Le navigateur: une odyssée médiévale (1988)
"The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey" (original title)

Men seeking relief from the Black Death, guided by a boy's vision, dig a tunnel from 14th century England to 20th century New Zealand.

Director:

Vincent Ward

Writers:

Geoff Chapple, Kely Lyons (screenplay),

Stars:

Bruce Lyons, Chris Haywood, Hamish McFarlane

21 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Lyons	...	Connor
Chris Haywood	...	Arno
Hamish McFarlane	...	Griffin
Marshall Napier	...	Searle
Noel Appleby	...	Ulf
Paul Livingston	...	Martin
Sarah Peirse	...	Linnet
Mark Wheatley	...	Tog 1
Tony Herbert	...	Tog 2
Jessica Cardiff-Smith	...	Esme
Roy Wesney	...	Grandpa
Kathleen-Elizabeth Kelly	...	Grandma
Jay Saussey	...	Griffin's girlfriend
Charles Walker	...	Old Chrissie
Desmond Kelly	...	Smithy

Storyline

A young boy in 14th century Cumbria (north of England) keeps getting visions he cannot explain. His village has so far been spared from the black death, but the villagers fear its imminent arrival. With the boy as their guide, a group set out to dig a hole to the other side of the world, so as to fulfil the visions and save the village. At the 'other side' is 20th century New Zealand !.. N.B. Flips from B+W to colour frequently.

---

Plot Keywords:

boy | village | england | death | black death | 

---

Taglines:

Time-Travel Adventure of the Year!

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Official Sites:

The Official site

Country:

Australia New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 December 1988 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Le navigateur: une odyssée médiévale

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Box Office

Gross:

$1,333,379 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arenafilm, Australian Film Commission, The, John Maynard Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 82 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It was this movie that convinced the producers of Alien 3 (1992) to hire Vincent Ward as writer/director (although Ward would eventually leave the set of Alien 3 after many creative differences with the studio).

---

Goofs

(at around 51 mins), during the pouring of the spike in the foundry, Griffin breaks the "fourth wall" by briefly looking up at the camera and then quickly away again.

---

Connections

Featured in Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995)

User Reviews

The way movies should be made....

This is a movie that takes you on a journey. Simple in it's storytelling yet complex in it's storyline. I actually felt like I was there, sharing in the lives and travels of the characters. The cinematography is beautiful. If this movie didn't win an award for it it should have.This is a movie that will stick with you, it will stand out as a movie that was clearly ahead of its time. I strongly urge everyone to see this. It may be difficult to understand at first, but you must allow it to sink in. There is a moral to it which took me a while to understand myself, but it's timeless.Watch and enjoy, but pause if you leave the room even for a second. One of my favorites.