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L'Oeuvre au noir
1988 History / Drama
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Credits
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Director: André Delvaux
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Script: André Delvaux, Marguerite Yourcenar (novel)
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Photo: Charles Van Damme
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Music: Frédéric Devreese
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Cast: Gian Maria Volontè (Zénon),
Sami Frey (Prieur des Cordeliers),
Jacques Lippe (Myers),
Anna Karina (Catherine),
Philippe Léotard (Henri-Maximilien),
Jean Bouise (Campanus),
Marie-Christine Barrault (Hilzonde),
Marie-France Pisier (Martha),
Mathieu Carrière (Pierre de Hamaere),
Pierre Dherte (Cyprien),
Johan Leysen (Rombaut),
Dora van der Groen (Greete),
Senne Rouffaer (Le Cocq),
Geert Desmet (Han)
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Country: France / Belgium
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Language: French
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Runtime: 110 min
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Aka: The Abyss
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Summary
In the 1500s, a Belgian doctor and alchemist, Zenon, has spent the last 20 years travelling
across Europe. His radical theories have earned him the reputation of a heretic
and, fearing the Spanish Inquisition, he assumes a new identity when he returns to his
native Brugge. Unfortunately, his past soon catches up with him.
Review
This sombre adaptation of Marguerite Yourcenar's acclaimed literary work was directed
by the acclaimed Belgian film-maker André Delvaux. Visually, the film is
impressive and it boasts an excellent cast, but for all its excellent production values
it is a heavy and somewhat laboured affair. Delvaux's apparent obsession with mood
and detail prevents him from creating a film that is coherent and engaging, although
he does succeed in evoking something of the dark poetry and intimacy of Yourcenar's novel.
© James Travers 1999
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