Displaying items by tag: Gabriel Byrne

DANCE FIRST

UK, 2023, 100 minutes, Colour.

Gabriel Byrne, Fionn O'Shea, Sandrine Bonnaire, Lisa Dwyer Hogg, Leonie Grainne, Aidan Gillen, Maxine Peake, Bronagh Gallagher, Robert Aramayo.

Directed by James Marsh.

Mention of Irish writer, resident for decades in France, Samuel Beckett, usually leads to the naming of Waiting for Godot. And there is reference to this throughout the film although the title quotation, here attributed to Beckett talking to a student, has reference to Godot. The title, coming later in the film, emphasises experience first, then reflection.

The film has been directed by James Marsh, noted for documentaries like Man on Wire as well as feature films like Theory of Everything.

The film is also a tour de force for Irish actor, Gabriel Byrne, portraying Beckett throughout his adult life but also the device of having him also appear as his inner self, continued discussions, challenges, greater understanding. The film opens with his being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, his judge at a catastrophe, his refusal to the speech – and a contrived sequence where he goes on stage, crashes through, escapes and begins the dialogue with his inner self.

This is a portrait of Beckett rather than a biography. The chapters are headed by the names of people who are significant Beckett’s life. In the early part of the film, Beckett as portrayed by the on O’Shea, a very serious bespectacled young man, ambitious writer, dominated by his sometimes terrifying mother, leaving Ireland as soon as possible, seeking out James Joyce in Paris (a very fine performance from Aidan Gillen, different from his other roles), part of his household, Nora Joyce wanting him to marry their daughter, Lucia, who has mental problems.

Beckett is very serious, wanting to hear every word from Joyce, reticent, having to take Lucia dancing, her thinking she was engaged, the terrible track tantrum when she learns the truth, throwing a charity mother, and her spending decades in an institution.

The significance influence on his life was Suzanne, his partner for many years, sharing the times during World War II when neutral Irish picket could stay in France, but join the resistance, their activities, and years of working in the fields to survive. But, literary agent, Barbara, Maxine Peake, admires Beckett, praising, begins a liaison with him.

The film moves towards Beckett success in theatre, Suzanne and her continued challenge to Beckett, the Nobel Prize.

Beckett certainly has his place in world literature – perhaps this film will raise further interest in him and his work.

1. The reputation of Samuel Becket, writer, novelist, playwright, Irish background, living and working in France, the Nobel Prize?
2. The structure of this portrait of Becket? The highlighting of significant characters for each chapter? 100 minute portrait, sketches of key events in Becket’s life, the influences, aspects of his career, though not to the forefront?
3. The meaning of the title, experience before reflection, dancing first then later thinking?
4. Gabriel Byrne, his portrait of Becket, and the dialogue with his inner self? This continuing throughout the film, Becket with insights into himself, the significance of self-reflection?
5. Becket’s Irish background, his family, the significance of his mother, her strong character, dominating, unpleasant, her controlling of the little boy? The continued controlling as he grew up, her expectations and demands? Her relationship with her husband? His being a fond father, softer with Becket, his dying? Liberating Becket to move away from home?
6. Becket, in his teens, early adulthood, bespectacled, serious, writing, the interactions with his mother?
7. Becket going to France, the importance of James Joyce, Joyce’s reputation, listening to Becket, Becket’s admiration, very serious? Inviting him to the house? Nora Joyce, a character, running the household, relationship with her husband? Welcoming Becket? His seriousness, ignoring conversation, wanting to listen to Joyce? Joyce, his character, tolerance?
8. The influence of Lucia, her mental condition, emotions, at the table, her mother trying to foster a relationship with Becket, his being unwilling? Taking her dancing as a condition of coming back? The dancing, her exuberance, his reticence? Her expectations, imagining engagement? Her mother encouraging? Joyce benign? Coming to a head, the many outings, his refusal, Lucia’s tantrum, throwing the chair? Her going to an institution? Her being there for decades? And the effect on Becket throughout the time?
9. Suzanne, meeting Becket, the attraction, her admiration and encouragement? Helping Becket to understand Joyce, Joyce and his distancing himself? The meeting with Alfie, their translation, he begins Wake, their contribution, the launch, the speeches?
10. The 30s passing, the outbreak of the war, Becket Irish and therefore neutral, staying in France, Alfie and the Resistance, Becket wanting to join, going with Alfie, with Suzanne, the years of the war, working in the fields, the effect?
11. The aftermath, Becket and his writing, becoming more famous, relationship with Suzanne, Barbara arriving, her admiration, her personality, her influence, the relationship with Becket, over the years, the performance of the play, people’s admiration, that he was a genius, Suzanne and her negative reaction is, the encounter with Barbara? The continued relationship, tension is?
12. Becket’s output, success, theatre, the Nobel Prize, catastrophe, his not giving a speech?
13. Into the 80s, the relationship with Suzanne, her illness, his care for her, her death? Barbara and her presence? Becket into his 80s?
14. The outline of Becket’s life and influences, indications of his career and acclaim? References to waiting for Godot?
15. The importance of the continued conversation between Becket and his inner self, in the aftermath of the Nobel Prize, the discussions about the characters in the past, his attitudes, his career, success on not, his self-image? And the title of the film, coming later in the film?
16. The film fostering admiration for Becket and his literary career, fostering interest in study of Becket?

