THE CORMORANT
UK, 1992, 88 minutes, Colour.
Ralph Fiennes, Helen Schlesinger, Karl Francis.
Directed by Peter Markham.
The Cormorant is a somewhat grim telemovie, directed by Peter Markham and starring Ralph Fiennes. Welsh director Karl Francis has a cameo role as Uncle Ian.
The film focuses on a writer and his wife who move with their young son to a house in Wales. The house has been inherited from their uncle - who also has a large pet cormorant. The couple are unable to get rid of the bird as their uncle's will demands that they care for it. The cormorant seems evil at times, trying to destroy the family. The author tries to kill it but is unable to. However, there is a growing obsession with the cormorant, so much so that his wife takes their son away. When they return, the son goes into the cage with the cormorant but is rescued. The film also offers the author a chance to go back to his memories of his uncle and his death which has haunted him.
The film has a somewhat apocalyptic ending as the house they live in is destroyed, as is the bird.
1.Grim but interesting telemovie? Portrait of a family? Relationship with humans and nature? An allegory of the menace of evil in the world?
2.The Welsh setting? The town, the sea? The aerial sequences with the bird? The musical score?
3.The title and the focus on the bird? Sympathy for the bird? Fear of the bird? The bird as pet, memento of a dead man, menace, destroyer?
4.The character of John Talbot? As a writer, imagination, inheriting the house, his memories of his uncle, his uncle's death, the death in the boat, the eyes pecked out? Dealing with the haunting? His relationship with his wife, love for his son? Settling into the house, the discussions with the solicitor? The terms of the will? Calling the cormorant Archie - though it is a female bird? The growing obsession with the cormorant, the exercises, going into the sea? The bird killing the cat? The effect on his writing? The decision to kill the bird, unable to do it? Releasing it? The return? Taking the bird to a new cage, the sea and the catching of the fish, John almost drowning? His wandering naked and being seen by the neighbour? The return of Mary and Tom? Tom in the cage? John and his drinking, Mary's return and the final frenzy, the destruction of the bird, the burning of the house? Tom and the feather?
5.Mary, her love for John, love for Tom? Going to Wales, the people, socialising, the solicitor, the condition of the will? The intrusion of the bird? Her growing antagonism? John and his obsession? The decision to take Tom away, the return, Tom going into the cage, her desperation? The attack on the bird, the destruction of bird and house? A future for the family?
6.Tom, with the bird, the cat, the dangers of the bird? His settling into the new life in Wales? His mother taking him away? The return, going into the cage, his being comfortable there, people seeing him as trapped, the attempts to rescue? The destruction - and his having a feather to prove the bird was dead?
7.The neighbours, their help, social? The teacher and her return, finding John naked, the reaction? People trying to help, the burning of the house?
8.The film on a realistic level about a family and their not coping? On a symbolic level of the evil menace of the bird?
