Madame Sousatzka (1988)

Madame Sousatzka (1988) (Blu-Ray) (*)

$25.99

Screened, competed or awarded at:
BAFTA Awards
Golden Globes
Venice Film Festival
Other Film Festival Awards

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

Product Origin/Format:
Spain ( Blu-Ray/Region A/B/C )

Running Time:
122 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.85:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

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

Directed By:
John Schlesinger

Written By:
Peter Morgan
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

Actors:
Shirley MacLaine ..... Madame Yuvline Sousatzka
Peggy Ashcroft ..... Lady Emily
Twiggy ..... Jenny
Shabana Azmi ..... Sushila Sen
Leigh Lawson ..... Ronnie Blum
Geoffrey Bayldon ..... Mr. Cordle
Lee Montague ..... Vincent Pick
Robert Rietty ..... Leo Milev
Navin Chowdhry ..... Manek Sen
Greg Ellis ..... Tarek
Sam Howard ..... Edward
Jeremy Sinden ..... Woodford
Roger Hammond ..... Lefranc
Mohammed Ashiq ..... Sunil
Carol Gillies ..... Sousatzka's Mother

Synopsis:

Bengali speaking Sushila Sen, her husband and son, Manek, re-locate to London, England and begin their lives as immigrants. Tragically, Mr. Sen passes away, leaving Sushila to struggle with everyday living, and looking after a school-going Manek. She manages to get a job and they are able to survive on her wages. Manek attends school, shows an interest in piano-playing, excels at it to the extent that his school-teacher refers him to a piano teacher, Yuline Sousatzka, an immigrant from Russia, renowned for her teaching skills. Yuline takes over Manek's life - not only for teaching him to excel in piano playing - but also his life as a whole. Disagreements do arise, as Manek does not want anyone to run his life for him, nevertheless the training progresses. Then Sushila loses her job due to "not meeting the standards" (an excuse used to openly discriminate against visible minority employees) and is fired. With no money coming in, Manek is under pressure to use his piano skills to make some money, much to Yuline's chagrin. But Manek has his way and is ready to play - or embarrass himself totally in front of an elite crowd at the London Symphony Orchestra.

Shirley MacLaine is Madame Sousatzka, an aging piano instructor of Russian extraction. Entrenched in a dilapidated London rooming house, the Madame gives lessons only to the most gifted. She does not stop at mere instruction; Sousatzka insists that her pupils conduct their lives in the same genteel, cultured manner in which she was raised. Her prize student at the moment is an East Indian teenage boy (Navin Chowdhry), who forms a strong and loving bond with the old woman. Director John Schlesinger occasionally cuts away from the Madame and her pupil to allow comic space for the other tenants in Ashcroft's building, including an erstwhile songstress (Twiggy) and a gay osteopath (Geoffrey Baydlon). Navim Chowdhry's mother is played by Shabana Azmi, an important star of Indian films.

The relationship between a demanding piano teacher and her student, an Indian prodigy.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 21 July, 2025.