THE 33

US, 2015, 127 minutes, Colour.

Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliettw Binoche, Lou Diamond Philips, Mario Casas, Gabriel Byrne, Bob Gunton, James Brolin.

Directed by Patricia Riggen.

The 33 of the title are the miners who were trapped for almost 70 days in a mountain collapse in the desert in Chile, 2010.

This is a re-enactment of the disaster, establishing the happy atmosphere of the men and their families and their village, the going to work, the suggestion that the mine in the mountain is unsafe and authorities rejecting this, the travel to the mountain, the long drive in the vehicle going further down in depth.

The disaster happens fairly quickly, collapse, injuries, the men trying to escape, gathering together, all surviving, going to the mine centre where there is shelter and some food. The film will intercut with the miners, their managing, working together, the issue of food and rationing, some prejudice against a Bolivian, the toll on the long wait.

Meanwhile, on the surface, the focus is on the women, at the fences, not given information, protesting, the group led by a very feisty Juliette Binoche.

Then there is the political response, the president of Chile, Bob Gunton, and his mining Minister, Rodrigo Santoro, humane man, inexperienced, who goes to the site, is confronted by the women, but works to find experts to come in for the drilling. They are led by Gabriel Byrne.

So, there is the intercutting between life on the surface, the establishing of a kind of village for those waiting, the media, the various experts. There is tension, mistakes made, and eventual breakthrough.

However, the ordeal was to continue, attempts to find ways in which they could bring them into the surface, drills from Australia, Canada, the United States, the need for huge magnets from Brazil to move iron blocking the descent. But, in the meantime, the men were provided with food, necessities, moral support, cameras and the ability to talk with their families.

Ultimately, the operation was a great success, the men rescued but, as the film indicated the company not found guilty of negligence, the men not compensated – but the credits sequences showing them, in fact, faces and names, and a final group photo – and the information that many of them participated in the making of the film.

Audiences might like to compare Ron Howard’s 13 Lives and the rescue of the boys from the Thai tunnel or A.J.Bayona’s Society of the Snow, the survival of the Uruguayan football team the crashed into the Andes in 1972.

1. Based on a true story? A few years after the events? Some of the former miners, out of work, participating in the film? World headlines? International collaboration?
2. The setting in Chile, the desert, the towns, the mine, the tunnel, the depths, the roads and vehicles, the rest centre? The president’s offices? The building up of the community outside the mine entry? The musical score, Latin overtones and instruments? The central song and its Cappuccio
3. The setting, the town, the miners, preparing for work, the party gathering, Elvis’s song, happy spirits? The men, wives, daughters, the children? The status of the mine, since 1989, Don Lucho and his concerns, the boss waving them away?
4. The journey to the mine, spirits, the long entry, the drive, the only way out? The image of the receding entry?
5. The work, the minerals, the shifts, the collapses, the rocks falling, injuries, the men escaping, the man hanging over the abyss, the vehicles, the crashes, assembling, the 33 still alive, going to the centre?
6. The drama showing the number of days, the cumulative effect? The men, interactions amongst themselves, friendly, the bigotry against the Bolivian, the issue of the food, limits, Mario as leader, with the key, over the days, controlling the meals, every 24 hours, the limits? The men and their hopes? Tensions, some with nightmares? The passing of the days, the radio not working, headlights?
7. The drama the top, the women and families, at the gate, Maria, her leadership, the earlier seen giving the sandwich to her brother, speaking out, the confrontation with Laurence, getting him to promise, slapping his face, her leadership, everybody staying at the fence, throwing stones, the demands? The reaction of the authorities, the police?
8. The political repercussions, the president and the Minister, the discussions, personal concerns, political concerns? The personality of the Minister, suit and tie, going to the site, the confrontation with Maria? The contact with the companies, Andre Sougarrett, his expertise, the geological aspects, mining aspects, the depths, boring into the Rock?
9. The interactions between Sougarrett and Laurence, hopes, missing out by 10 m, time passing, Sougarrett prepared to give up, Laurence and the talk was Maria, learning by mistakes, Laurence and the proposed solution, Sue Garrett weary, agreeing, the new tactic? Eventually breaking through?
10. The men, hearing the drilling, stopping, hopes, upset, the joy of the final breakthrough?
11. The aftermath, food, clothing, technology, the cameras, the man able to talk to camera to their family? Maria disappointed, waiting for her brother? The boost of morale? The television programs, the journalist, the commentary? The issue of Mario and writing the book and the contract? The men’s reactions, his later reaction?
12. The task of bringing them into the surface, the television series, the Australian solution, the Canadian solution, effective, failing? Bringing in the Americans? The discovery of the iron, the bringing in of the magnets? Able to break through? The long time?
13. The capsule eventually getting through, Alex, age, his wife, pregnant, his going up, the tension with the capsule stuck, the release, his emerging, reunion? The men continually coming up, families? The background of the man with the wife and mistress and her not being allowed into the compound? His wife going off? Maria and her brother, his searching for her, the reunion?
14. The impact the Laurence, his human involvement, the politics, interacting with Sougarrett and the others? With the president?
15. A world achievement, collaboration, technology, rescue, the long time?
16. The postscript with the actual men, faces and names, the information that the company was not held responsible, no recompense for the men? The final photo and they gather together?