Damage (1992)

A member of Parliament falls passionately in love with his son's fiancée despite the dangers of discovery.

Director:

Louis Malle

Writers:

David Hare (screenplay), Josephine Hart (novel)

Stars:

Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Irons	...	Dr. Stephen Fleming
Juliette Binoche	...	Anna Barton
Miranda Richardson	...	Ingrid Fleming
Rupert Graves	...	Martyn Fleming
Ian Bannen	...	Edward Lloyd
Peter Stormare	...	Peter Wetzler
Gemma Clarke	...	Sally Fleming
Julian Fellowes	...	Donald Lyndsay, MP
Leslie Caron	...	Elizabeth Prideaux
Tony Doyle	...	Prime Minister
Ray Gravell	...	Raymond (as Raymond Gravell)
Susan Engel	...	Miss Snow
David Thewlis	...	Detective
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Civil Servant
Jeff Nuttall	...	Trevor Leigh Davies MP

Storyline

A member of Parliament (Irons) falls passionately in love with his son's fiancée. They pursue their affair with obsessive abandon despite the dangers of discovery and what it would do to his complacent life and his son. Completely obsessed, he wants to give up his current lifestyle to be with her. She has no intention of allowing him to do this, preferring to have her marriage to the son as a cover. They are eventually discovered, and must deal with the damage. Based on the novel by Josephine Hart.

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Plot Keywords:

parliament | member of parliament | love | marriage | nudity | 

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Taglines:

The most talked about novel of the year is now the most talked about film of the year.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for language

Details

Country:

UK France

Language:

English French German Italian

Release Date:

22 January 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fatale

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$7,532,911 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF), Skreba Films, StudioCanal

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Part of the Prime Minster's Aide was going to be played by Stephen Beard but shortly before filming he was replaced by Barry Stearn.

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Goofs

When Anna's mother comes over for lunch, we see a shot of Anna. Stephen's shoulder is already in the frame, even though he only sits down next to her in the following shot.

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Quotes

Elizabeth Prideaux: You must understand, this is a wonderful chance for Anna to get a fresh start in life.
Dr. Stephen Fleming: I'm not sure I know what you mean.
Elizabeth Prideaux: Yes you do. I watched you at lunch. You didn't dare to look at her.

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Connections

Remade as Irreparable Damage (1995)

User Reviews

If I was on a deserted island with only 1 movie...

There's a fine line between passion and pain, and no one does either of them better than Jeremy Irons. Obsession is the bottom line here, and anyone who's been there can relate. Nothing else matters, and in this movie, Irons crosses all the lines. His first introduction to Binoche...their first rendezvous...their last ...these are engraved in my memory. Sure rich and beautiful people populate this movie, but the emotional punch it packs is one hundred percent REAL. Miranda Richardson, as the grieving mother, couldn't be better. The haunting photographic image near the end of the movie hit me very hard. A deserted island? And only one movie? Damage. Damage. Damage.