Meeting Venus (1991)

Director:

István Szabó

Writers:

Michael Hirst (writer)
István Szabó (writer)

Release Date:

December 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A deliciously biting satire about both the world of Grand Opera and the current 'United Europe'. A Hungarian...

Plot Keywords:

Opera

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Glenn Close	...	Karin Anderson
Niels Arestrup	...	Zoltan Szanto
Kiri Te Kanawa	...	Elisabeth (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
René Kollo	...	Tannhäuser (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
Håkan Hagegård	...	Wolfram von Eschenbach (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
Waltraud Meier	...	Venus (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
Renate Spingler	...	A young shepherd (Tannhäuser highlights perfomed by) (voice)
Matthias Hölle	...	The Landgrave (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
Kim Begley	...	Walther von der Vogelweide (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
Robin Leggate	...	Heinrich der Schreiber (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
Rodney Macann	...	Biterolf (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
Roderick Earle	...	Reinmar von Zweter (Tannhäuser highlights performed by) (voice)
Marián Labuda	...	Von Schneider
Maïté Nahyr	...	Maria Krawiecki
Victor Poletti	...	Stefano Del Sarto
Johara Farley	...	Dancer (as Johara Racz)
Dieter Rita Scholl	...	Delfin Van Delf (as Rita Scholl)
Michael Kroecher	...	Cashier
André Champeau	...	Etienne Tailleur
Jay O. Sanders	...	Stephen Taylor
Dieter Laser	...	Von Binder
Johanna ter Steege	...	Monique Angelo
Roberto Pollak	...	Isaac Partnoi
François Delaive	...	Thomas
Maria de Medeiros	...	Yvonne
Etienne Chicot	...	Toushkau
Ildikó Bánsági	...	Jana
Dorottya Udvaros	...	Edith
Mosko Alkalai	...	Jean Gabor (as Moscu Alcalay)
Macha Méril	...	Miss Malikoff
Erland Josephson	...	Jorge Picabia
Maria Becker	...	Szanto's Mother
Eva Ebner	...	Von Binder's Mother
Sándor Szabó	...	1st Violinist M. Leuchter
Jenö Pataky	...	2nd Violinist
András Márton	...	New 1st Violinist
Georgiana Tarjan	...	2nd Orchestra Member (as Györgyi Tarján)
Iren Hordan	...	Eurowood TV Crew Sound Organizer
István Komlós	...	1st Orchestra Member
Manfred Andrae	...	Eurowood President
Erika Tóth	...	Eurowood TV Crew Director
Buda Gulyás	...	Eurowood TV Crew Cameraman (as Buda Gulyas)
András Vámosi	...	Eurowood TV Crew Sound
Sándor Kecskés	...	1st French Singer
Zsuzsa Mányai	...	Fat Lady
Ferenc Gerdesits	...	1st French Singer
Balázs Hantos	...	2nd French Singer
Laszlo Barany Paal	...	5th French Singer
József Csör	...	4th French Singer
András Kepes	...	2nd Journalist
Lili Kepes	...	3rd Journalist
Sándor Simó	...	7th Journalist
György Fenyves	...	4th Journalist
Ferenc Harangozo	...	5th Journalist
Pál Schiffer	...	6th Journalist
István Szilágyi	...	Stageworker
Fruzsina Pregitzer	...	Marie France
József Fonyó	...	Police Officer
Montieth Douglas	...	Computer Operator
Iván Verebély	...	2nd Hotel Receptionist
Károly Ujlaky	...	1st Hotel Receptionist
Pierre Remund	...	French Police Officer
Zsuzsa Fazekas	...	Szanto's Daughter
Jean Guerray	...	French Immigration Officer
Brigitte Sy	...	French Customs Officer
Sandor Altmann	...	Vogelwind

Directed by
István Szabó

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Hirst		writer
István Szabó		writer

Produced by
Renate Kupfer	....	executive producer: Tannhäuser highlight
Uberto Pasolini	....	associate producer
Gabriella Prekop	....	associate producer
David Puttnam	....	producer

Non-Original Music by
Richard Wagner		(from opera "Tannhäuser")

Cinematography by
Lajos Koltai

Film Editing by
Jim Clark

Casting by
Paula Chevallet
Patsy Pollock

Production Design by
Attila Kovács

Costume Design by
Catherine Leterrier

Makeup Department
Martial Corneville	....	hair stylist
Erzsébet Forgács	....	makeup artist
Dominique Plez	....	makeup artist (as Dominique Henri-Plez)
Jean-Luc Russier	....	key makeup artist
Jacqueline Stuffel	....	key hair stylist
Rozalia Szegedi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Marc-André Brunet	....	production supervisor: France
Tamás Kolpaszky	....	unit manager
Dominique Lallier	....	unit manager: France
Lajos Óvári	....	production manager
Uberto Pasolini	....	production manager
Gabriella Prekop	....	production manager
Imre Pumer	....	unit manager
Stella Quef	....	production manager: France
László Szücs	....	unit manager
Gábor Ujházy	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Zsuzsa Czégé	....	second assistant director
Zsuzsa Gurban	....	second assistant director
László Janicsek	....	second assistant director
Laurence Jones	....	second assistant director: France
Marion Lary	....	first assistant director: France
Philippe Louis	....	third assistant director: France
György Ordódy	....	first assistant director
Gábor Pintér	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Mihály Balogh	....	property assistant
Tibor Égenhoffer	....	construction manager
Zsolt Feher	....	property assistant
István Galambos	....	construction assistant
André-Noël Gaudin	....	set dresser
Zoltán Hardy	....	property master
Zoltán Jandó	....	painter
Lóránt Jávor	....	assistant designer
Ferenc Koloncsák	....	painter
László Makai	....	set dresser
Marc Marmier	....	propman
Claude Martini	....	buyer
Ágnes Menyhárt	....	set dresser (as Ági Menyhért)
László Nagy	....	construction manager
Imre Zöllei	....	painter

