 'Chekhovian' is associated with drifting about with a parasol, a lot of weeping, and drinking tea from a samovar.

"But it's about real people - it's about family relationships and the way people want to be recognised for who they are."

James's last stage role was in 2009, when she starred as Gertrude opposite Jude Law in Hamlet on Broadway.

She had already worked with Law on Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes movie, and will reprise her role as landlady Mrs Hudson in a sequel due out at the end of 2011.

"Something very dramatic happens to poor Mrs Hudson," James says.

Her other recent film appearances have included Made in Dagenham, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and the remake of Arthur with Russell Brand.

Swedish accent

But it is a role in David Fincher's Hollywood remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo that excites her the most.

James plays Cecelia Vanger in a cast that includes Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander.

Shooting has taken place in Sweden - where most of the story as set - as well as Los Angeles, Oslo and London. "I had to work on my Swedish accent," James says.

She notes, with a hint of regret, that her character does not get to have a fling with Blomkvist, as in Stieg Larsson's novel.

"David Fincher is an actor's director. It's a bit frightening on the first day because you film a scene and he says, 'Do it again', and then you get to take 30 and you think you're no good, but you realise it's just how he works."

James suddenly grabs my microphone and speaks into it in deep, dramatic tones: "I would love to do more with David Fincher - broadcast that!"

The 60-year-old actress, who made her name in lavish ITV drama The Jewel in the Crown in 1984, gained a new generation of fans in the 21st Century through her cameos on BBC comedy sketch show Little Britain.

She played the upper-class mother who continues to breastfeed her grown-up son Harvey Pincher (David Walliams) whenever he cries "Bitty!"

"I think I may have got the part in Dragon Tattoo because of Little Britain," James says. "David Fincher came up to me and said, 'It is you, isn't it?' He absolutely adores it."

She admits it was a "wild card" job, but didn't think twice about doing it.

"I do get 12-year-olds on the tube coming up and saying, 'Bitty', which is a little disconcerting - and also men of a certain age.

"A lot of people are appalled. My acupuncturist's receptionist can barely look at me anymore because I did Little Britain. She just blushes and gets someone else to write my receipt.

"But it's great for the old CV - when I go into heaven I can say, 'Tick - I've done Shakespeare, done Chekhov, done a few movies and done Little Britain.'

"What more can an actress ask for?"

Seagull is at the Arcola Theatre, London E8, until Saturday 16 July.

Around the BBC

Par Tim Masters

Correspondant du divertissement et des arts, BBC News

Geraldine James sur le côté drôle de Tchekhov - et comment son apparition dans Little Britain l'a aidée à obtenir son casting dans la version cinématographique américaine de La Fille au tatouage de dragon.

Avec ses pommettes ciselées et ses mèches de Titien, Geraldine James est l'une des actrices les plus reconnaissables sur scène, au cinéma et à la télévision au cours des trois dernières décennies.

Dans son dernier rôle sur scène, elle incarne une actrice en voie de disparition dans une nouvelle production de La Mouette de Tchekhov au Arcola Theatre de Londres.

"J'ai lu le scénario et je me suis dit : 'C'est une vraie vache ! Je ne veux pas jouer ce rôle !'", a déclaré James avant la soirée d'ouverture.

Elle a cependant été persuadée d'assumer le rôle d'Arkadina par son mari, Joseph Blatchley, qui réalise et co-traduit également la nouvelle version.

C'est Tchekhov avec les coupes originales de la censure restaurées. Les références à la malhonnêteté et au vol sont de retour, ajoutant - dit James - de la texture à certains personnages de la pièce.

L'histoire, qui se déroule dans la Russie rurale du XIXe siècle, voit un jeune écrivain anxieux, Konstantin (Al Weaver), monter sa nouvelle pièce, avec des conséquences désastreuses.

"C'est une pièce amusante", dit James. "Tchekhov appelle cela une comédie, la production originale a été une catastrophe totale et le public en a ri d'une manière complètement erronée. Tchekhov était très bouleversé et a déclaré qu'il n'écrirait jamais une autre pièce."

