The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey (1988)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Vincent Ward

Writers:

Geoff Chapple (writer)
Kely Lyons (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

15 December 1988 (Australia)

Genre:

Fantasy | Adventure

Tagline:

Time-Travel Adventure of the Year!

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Village | Black Death | 14th Century | England | Death

Awards:

21 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

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
Bill Le Marquand	...	Tom
Jay Laga'aia	...	Jay
Norman Fairley	...	Submarine captain
Alistair Babbage	...	Grigor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barron Christian	...	American Submarine Captain (uncredited)

Directed by
Vincent Ward

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Geoff Chapple		writer
Kely Lyons		writer
Vincent Ward		written by

Produced by
Gary Hannam	....	co-producer
John Maynard	....	producer

Original Music by
Davood A. Tabrizi

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Simpson

Film Editing by
John Scott

Casting by
Diana Rowan

Production Design by
Sally Campbell

Art Direction by
Mike Becroft

Costume Design by
Glenys Jackson

Makeup Department
Marjory Hamlin	....	makeup artist (as Margorie Hamlin)

Production Management
Murray Francis	....	production supervisor
Godfrey Hall	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christine Haebler	....	third assistant director
Robyn Murphy	....	second assistant director
Greg Stitt	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Bruce Armitage	....	laborer
Robert Astley	....	props maker
Phil Attenbrooke	....	welder
John Brockie	....	construction crew
Jill Carlyle	....	stand-by props
Carl Dawson	....	laborer
Nick Delamore	....	laborer
Karl Fourdrinier	....	storyboard artist
Joshua Frizzell	....	laborer
Roger Guise	....	property buyer
Miro Harre	....	laborer
Roy Hopkins	....	stand-by carpenter
Shane Hopkins	....	laborer
Danie Hori	....	laborer
Terry Lysaght	....	construction crew
Alex Matagi	....	set painter
Gerry McGillicuddy	....	construction crew
Russell Munro	....	construction crew
Tony Piliotis	....	set finisher
Guy Richards	....	draughtsman
Ian Richter	....	scenic artist
Philip Taratoa	....	stand-by props
Shane Teehan	....	art department runner
Andrew Turney	....	props maker
Jon Turney	....	props maker
Nigel Tweed	....	construction manager
Simon Wheeler	....	laborer
Michael Worrall	....	conceptual designer

Sound Department
Greg Bell	....	additional dialogue editor
Steve Burgess	....	foley artist
Julius Chan	....	post-synch engineer
Liz Goldfinch	....	dialogue editor
Phil Judd	....	sound mixer
Gerry Long	....	foley artist
Ian McLoughlin	....	post-synch engineer
Axel Paton	....	boom operator (as Alexander Paton)
Dick Reade	....	sound
Angus Robertson	....	post-synch engineer
Lee Smith	....	sound effects supervisor
Malcolm Smith	....	assistant dialogue editor
Peter Townend	....	sound effects editor
Kimberly Walls	....	assistant sound effects editor
Noelleen Westcombe	....	assistant sound effects editor
Rhyl Yates	....	assistant dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Shaun Bell	....	special effects unit
Ken Durey	....	special effects pyrotechnics
David Foreman	....	special effects unit
Nicholas Foreman	....	special effects unit
Brian Harris	....	mechanical effects
Mark Matthews	....	special effects unit
Jim Millett	....	special effects unit
Paul Nichola	....	special effects supervisor
David Pride	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Andrew Mason	....	optical effects
John Pope	....	optical effects
David Pride	....	matte artist
Chris Swinbanks	....	optical effects
Michael Worrall	....	matte artist

