CANNES -- Typical of many films at the festival here, Theo Angelopoulos' ''Le Pas Suspendu de la Cigogne'' (The Suspended Step of the Stork) is relentlessly arty, downbeat, political and slow, a motion picture with virtually no motion and virtually no future in U.S. cinemas. Even with the names of Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau attached, prospects are slight of finding many outside.
The premise of the film is intriguing: a TV news reporter (Gregory Karr), covering the plight of refugees living in ghettos in a Greek border town, sees a nameless man (Mastroianni) working in a potato patch he suspects could be a high-ranking Greek politician who vanished 10 years earlier under mysterious circumstances.
Thus begins some sleuthing to discover whether or not the reporter's hunch is right and, if so, why the man decided to bolt, not only from the public eye and his esteemed position as a political golden boy but also from his wife, played by Moreau.
Angelopoulos, obviously fascinated with his subject and characters, takes his time in covering the ground, filling much of the footage with the slow camera pans while the actors take slow walks, give slow reactions, look at each other with slow stares and make slow moves to a conclusion that seems interminable in arriving. Deep it may be; static it is.
Mastroianni, a performer who gives impact to any film in which he appears, is of only limited help in adding spirit here, mainly because -- despite the first billing -- he has only limited time on camera, not appearing except at a shadowy distance until approximately 70 minutes into the proceedings. Instead, the camera rarely leaves Karr who, for the most part, is limp and uninteresting as the supposedly hot-shot reporter.
Anyone pulled to ''Cigogne'' by hopes of seeing a crackling, or even sentimental, reunion of Mastroianni and Moreau as co-stars are also doomed to disappointment. They share no scenes throughout, coming together long enough for just one stare. Moreau, called on to do little but bleakly walk through snow-covered streets while recalling the past in a forlorn fashion, is nevertheless effective in adding the only real punch the film possesses. For Mastroianni, now one of the best character stars in films today, ''Cigogne'' is a minor turn, demanding little from him except his presence.
The only other role of significance is done by Dora Chrysikou as a Greek girl separated from her long-time fiance by political barriers. Also attracted to Karr, she stares at him a great deal, he stares back and they make occasional slow walks to his bedroom.
Technical credits are good. Cinematography by Yorgos Arvanitis and Andreas Sinanos effectivly gives an added chill to the grim Greek locale where the film is set, and their pictures are further enhanced by Mikes Karapiperis' production design, equally somber as the script by Angelopoulos, Tonio Guerra and Petros Markaris requires.
For the record, the title refers to a stance taken twice in the film, once by a Colonel (Ilias Logothetis), once by Karr, simulating the look of a stork with one leg suspended in air, ready to step. In this case, the step could be fatal. It occurs on a bridge at the Greek-Turkey border where a ''no trespassing'' line has been drawn. Anytime one of those suspended legs comes down on the wrong side of the line, a soldier is waiting, rifle in hand, ready to execute the trespasser.
The film had a number of walk outs during the press screening, while others shouted an enthusiastic ''bravo!'' at the conclusion. A man to my left audibly dozed throughout.
LE PAS SUSPENDU DE LA CIGOGNE (THE SUSPENDED STEP OF THE STORK)
(French-Greek-Swiss-Italian)
Director Theo Angelopoulos
Screenplay Theo Angelopoulos, Tonio Guerra,
Petros Markaris
Cinematography Yorgos Arvanitis,
Andreas Sinanos
Production design Mikes Karapiperis
Costumes Giorgos Patsas
Music Helena Karaindrou
Editing Giannis Tsitsopoulos
Producers Bruno Pesery, Theo Angelopoulos
Co-producers Ruth Waldburger, Angelo Rizzoli
Color
Cast:
The refugee Marcello Mastroianni
The woman Jeanne Moreau
The reporter Gregory Karr
The girl Dora Chrysikou
The ColonelIlias Logothetis
Running time -- 145 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
The premise of the film is intriguing: a TV news reporter (Gregory Karr), covering the plight of refugees living in ghettos in a Greek border town, sees a nameless man (Mastroianni) working in a potato patch he suspects could be a high-ranking Greek politician who vanished 10 years earlier under mysterious circumstances.
Thus begins some sleuthing to discover whether or not the reporter's hunch is right and, if so, why the man decided to bolt, not only from the public eye and his esteemed position as a political golden boy but also from his wife, played by Moreau.
Angelopoulos, obviously fascinated with his subject and characters, takes his time in covering the ground, filling much of the footage with the slow camera pans while the actors take slow walks, give slow reactions, look at each other with slow stares and make slow moves to a conclusion that seems interminable in arriving. Deep it may be; static it is.
Mastroianni, a performer who gives impact to any film in which he appears, is of only limited help in adding spirit here, mainly because -- despite the first billing -- he has only limited time on camera, not appearing except at a shadowy distance until approximately 70 minutes into the proceedings. Instead, the camera rarely leaves Karr who, for the most part, is limp and uninteresting as the supposedly hot-shot reporter.
Anyone pulled to ''Cigogne'' by hopes of seeing a crackling, or even sentimental, reunion of Mastroianni and Moreau as co-stars are also doomed to disappointment. They share no scenes throughout, coming together long enough for just one stare. Moreau, called on to do little but bleakly walk through snow-covered streets while recalling the past in a forlorn fashion, is nevertheless effective in adding the only real punch the film possesses. For Mastroianni, now one of the best character stars in films today, ''Cigogne'' is a minor turn, demanding little from him except his presence.
The only other role of significance is done by Dora Chrysikou as a Greek girl separated from her long-time fiance by political barriers. Also attracted to Karr, she stares at him a great deal, he stares back and they make occasional slow walks to his bedroom.
Technical credits are good. Cinematography by Yorgos Arvanitis and Andreas Sinanos effectivly gives an added chill to the grim Greek locale where the film is set, and their pictures are further enhanced by Mikes Karapiperis' production design, equally somber as the script by Angelopoulos, Tonio Guerra and Petros Markaris requires.
For the record, the title refers to a stance taken twice in the film, once by a Colonel (Ilias Logothetis), once by Karr, simulating the look of a stork with one leg suspended in air, ready to step. In this case, the step could be fatal. It occurs on a bridge at the Greek-Turkey border where a ''no trespassing'' line has been drawn. Anytime one of those suspended legs comes down on the wrong side of the line, a soldier is waiting, rifle in hand, ready to execute the trespasser.
The film had a number of walk outs during the press screening, while others shouted an enthusiastic ''bravo!'' at the conclusion. A man to my left audibly dozed throughout.
LE PAS SUSPENDU DE LA CIGOGNE (THE SUSPENDED STEP OF THE STORK)
(French-Greek-Swiss-Italian)
Director Theo Angelopoulos
Screenplay Theo Angelopoulos, Tonio Guerra,
Petros Markaris
Cinematography Yorgos Arvanitis,
Andreas Sinanos
Production design Mikes Karapiperis
Costumes Giorgos Patsas
Music Helena Karaindrou
Editing Giannis Tsitsopoulos
Producers Bruno Pesery, Theo Angelopoulos
Co-producers Ruth Waldburger, Angelo Rizzoli
Color
Cast:
The refugee Marcello Mastroianni
The woman Jeanne Moreau
The reporter Gregory Karr
The girl Dora Chrysikou
The ColonelIlias Logothetis
Running time -- 145 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 5/21/1991
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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