Les références comiques de la pièce sont renforcées par la présence de Roger Lloyd Pack, star de comédies télévisées telles que Only Fools and Horses et The Vicar of Dibley.

"Comme pour Shakespeare, nous revisitons sans cesse Tchekhov", explique James.

"Pour une raison ou une autre, en Angleterre, le mot "Tchékhovien" est associé au fait de se promener avec un parasol, de pleurer beaucoup et de boire du thé dans un samovar.

"Mais il s'agit de vraies personnes, de relations familiales et de la façon dont les gens veulent être reconnus pour ce qu'ils sont."

Le dernier rôle de James sur scène remonte à 2009, lorsqu'elle jouait le rôle de Gertrude aux côtés de Jude Law dans Hamlet à Broadway.

Elle avait déjà travaillé avec Law sur le film Sherlock Holmes de Guy Ritchie et reprendra son rôle de propriétaire, Mme Hudson, dans une suite qui sortira fin 2011.

"Quelque chose de très dramatique arrive à la pauvre Mme Hudson", dit James.

Ses autres apparitions récentes au cinéma incluent Made in Dagenham, Alice au pays des merveilles de Tim Burton et le remake d'Arthur avec Russell Brand. Mais c'est un rôle dans le remake hollywoodien de David Fincher de La Fille au tatouage de dragon qui l'excite le plus.James incarne Cecelia Vanger dans un casting qui comprend Daniel Craig dans le rôle de Mikael Blomkvist et Rooney Mara dans le rôle de la pirate informatique, Lisbeth Salander.Le tournage a eu lieu en Suède – où se déroule l'essentiel de l'histoire – ainsi qu'à Los Angeles, Oslo et Londres. "J'ai dû travailler sur mon accent suédois", explique James.Elle constate, avec une pointe de regret, que son personnage n'a pas la possibilité d'avoir une aventure avec Blomkvist, comme dans le roman de Stieg Larsson."David Fincher est un réalisateur d'acteurs. C'est un peu effrayant le premier jour parce que vous filmez une scène et il vous dit : "Refais-la", puis tu en prends 30 et tu penses que tu n'es pas bon, mais tu réalises. c'est juste sa façon de travailler."James saisit soudainement mon micro et parle dans un ton profond et dramatique : "J'adorerais faire plus avec David Fincher - diffusez ça !"L'actrice de 60 ans, qui s'est fait un nom dans le somptueux drame d'ITV The Jewel in the Crown en 1984, a gagné une nouvelle génération de fans au 21e siècle grâce à ses apparitions dans l'émission de sketchs comiques de la BBC Little Britain.Elle a joué la mère de la classe supérieure qui continue d'allaiter son fils adulte Harvey Pincher (David Walliams) chaque fois qu'il crie « Bitty !"Je pense que j'ai peut-être obtenu le rôle dans Dragon Tattoo grâce à Little Britain", dit James. "David Fincher est venu vers moi et m'a dit : 'C'est toi, n'est-ce pas ?' Il adore ça."Elle admet qu’il s’agissait d’un travail « imprévisible », mais n’a pas hésité à le faire."Il arrive que des jeunes de 12 ans arrivent à la télévision et disent 'Bitty', ce qui est un peu déconcertant - et aussi des hommes d'un certain âge."Beaucoup de gens sont consternés. La réceptionniste de mon acupuncteur peut à peine me regarder parce que j'ai fait Little Britain. Elle rougit et demande à quelqu'un d'autre d'écrire mon reçu."Mais c'est génial pour l'ancien CV. Quand je vais au paradis, je peux dire : "Cochez, j'ai fait Shakespeare, Tchekhov, quelques films et Little Britain"."Que peut demander de plus une actrice ?"Seagull est au Arcola Theatre, Londres E8, jusqu'au samedi 16 juillet.Autour de la BBC

[alexlacquemanne]

Juillet MMXXIII

Films

Indiana Jones et le Cadran de la destinée (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) (2023) de James Mangold avec Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, John Rhys-Davies, Thomas Kretschmann et Boyd Holbrook

Un mariage de rêve (Easy Virtue) (2008) de Stephan Elliott avec Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth, Kimberley Nixon, Katherine Parkinson et Kris Marshall