Sound Department
János Csáki	....	sound assistant
Ian Fuller	....	sound editor
John Haines	....	sound maintenance
Peter Holt	....	foley editor
Simon Kaye	....	sound mixer
Ray Merrin	....	sound re-recording engineer
Kant Pan	....	dialogue editor
Sylvie Partiot	....	sound assistant: France
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recording engineer
Tommy Staples	....	boom operator (as Tom Staples)
Andy Stears	....	assistant sound editor
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer

Stunts
György Kivés	....	stunt coordinator
Ferenc Novinecz	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
André Atellian	....	key grip: France (as Andre Atelian)
István Bartók	....	still photographer
Balázs Bélafalvy	....	second camera operator
Michel Benoit	....	grip: France
Jozsef Bitter	....	electrician
Arnaud Borrel	....	still photographer
Stephane Canda	....	grip: France
Clive Coote	....	still photographer
Sándor Domokos	....	electrician
Gilbert Gallart	....	gaffer: France
Miklós Herczeg	....	camera grip
Gyula Kovács	....	focus puller
Zsigmond Molcsan	....	best boy
Sándor Nagy	....	assistant camera
Eric Nové	....	grip: France
István Õsz	....	electrician
Balázs Sára	....	second camera operator
Károly Sipos	....	electrician
József Szücs	....	electrician
Antal Török	....	gaffer
András Tóth	....	camera grip
József Trombitás	....	camera grip

Casting Department
Donatella Botti	....	additional casting
Romain Brémond	....	additional casting
Risa Kes	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mari Balázs-Piri	....	wardrobe assistant
Olivier Bériot	....	costume assistant
Anikó Fazekas	....	wardrobe assistant
Claudine Lachaud	....	assistant costume designer
István Pataki	....	wardrobe assistant
Annick Redon	....	wardrobe assistant: France
Zsuzsa Stenger	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Adrienne Kun	....	assistant editor
Nick Moore	....	first assistant editor
Michael Trent	....	assistant editor

Music Department
David Bedford	....	orchestrator
Daisy Boschán	....	music consultant
Catherine Cournot	....	musician: piano
Valéria Csányi	....	music coach
Marek Janowski	....	conductor
John McCarthy	....	chorus master
Dorka Miklós	....	music assistant
Roger Vignoles	....	musician: piano, "Du bis wie eine Blume"

Transportation Department
Christian Aeschlimann	....	transportation captain: France
Csaba Lengyel	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Marie-Odile Bertot	....	production accountant: France
Cécile Cabel	....	production coordinator: France
Rita Dean	....	assistant accountant
Antal Fodor	....	choreographer
Ágnes Járfás	....	interpreter: France
Gary Jones	....	production accountant
Andrea Kálmán	....	production interpreter
Ildiko Kemeny	....	assistant: Mr. Stabó (as Ildikó Kemény)
Valerie Kemp	....	assistant to director
Julia Kovács	....	production interpreter
Benoît Lemaire	....	production assistant: France
Hoang Levan	....	assistant accountant: France
Patrice Monier	....	assistant to unit manager: France
Richard Morrison	....	title designer
Julia Overton	....	production coordinator
Benedicte Pinateau	....	production assistant: France
Pat Rambaut	....	script supervisor
Natasha Ross	....	production assistant
Jean-Claude Rubio	....	production assistant: France
Dawn Swiech	....	additional dialogue coach
Margit Szalontai	....	production secretary
Ann Tasker	....	unit publicist
Louise Vincent	....	dialogue coach
Julie Williamson	....	production assistant
Julia Wilson Dickson	....	additional dialogue coach (as Julia Wilson-Dickson)
Kenneth Woollam	....	singing coach

Production Companies

• BSB
• Bountiful Film Partners
• County Natwest Ventures
• Enigma Film
• Fujisankei Communication Group

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• London Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Teldec  soundtrack

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

UK | Japan | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

BSB

Trivia:

The director's name, István Szabó, translates as Stephen Tailor, and one running gag in the film is that several people are called this in different languages: Stefan Schneider, Steve Taylor, Stefano Sarto (three of the singers), and Etienne Tailleur (the stage manager).

Soundtrack:

Du bis wie eine Blume

A treat for classical music lovers.

A marvelous film that anyone with an interest in classical music will enjoy - be they an opera lover or hater. Excellent bravura performances by Close and Arestrup conjure up a heady mix of artistic temperament, the politics of "The Arts" and great music. It is great fun. The film is exuberantly directed and the pace never lets up. A triumph for Director Victor Szabo.