Death and the compass film

Based on the short story death and the compass by jorge luis borges, the film is in english, and stars peter boyle as erik lonnrot. Despite its florid visuals and a game cast, death and the compass is nothing more than an empty exercise about the nature of power as triangulated between a bureaucrat, detective and a criminal. Four years later, alex cox turned his first adaptation into death and the compass, later expanded into a feature film. Doesnt really need the second, navigational compass to find the south. Though i havent seen it, the 50 minute version sounds like a more cohesive film, judging once again from the movie commentary with alex cox. Detective lonnrot declares war on the notorious outlaw red scharlach, after the outlaw has pulled of daring robbery. Boyle plays a mystical police inspector named lonnrot pronounced lonrow and sandoval his straightlaced superior recounting the story in flashbacks. The film was remotely based on the original short story, capitalizing on borges name. In 1967, the firesign theatre performed an adaptation of death and the compass on radio free oz. Probably the kind of film for cultists who coo over peter greenaway films. The compasses are instruments of abstract reasoning. Published in sur in may 1942, it was included in the 1944 collection ficciones.

Death and the compass, one of alex coxs most ambitious, inspired and visually stunning films, is a deliciously dark adaptation of the short story by acclaimed. Death and the compass, one of alex coxs most ambitious, inspired and visually stunning films, is a deliciously dark adaptation of the short story by acclaimed argentine writer jorge luis borges. In his death and compass jorge luis borges mocked arthur conan doyles brainchild sherlock holmes with his pure deduction and in his film alex cox goes still farther he stretches the story to its logical limit turning it into an acerbic black comedy. Written and directed by alex cox, death and the compass is told from the viewpoint of treviranusmiguel sandoval, the former commissioner of detectives. George guidall, winner of more than eighty audiofile earphones awards, has won three of the prestigious audie award for excellence in audiobook narration. It is included on the dvd release of coxs film but somehow there is no reference to spiderweb on the imdb. Dec 15, 2009 the golden compass was the subject of a prolonged attack from the catholic league for religious and civil rights. In 2014 the audio publishers association presented him with the special achievement award for lifetime achievement during his thirtyyear recording career he has recorded over 1,700 audiobooks, won multiple awards, been a mentor to many. For the film adaptation by alex cox, see death and the compass film. In a vaguely futuristic unnamed metropolis most of the film. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. The compasses a drawing compass that lonnrot uses to create the equilaterial parallelegram the 4 sided, diamond shaped figure that gives him precisely the place of the 4th murdertristeleroy, in the south. In 1984, alberto manguel adapted death and the compass for the cbc radio science fiction series vanishing point.

It stars peter boyle, miguel sandoval and christopher eccleston. Spiderweb is also based on borges death and the compass and stars nigel hawthorne. Famous quotes containing the words summary andor plot. Of the many problems which exercised the daring perspicacity of lonnrot none was so strange so harshly strange, we may say as the staggered series of bloody acts which culminated at the villa of tristeleroy, amid the boundless odor of the eucalypti. Rent death and the compass 1996 on dvd and bluray dvd. Alex decided to make the winner 1996 in order to get funds which worked and he was able to complete death and the compass in 1996. Originally a 55 minute film for the bbc released in 1992, alex cox had hoped to expand it into a full length feature film. Producer karl braun found further money to expand the. Borges is a relatively unknown author in the united states, mainly because his work seems to never have really caught on in any way, despite his legendary status in his home country.

Anchor bay entertainment, inc a brilliant detective investigates a series of strange murders in a totalitarian city of the future. The film was originally a 55minute drama made for spanish tvbbc in 1992. At compass college of cinematic arts, our goal is to educate and equip smart filmmakers to be storycentric, technically astute, globally and culturally aware, and impactful in their content creation. Film is a column comparing books to the film adaptations they spawn, often discussing them on a plotpointbyplotpoint basis. The films settings of magnificent architectural structures play a significant part in the lurid mystery. Death and the compass pennsylvania state university. We have the unique mission of educating students to enter this highly influential industry and tell stories that initiate positive change. Death and the compass is a loose adaptation of a jorge luis borges short story from eccentric british writerdirector alex cox. Oct 17, 2019 is a video on demand platform for cult films. Set in a surreal landscape that provokes lonnrots philosophical musings and leads him through mystical cabals and conspiracies within conspiracies, death and the compass is a remarkable adaptation of borges story, and a fascinating, often exhilarating film.