Douze Heures d'horloge (1959) de Géza von Radványi avec Lino Ventura, Laurent Terzieff, Hannes Messemer, Eva Bartok, Lucien Raimbourg, Suzy Prim, Gert Fröbe et Guy Tréjan

Dies iræ (2003) d'Alexandre Astier avec Tony Saba, Thomas Cousseau, Lionnel Astier, Alexis Hénon, Nicolas Gabion, Franck Pitiot, Jean-Christophe Hembert, Alexandre Astier, Jean-Robert Lombard et Jacques Chambon

La Vérité sur Bébé Donge (1952) d'Henri Decoin avec Jean Gabin, Danielle Darrieux, Gabrielle Dorziat, Claude Génia, Marcel André, Jacques Castelot et Daniel Lecourtois

Sorcerer (1977) de William Friedkin avec Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, Amidou, Ramon Bieri, Peter Capell, Karl John et Friedrich von Ledebur

La moutarde me monte au nez (1974) de Claude Zidi avec Pierre Richard, Jane Birkin, Claude Piéplu, Jean Martin, Danielle Minazzoli, Vittorio Caprioli, Julien Guiomar et Henri Guybet

Mission impossible : Dead Reckoning, partie 1 (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One) (2023) de Christopher McQuarrie avec Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell et Pom Klementieff

Demain ne meurt jamais (Tomorrow Never Dies) (1997) de Roger Spottiswoode avec Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Ricky Jay, Götz Otto et Joe Don Baker

Plus dure sera la chute (The Harder They Fall) (1956) de Mark Robson avec Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Nehemiah Persoff, Mike Lane, Jan Sterling et Max Baer

La Guerre des polices (1979) de Robin Davis avec Claude Brasseur, Claude Rich, Marlène Jobert, Georges Staquet, Jean-François Stévenin, Étienne Chicot, David Jalil, Gérard Desarthe, Jean Rougerie et Jean-Pierre Kalfon

Oppenheimer (2023) de Christopher Nolan avec Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek et Kenneth Branagh

L'Odyssée de Pi (Life of Pi) (2012) d'Ang Lee avec Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon, Tabu, Adil Hussain, Ayan Khan, Vibish Sivakumar et Rafe Spall

L'Histoire d'Adèle H. (1975) de François Truffaut avec Isabelle Adjani, Bruce Robinson, Sylvia Marriott, Joseph Blatchley, Ivry Gitlis et Ruben Dorey

Meurs un autre jour (Die Another Day) (2002) de Lee Tamahori avec Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike et Rick Yune

La Tulipe noire (1964) de Christian-Jaque avec Alain Delon, Virna Lisi, Dawn Addams, Akim Tamiroff, Adolfo Marsillach, Robert Manuel et Francis Blanche

Séries

Friends Saison 10

Celui qui n'arrivait pas à se confier - Celui qui allait très bien - Celui qui avait décidé de bronzer - Celui qui transformait le gâteau d'anniversaire - Celui qui écrivait une lettre de recommandation - Celui qui a failli avoir la subvention - Celui qui bluffait l'assistante sociale - Celui qui ratait Thanksgiving - Ceux qui rencontraient la mère biologique - Celui qui se faisait coincer - Celui qui trahissait le pacte - Celui qui jouait le rôle du père - Celui qui baragouinait - Celui qui n'aimait pas la maison - Celui qui faisait tout pour retenir Rachel - Celui qui n'aimait pas les adieux - Ceux qui s'en allaient

Inspecteur Barnaby Saison 10

Danse avec la mort - L'Oncle d'Amérique - La Chasse au trésor - Le Blues de l'assassin - Le Flash de la mort - Le Télescope de la mort

Coffre à Catch

#122 : Finlay prend la trique et Ichtou jette l'éponge ! - #123 : Finlay à domicile pour le titre ECW ! - #124 : Les Survivor Series : Des bangers en veux-tu en voilà! - #125 : Beliaroth INFILTRE l'Univers d'Agius! - #126 : MVP et Matt Hardy: de partenaires à adversaires !

