Golden Braid (1990)

When a man discovers a golden braid hidden inside an antique he has purchased, he becomes obsessed with the fantasy of a love affair from time passed and the woman he imagines the braid belonged to.

Director:

Paul Cox

Writers:

Paul Cox, Barry Dickins,

Stars:

Chris Haywood, Gosia Dobrowolska, Paul Chubb

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Haywood	...	Bernard
Gosia Dobrowolska	...	Terese
Paul Chubb	...	Joseph
Norman Kaye	...	Psuchiatrist
Marion Heathfield	...	Cleaning woman
Monica Maughan	...	Antique shop owner
Robert Menzies	...	Ernst
Jo Kennedy	...	Paradise
Phillip Green	...	Cellist
Sheila Florance	...	Lady with clock
George Fairfax	...	Bank manager
Harold Baigent	...	Clockmaker
Barry Dickins	...	Barber
Victoria Eagger	...	Shop assistant
Margaret Mills	...	Female clerk

Storyline

When a man discovers a golden braid hidden inside an antique he has purchased, he becomes obsessed with the fantasy of a love affair from time passed and the woman he imagines the braid belonged to.

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Plot Keywords:

fetish | masturbation | based on short story | erotica | foreign language adaptation | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 1991 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Den gyllene flätan

Filming Locations:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Victoria, Illumination Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in A Journey with Paul Cox (1996)

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Soundtracks

Additional music
Debasish Gangopadhyay
Norman Kaye
Yu Shuzheng
Mahes Waidyatilleke

User Reviews

Impressive

If you are not familiar with Paul Cox's works such as Man of Flowers and Cactus, this film might be too hard to digest. Setting up the familiar Cox scenario of an emotionally insecure and reclusive protagonist dealing with an obsession, the film follows the introverted life of an antique clock shop owner and repairer, Bernard (played by Cox regular Chris Haywood) who finds a braid of hair in a clock. This sets off a series of events in which Bernard becomes 'entagled' with the braid on a number of levels much to the confusion of his lover. The film is loosely based on a Guy de Maupassant story called Le Chevelure but this is very much Cox's rendition on obsession. Cox's direction, as usual, is detached, allowing Haywood to invest Bernard's character with a subtle depth that avoids histrionics. Despite being an Australian film, the tone is very much of a European art-house film but more offbeat.