Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)

Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) (DVD) (*)

~~$34.99~~ $28.97

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Cannes Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
80 min

Aspect Ratio:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Cast/Crew Interview(s)
Commentary
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Trailer(s)
Booklet
Remastered

Movie filmed in 1988 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Terence Davies

Written By:
Terence Davies

Actors:
Lorraine Ashbourne ..... Maisie
Jean Boht ..... Aunty Nell
Carl Chase ..... Uncle Ted
Chris Darwin ..... Red
Sally Davies ..... Eileen as a child
Frances Dell ..... Margie
Freda Dowie ..... Mother
Anne Dyson ..... Granny
Susan Flanagan ..... Maisie as a child
Marie Jelliman ..... Micky
Debi Jones ..... Mr. Spaull
Matthew Long ..... George
Vincent Maguire ..... Rose
Antonia Mallen ..... Father
Pete Postlethwaite ..... Les
Andrew Schofield ..... Dave
Michael Starke ..... Eileen
Angela Walsh ..... Tony as a child
Nathan Walsh ..... Tony
Dean Williams

Synopsis:

Terence Davies's stunning debut feature film Distant Voices, Still Lives was instantly recognised as a masterpiece on its release in 1988 and the director hailed as one of Britain's most gifted and remarkable filmmakers. Re-released in April 2007 as part of a complete retrospective season of Terence Davies's films at BFI Southbank, it was once again showered with critical acclaim. The BFI now makes the film available on DVD for the first time, presented in a beautiful new digital restoration - a fitting showcase for this unforgettable film from one of contemporary cinema's true poets. Drawn from his own family memories, Distant Voices, Still Lives is a strikingly intimate portrait of working class life in 1940s and 1950s Liverpool. Focusing on the real-life experiences of his mother, sisters and brother whose lives are thwarted by their brutal, sadistic father (a chilling performance by Pete Postlethwaite), the film shows us beauty and terror in equal measure. Davies uses the traditional family gatherings of births, marriages and deaths to paint a lyrical portrait of family life - of love, grief, and the highs and lows of being human, a 'poetry of the everyday' that is at once deeply autobiographical and universally resonant.

The second film in Terence Davies's autobiographical series ('Trilogy', 'The Long Day Closes') is an impressionistic view of a working-class family in 1940s and 1950s Liverpool, based on Davies's own family. The first part, 'Distant Voices', opens with grown siblings Eileen (Angela Walsh), Maisie (Lorraine Ashbourne) and Tony (Dean Williams), and their mother (Freda Dowie) arranged in mourning clothes before the photograph of their smiling father (Pete Postlethwaite). Soon after, the family poses in a similar tableau, but for a happier occasion - Eileen's wedding. While relatives sing at her reception, Eileen hysterically grieves for her dad, and recalls happy times of her youth. Tony and Maisie's memories, however, are more troubled. Davies intermingles and contrasts scenes like the family peacefully lighting candles in church with the brutal man beating his wife and terrorizing his young children. In 'Still Lives', set (and filmed) two years later, the siblings are settled in life, but not all happily. For Eileen, relief from her drab existence comes only when singing at the pub. With his skillfully composed frames and evocative use of music in place of dialogue, Davies creates a lovely, affecting photo album of a troubled family wrestling with the complexity of love.

Autobiographical film of working class life in Liverpool, dealing with the Davies family. The marriage of their eldest child and the funeral of their father both evoke memories of the family's past, including their lives through the war years.

This product was added to our catalog on Friday 04 December, 2015.