Kaamelott Livre I

Le Duel - L'Invasion viking - La Bataille rangée - La Romance de Perceval - Les Funérailles d'Ulfin - Le Chevalier femme - La Carte - Le Repas de famille - Le Répurgateur - Le Labyrinthe - Heat - Les Tartes aux myrtilles - La Table de Breccan - Le Chevalier mystère - Le Fléau de Dieu - Le Garde du corps - Des nouvelles du monde - Codes et Stratégies - Le Maître d’armes - Le Négociateur - Dîner dansant - Le Sixième Sens - Arthur et la Question - Monogame - Les Défis de Merlin - Le Banquet des chefs - Le Signe - En forme de Graal - Le Repos du guerrier - La Dent de requin - La Taxe militaire - La Queue du scorpion - La Potion de fécondité - L’Interprète - Le Sacrifice - À la volette - De retour de Judée - La Botte secrète - L’Assassin de Kaamelott - Le Trois de cœur - Basidiomycètes - L’Imposteur - Compagnons de chambrée - La Grotte de Padraig - Ambidextrie - Raison d’argent - La Romance de Lancelot - Merlin et les Loups - Le Cas Yvain - L’Adoubement - Arthur et les Ténèbres - Le Zoomorphe - La Coccinelle de Madenn - Patience dans la plaine - Le Oud - Le Code de chevalerie - Létal - Azénor - Le Sort de rage - Les Nouveaux Frères - Enluminures - Haunted - Le Secret de Lancelot - Le Serpent géant - Guenièvre et les Oiseaux - Le Dernier Empereur - Perceval relance de quinze - Le Coup d’épée - La Jupe de Calogrenant - Le Prodige du fakir - Un bruit dans la nuit - Feu l’âne de Guethenoc - Goustan le Cruel - Le Chaudron rutilant - La Visite d’Ygerne - Les Clandestins - La Kleptomane - Le Pain - La Mort le Roy Artu - Le Problème du chou - Un roi à la taverne - Les Fesses de Guenièvre - Le Billet doux - Guenièvre et l’Orage - Eunuques et Chauds Lapins - Choc frontal - Le Forage - Le Discobole - L’Expurgation de Merlin - Les Volontaires - Polymorphie - Décibels nocturnes - La Fête de l’hiver - Gladiator - La Blessure mortelle - Le Dragon des tunnels - Retour de campagne - L’Escorte - Tel un chevalier - La Pâte d’amande - La Fureur du dragon - Vox populi - Unagi - L’Éclaireur - Lacrimosa - La Quête des deux renards - Agnus Dei - Le Tourment - La Retraite - La Vraie Nature du Graal

Affaires Sensibles

Le Tour de France fantôme - Tom Simpson : une funeste passion - Lance Armstrong, le héros déchu - 21 juillet 1969 : objectif Lune

Castle Saison 2

Une rose pour l’éternité - Le Contrat - Le Troisième Homme - Le Batteur battu - Journal d'une dominatrice - Messages par balles - La Mort de Nikki - La Malédiction de la momie

Orgueil et Préjugés

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6

Raison et Sentiments

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3

Spectacles

John Fogerty : Premonition (1997)

Eddy Mitchell au Casino de Paris (1990)

Livres

Pourquoi vous faisez ça ? de Pablo Mira

Gaston , Tome 2 de André Franquin et Jidékeur

Le péplum, un mauvais genre de Claude Aziza

Hero Corp, Tome 2 : Chroniques de Simon Astier, Louis et Stéphane Créty

[letterboxd-loggd]

The Story of Adele H. (L'Histoire d'Adèle H.) (1975) François Truffaut

May 3rd 2021

[theoscarsproject]

The Story of Adele H. (1975). Adèle Hugo's unrequited love for a lieutenant.

This is an interesting story in a lot of ways about obsession and infatuation, and it’s really grounded in a pretty excellent performance by Isabelle Adjani. The movie ebbs and flows in ways that gives her the opportunity to really chew the scenery, albeit sometimes in ways that are frustrating or perhaps go on for too long. Still, it’s a compelling adaptation of a story I actually didn’t know about, so that was fun! 7/10.