Stunts
Steve Agnew	....	stunts
Michael Baxter-Lax	....	stunts
Karl Bradley	....	stunts
Stephen Charters	....	stunts
Brian D. Coleman	....	stunts
Bob Cullinane	....	stunts
Brendon Durey	....	stunts
Louise Fry	....	stunts
Nigel Humphreys	....	stunts
Timothy Lee	....	stunt coordinator
Timothy Lee	....	stunts
Tony Parlane	....	stunts
Brent Petrie	....	stunts
Patrick Smith	....	stunts
Marianne Stobie	....	stunts
Mark Woolams	....	stunts
Adrienne Wynyard	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Diane Blomfield	....	assistant photographer: second unit
Ben Campbell	....	generator operator
Terry Fraser	....	key grip
Allen Guilford	....	camera operator
Simon Mark-Brown	....	assistant grip
Nick Mayo	....	focus puller
Ian Philp	....	gaffer
Kevin Riley	....	best boy
Geoffrey Short	....	still photographer
Gordon Smith	....	lighting technician
Sigmund Spath	....	photographer: second unit
Sigmund Strath	....	lighting technician
Justin Topzand	....	clapper loader

Casting Department
Sharon Howard-Field	....	casting: UK
Liz Mullinar	....	casting: Australia

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pauline Bowkett	....	wardrobe assistant
James McCarthy	....	wardrobe assistant
Tunja Nola	....	wardrobe assistant
Erin O'Neill	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Arthur Cambridge	....	color grader
Miriam Cortes	....	negative matcher
Karen Jackson	....	assistant film editor
Danielle Wiessner	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Richard Lush	....	music recordist
Clare Shanks	....	music researcher
Davood A. Tabrizi	....	music mixer

Other crew
Laurence Aberhart	....	specialist stills
Phillipa Anderton	....	trainee assistant to director
Russell Baldwin	....	steeple-jack
Danny Boreham	....	runner
Robert Bruce	....	safety
Brian Campbell	....	runner
Alison Carter	....	researcher
Brian D. Coleman	....	horse trainer
Paul Coleman	....	wrangler
Clair Crowther	....	accent and voice consultant
Ed Curlett	....	catering staff
Sue Curlett	....	catering staff
Katherine Curtis	....	production assistant
Maya Dalziel	....	acting tutor
David Des Baux	....	trainee clapper loader
Janine Dickens	....	production accountant
Martin Doherty	....	solo voice
Peter Done	....	investors' representative
Lynda Fairbairn	....	medieval research
Kerry Fetzer	....	caterer
Michael Frankel	....	solicitor
Susan Gadsby	....	unit nurse
Paul Grinder	....	location manager
Caroline Guise	....	caterer
Allen Hardy	....	catering staff
Mara Kiek	....	solo voice
Judith Lardner	....	accounting assistant
Tilly Lloyd	....	runner
Margaret Lovell	....	co-production supervisor
Sue McCullum	....	catering staff
Elizabeth McRae	....	accent and voice consultant
Sheryl Morris	....	catering staff
Chrissie Parker	....	runner
Hilary Quick	....	assistant to director
Linda Ray	....	continuity
David Schubert	....	color lab liaison
Deborah Sinton	....	production secretary
Karen Thompson	....	production secretary
Angela Ward	....	unit nurse
Jane Wikiriwhi	....	receptionist
Julia Wilson Dickson	....	accent consultant: UK (as Julia Wilson-Dixon)
Denise Wolfson	....	color lab liaison

Production Companies

• Arenafilm
• Australian Film Commission, The
• John Maynard Productions
• New Zealand Film Commission

Distributors

• Circle Films (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Hen's Tooth Video (USA) (DVD)
• Home Cinema Group
• Madman Entertainment (1988) (Australia) (DVD)
• New World Pictures (USA)
• Ronin Films
• Trylon Video (video)

Other Companies

• Spectrum Films International  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

The Navigator
The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (alternative spelling)
The Navigator: An Odyssey Across Time (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Australia | New Zealand

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

Arenafilm

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Rarely is there a film that you cannot view just once. But this is one.

Not really well-known in most of the world, this New Zealand classic is one of the finest time-travel adventures ever to grace the big screen. A remarkable story indeed. Only by seeing it several times do you realise that every little detail is quite significant. This has been one of my Top 10 films of all time for over a decade. See it by all means, but see it more than once ... and pay close attention to everything.