The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1976)

Director:

Lewis John Carlino

Writers:

Yukio Mishima (novel)
Lewis John Carlino (written for the screen by)

Release Date:

8 September 1976 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

He gave his soul to the sea and his heart to a woman. Their love will arouse you. The story will disturb you. The ending will startle you.

Plot:

After his father dies, a disturbed young boy plots to take revenge on the new man in his mother's life. |

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | School | Sex | Tea | Secret Society

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes.

Cast

Sarah Miles	...	Anne Osborne
Kris Kristofferson	...	Jim Cameron
Jonathan Kahn	...	Jonathan Osborne - Number Three
Margo Cunningham	...	Mrs. Elizabeth Palmer
Earl Rhodes	...	Chief - Number One
Paul Tropea	...	Number Two
Gary Lock	...	Number Four
Stephen Black	...	Number Five
Peter Clapham	...	Richard Pettit
Jennifer Tolman	...	Mary Ingram

Runtime:

USA:105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Dartmouth, Devon, England, UK

Company:

AVCO Embassy Pictures

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Angels' Revenge (#7.22)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Sea Dream Theme

Disturbing and Atmospheric Drama

An unforgettable and profoundly disturbing story centered on a widow, Anne, and her only son, Jonathan, in a remote English seaside town. Jonathan belongs to a gang led by a precociously intelligent sociopath known only as Chief, who through sheer force of will and intellect, indoctrinates them with a quasi-Neitzchean philosophy of ultimate superiority and the non-existence of morality. When Kris Kristofferson's Captain Jim arrives in town, and strikes up a passionate relationship with the lonely Anne, Jonathan sees him as a heroic masculine prototype, removed from society and living a 'true' life on the open sea. But when the Captain decides to settle down and marry Anne, Jonathan takes it as an ultimate and unforgivable betrayal, and exacts a terrible revenge.

Based on the 1963 Mishima novel, "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea" hints at many themes, from Jonathan's Oedipal obsession with spying on his mother's bedroom to his physical admiration of the Captain that verges on latent homosexuality. The atmosphere, masterfully created by veteran cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, is one of darkly brooding clouds, gray seas, and an air that constantly threatens rain. The (in)famous sex scenes are really not that explicit, and the casual violence exhibited by the children is far more shocking than any glimpse of breast or buttock.

The film, for all its brilliantly evocative atmosphere, excellent performances, and quietly brooding menace, is not without its flaws. The score is terrible, all mawkish piano and sickly clarinet. It is often overly intrusive and distracts from the overall sense of ripe stillness that director Carlino conjures throughout the film. But in general, the film is a remarkable experience, and one that any viewer is unlikely to forget quickly.