Mexican actress zaide silvia gutierrez also appears. The scene is some dystopian megalopolis consisting of back alleys and human warrens. Treviranus miguel sandoval, disheveled and haunted by the past, narrates the story of the last great case of a famous detective, lonnrot more. Told in flashback by the former commissioner of city detectives miguel sandoval, who has definitely seen better days, the film unravels the story of a mercurial. The film might not make sense until the final moments. Shot in a fever dream mexico city, death and the compass looks great. With peter boyle, miguel sandoval, christopher eccleston, zaide silvia gutierrez. Alex coxs second mexican film a 50minute adaptation of the jorge luis borges story death and the compass was made for the bbc in 1992 and expanded to feature length in 1996. Death and the compass is british director alex coxs second mexican feature. Wikipedia page wikipedia hosts a page on death and the compass.

Imdb page the internet movie database features a profile of death and the compass. Death and the compass in a totalitarian metropolis of the future shot on location in mexico city, erik lonnrot peter boyle is a gifted detective investigating a series of strange murders and disappearances that seem to implicate the insane crime lord red scarlach. Though death and the compass was reworked into a feature from a short project and shows telltale signs of thisit might have succeeded better if only director alex cox had been content to allow the film s sound to come through clearly. Death and the compass judging from the onetwo punch of the winner and this wretched, shotinmexico venture, it looks like the repo man has come to claim alex coxs moviemaking career. It was first translated into english in the new mexico quarterly autumn 1954. Spiderweb based on death and the compass by jorge luis. Death and the compass you can rent death and the compass from amazon prime. Sep 25, 2017 msmichels rating of the film death and the compass msmichel coxs adaptation of the borges story is a visceral, unique vision of off kilter performances, bizarre visuals and intrigue that make for a quite novel view. In a nightmare city inhabited only by criminals and police. I have simplified my politics into an utter detestation of all existing governments. Death and the compass 1992 official trailer, organic. In a totalitarian metropolis of the future shot on location in mexico city, erik lonnrot peter.

Death and the compass is a loose adaptation of a jorge luis borges short story from eccentric british writerdirector alex cox alex cox. A blearyeyed fever dream lumbered with impenetrable literary references, death and the compass quickly loses its way and expires long before its 90 minutes are up. Death and the compass is a 1992 american thriller film written and directed by alex cox, based on jorge luis borges short story of the same name. Death and the compass by jorge luis borges youtube. In his death and compass jorge luis borges mocked arthur conan doyle s brainchild sherlock holmes with his pure deduction and in his film alex cox goes still farther he stretches the story to its logical limit turning it into an acerbic black comedy. In 1992, alex cox made a 55minute englishlanguage adaptation, suitable for television. Borges film death and the compass shipwreck library. The mysterious murder of a talmudic priest provides lonnrot with a clue. The death part of the title comes from the murder of an hasidic scholar lasalle, while the compass part comes about in the use of geometry to solve the crime. Rent death and the compass 1996 starring christopher eccleston and miguel sandoval on dvd and bluray. Apr 17, 2020 death and the compass warren ellis library april 17, 2020 i remember sitting in front of the vcr with a brand new tape in hand, getting ready to record this off its bbc 2 transmission.

Aug 19, 2011 death and the compass is a little known but wonderfully composed noir film based on a short story of the same name by jorge luis borges. Death and the compass project gutenberg selfpublishing. In 1976, paul miller directed a 33minute film adaptation of death and the compass called spiderweb starring nigel hawthorne. Crime, mystery, thriller alex cox repo man directed this stylized adaptation of jorge luis borges labyrinthine detective story about a totalitarian city of the future plagued by a rash of bizarre crimes. Rotten tomatoes the scores on this aggregate site arenot so good. Filmed on location in mexico city, this mystery follows a hardboiled detective as he works to solve the murder of a talmudic scholar. Based on the short story death and the compass by jorge luis borges, the film is. It looks as if people were too busy despairing at the film s long. The film is told as a story within a story, partly narrated. Treviranus miguel sandoval, disheveled and haunted by the past, narrates the story of the last great case of a famous detective, lonnrot peter boyle. On a rereading of death and the compass deru kugi medium. It wasnt until 1996 that he finally completed filming on death and the compass and while the result is a mixed bag, its certainly an entertaining and visually dazzling film.