The Widower
Directed byKevin Lucas
Written byLyndon Terracini
Based onthe poetry of Les Murray
Produced byAanya Whitehead
StarringChris Haywood
Frances Rings
CinematographyKim Batterham
Edited byKevin Lucas
Music byElena Kats-Chernin
Running time
60 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

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 it place.[1] Lyndon Terracini wrote the screenplay and performed the vocals with Slava Grigoryan on guitar. The score was composed by Elena Kats-Chernin.[2] When the film first opened many of the screenings were accompanied by live music.[3]

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.".[2] The Herald Sun gave it 2 stars finishing "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."[4] Paul Lepetit of the Daily Telegraph gave it 3 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."[5] Reviewing in the Australian Evan Williams gives it 3 1/2 stars stating "The film as a whole, however -- fragmentary, impressionistic, essentially plotless -- never quite lives up to its high ambitions."[6]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Molitorisz, Sacha (5 October 2004), "The Widower", The Sydney Morning Herald
  2. 1 2 Slavin, John (12 October 2004), "The Widower", The Age
  3. ↑ Webb, Carolyn (8 October 2004), "No words for the widower", The Age
  4. ↑ "The Widower", The Herald Sun, 7 July 2005
  5. ↑ Lepetit, Paul (3 July 2005), "The Widower (M)", The Daily Telegraph
  6. ↑ Williams, Evan (9 July 2005), "Kidman gets there by a nose", The Australian
  7. ↑ Zion, Lawrie (25 November 2005), "No short-priced favourite this year", The Australian
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