[mariocki]

Storyboard: Making News (4.1, Thames, 1989)

"I didn't like that piece!"

"Roger - you're the producer, I'm the editor. We're equals, but I decide what's news; you decide what you want to do with it, OK?"

[lifejustgotawkward]

365 Day Movie Challenge (2017) - #63: The Story of Adèle H. (1975) - dir. François Truffaut

It is never any surprise when directors hire actress Isabelle Adjani, who has an incredible ability to mine a character for the most intense depths of emotion. This was probably never more evident than in her tortured work in Andrzej Zulawski’s grotesquely creative horror film Possession (1981), but Truffaut’s The Story of Adèle H. gives Zulawski a run for his money as far as depicting a woman’s slowly fracturing psyche and body.

Set in 1863-1864, Story has Adjani playing Adèle Hugo, second daughter of world-famous author and political figure Victor Hugo, a woman whose schizophrenia and erotomania begin to manifest when she fanatically falls in love with a handsome British army lieutenant, Albert Pinson (Bruce Robinson, later of Withnail and I directing fame) and follows him from England to his regiment’s new station in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Pinson is indifferent to Adèle, with whom he had had a brief affair when he lived near their family on the isle of Guernsey (the Hugos lived in exile, having been forced out of France for dissidence), but Adèle’s certainty that Pinson intends – present tense – to marry her gradually erodes her sense of reason, exacerbates the mental illness she didn’t understand that she had and drives her out of her mind. Twenty-year-old Isabelle Adjani received an Academy Award nomination for this performance, an absolutely deserved recognition that solidified her reputation as one of French cinema’s most exciting stars and got her work with such varied filmmakers as Roman Polanski, André Téchiné, Walter Hill, Werner Herzog, James Ivory, the aforementioned Zulawski, Claude Miller, Luc Besson, Elaine May and Bruno Nuytten (with whom Adjani received her second Best Actress Oscar nomination for Camille Claudel).

I have noticed recently that I have been gravitating towards stories of obsession, passion and violence: The Crying Game (1992), The Naked Kiss (1964), Angel (1982), Felicia’s Journey (1999), Asphalt (1929), Unfaithful (2002), Mona Lisa (1986), Exotica (1994). Of course, the ultimate icons of this mixed genre are numerous Hitchcock thrillers including Spellbound (1945), Vertigo (1958) and Marnie (1964), as well as Brian De Palma’s many Hitchcockian films, like Sisters (1973), Dressed to Kill (1980) and Body Double (1984). The Story of Adèle H. does not contain the same level of excitement as those other, more suspenseful films, though, since Story is a biopic and a period-piece drama rather than a thriller.

The film is consistently watchable since Néstor Almendros supplies good cinematography (especially in close-ups of the two leads) and, as mentioned, Adjani is brilliant (thankfully since she is the center of the film), but it is unfortunate that Truffaut could not elicit better performances from most of the supporting actors. There are a few sympathetic portrayals by Sylvia Marriott (Adèle’s landlady at a Halifax boarding house), Joseph Blatchley (a bookshop proprietor who is clearly sweet on Adèle) and Ivry Gitlis (best known to the world as a stellar violinist; here, he plays a hypnotist sought by Adèle in hopes of literally casting a spell on Lt. Pinson), but Truffaut’s film does not quite reach the heights of mastery.

[thomashenryhuxley]

Joseph Blatchley as Thomas Henry Huxley and Paul Chapman as Joseph Dalton Hooker in episode 7 of  The Voyage of Charles Darwin (1978).

Huxley and Hooker fiercely defend Charles Darwin and his new scientific theories. 

[dani240276]

'Expect nothing and hope for the best' is my mantra. A drama teacher called Joseph Blatchley told me that, and it's the best advice I've had. If you keep an open mind and don't expect too much, then you won't be disappointed😉 https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWolhQJIpD/?igshid=dzubyq3q0dhq

[ozu-teapot]

My Way Home - Bill Douglas - 1978

Joseph Blatchley, Stephen Archibald

[yesabanne]

Joseph Blatchley's adaptation of Chekhov's 'Seagull' at The