Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Providence (1977)

Providence (1977) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 5 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   882 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alain Resnais
Writer:
David Mercer (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Providence on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
9 February 1977 (France) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
Clive Langham (Sir John Gielgud) spends one tormenting night in his bed suffering from health problems and thinking up a story based on his relatives... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
11 wins & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Playfully bizarre and thought provoking more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Dirk Bogarde ... Claude Langham

Ellen Burstyn ... Sonia Langham

John Gielgud ... Clive Langham
David Warner ... Kevin Langham / Kevin Woodford

Elaine Stritch ... Helen Wiener
Cyril Luckham ... Doctor Mark Eddington
Denis Lawson ... Dave Woodford (as Dennis Lawson)
Kathryn Leigh Scott ... Miss Boon
Milo Sperber ... Mr. Jenner
Anna Wing ... Karen
Peter Arne ... Nils
Tanya Lopert ... Miss Lister
Joseph Pittoors ... An Old Man
Samson Fainsilber ... The Old Man
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
110 min | USA:104 min
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R
Company:
Action Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
First cinema film of Denis Lawson. more
Quotes:
Kevin Woodford: I've got an erection.
Sonia Langham: Oh. Wanna do something about it?
Kevin Woodford: It's not mine!
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Zomergasten: (#7.4)" (1994) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful:-
Playfully bizarre and thought provoking, 9 December 2002
Author: Howard Schumann from Vancouver, B.C.

How often do we awake from our dreams in a sweat, not knowing what is real and what is illusion? Especially if we are feverish, our dreams can turn close friends or family members into ogres and hateful creatures (or possibly werewolves) who are bent on our destruction. Such is the case with novelist Clive Langham (John Gielgud), a dying 78 year-old writer who is working on his final novel in the playfully bizarre 1977 English language film, Providence, by Alain Resnais (Hiroshima Mon Amour, Last Year at Marienbad, Muriel). The film depicts how physical and mental anguish can distort our view of reality. A poetic screenplay by playwright David Mercer and powerful performances by John Gielgud, Ellen Burstyn, Dirk Bogarde, Elaine Strich, and David Warner provide strong support.

Clive does not go gentle into that good night. During one horrific night, all the pain of his life and disturbing family relationships boil to the surface. In the novel being played out in the author's mind, his family members, sons Claude (Dirk Bogarde) and Kevin (David Warner), and Claude's wife Sonia (Ellen Burstyn), mysteriously become the main protagonists, assuming roles as prosecutors and defendants, feuding spouses, and extra-marital lovers. As Clive goes deeper into the maelstrom, images become more and more hallucinatory. The denouement is witty, baffling, irritating, and then finally transcendent. To say that the ending is a surprise is a major understatement.

Providence may exasperate you but, if you have patience, it can be a richly rewarding experience. As with all thought provoking and multi-layered films, multiple viewing may be required for full appreciation. Providence was voted the greatest film of the '70s by an international jury of critics and, at Telluride, Norman Mailer called it "the greatest film ever made on the creative process".

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Providence (1977)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Ice Storm Europa Priest Sullivan's Travels Prospero's Books
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Drama section IMDb France section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.