Feast of July (1995)

Director:

Christopher Menaul

Writers:

H.E. Bates (novel)
Christopher Neame (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

There is no escape from the past.

Plot:

After an abandoned young woman in late 19th Century England is taken in by a rural couple with three handsome sons, tragic consequences result.

Plot Keywords:

England | 19th Century | Marriage | Sibling Rivalry | Marriage Proposal

Cast

Embeth Davidtz	...	Bella Ford
Tom Bell	...	Ben Wainwright
Gemma Jones	...	Mrs. Wainwright
James Purefoy	...	Jedd Wainwright
Ben Chaplin	...	Con Wainwright
Kenneth Anderson	...	Matty Wainwright
Greg Wise	...	Arch Wilson
David Neal	...	Mitchy Mitchell
Julian Protheroe	...	Bowler-Hatted Man
Mark Neal	...	Clerk at Shoe Factory
Tim Preece	...	Preacher
Daphne Neville	...	Mrs. Mitchell
Charles De'Ath	...	Billy Swaine
Colin Prockter	...	Man in Pub
Richard Hope	...	Squire Wyman
Kate Hamblyn	...	Harvest Girl
Paddy Ward	...	Tom
Alan Perrin	...	Ticket Clerk
Dominic Gover	...	First Rowing Youth
Richard Hicks	...	Second Rowing Youth
Arthur Kelly	...	Game Keeper
Frederick Warder	...	Captain Rogers
Colin Mayes	...	Seaman
Mark Bazeley	...	Man in Restaurant
David Belcher	...	Man in Restaurant #2
Stephen Frost	...	Man in Restaurant #3
Rupert Bates	...	Prison Warder
Tom Marshall	...	Prison Warder
Tim Perrin	...	Hangman
Mark Whelehan	...	Assistant Hangman

Directed by
Christopher Menaul

Writing credits
H.E. Bates		(novel)
Christopher Neame		(screenplay)

Produced by
Paul Bradley	....	executive producer
Jane Cussons	....	associate producer
Henry Herbert	....	producer
Ismail Merchant	....	executive producer
Christopher Neame	....	producer
Donald Rosenfeld	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Zbigniew Preisner

Cinematography by
Peter Sova

Film Editing by
Chris Wimble

Casting by
Kathleen Mackie

Production Design by
Christopher Robilliard

Art Direction by
Sonja Klaus
Caroline Smith
Roy Stannard

Set Decoration by
Jill Quertier

Costume Design by
Phoebe De Gaye

Makeup Department
Susie Adams	....	key makeup artist
Polly Earnshaw	....	makeup department runner
Tina Earnshaw	....	key makeup artist
Sian Grigg	....	assistant makeup artist
Claire Williams	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Donna Grey	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Booker	....	third assistant director
Sean Glynn	....	third assistant director
Dewi Griffiths	....	second assistant director
Simon Moseley	....	first assistant director
Terry Pearce	....	second assistant director
Stuart Renfrew	....	second assistant director
Waldo Roeg	....	first assistant director
Gary White	....	first assistant director

Art Department
John Allenby	....	property master
Graham Barford	....	stand-by carpenter
Bruce Bigg	....	property master
Peter Bigg	....	dressing props
John Chisolm	....	stand-by props
Steve Clarke	....	stand-by painter
Lucy Dummer	....	art department assistant
Gill Edwards	....	assistant art director
Gary Evans	....	stand-by stagehand
Barry Gates	....	dressing props
John Hedges	....	construction manager
Robin Heinson	....	chargehand painter
Lee Hosken	....	construction manager
Steve Macdonald	....	stand-by props
Dave Morris	....	production buyer
Roy O'Connor	....	property stores
Scott O'Connor	....	stand-by props
Michael Roberts	....	assistant art director
Ray Rose	....	stand-by props
Ted Stickley	....	dressing props
Bill Webb	....	dressing props

Sound Department
Roy Baker	....	foley artist
Alun Banks	....	boom operator
Peter Elliott	....	dialogue editor
Laura Evans	....	assistant dialogue editor
Richard Hiscott	....	foley editor
Joe Illing	....	dialogue editor
Dominic Lester	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Andrew Morris	....	boom operator
Stuart Moser	....	sound recordist
Robin O'Donoghue	....	dubbing mixer
Colin Ritchie	....	sound editor
Jean Sheffield	....	foley artist
Mike Shoring	....	sound recordist
Mike Wood	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Stuart Brisdon	....	special effects supervisor
Julian Marsh	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Stuart Wishart	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Steve Wilsher	....	assistant fight coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Bloye	....	electrician
Reg Boddy	....	best boy
Trevor Coop	....	camera operator
Tony Donn	....	stand-by rigger
Paul Englefield	....	camera operator: second unit
Anthony Gaudioz	....	camera operator
Stuart Godfrey	....	key grip
Rodrigo Gutierrez	....	camera operator
Jeremy Hiles	....	follow focus cameraman
Peter Kernot	....	still photographer
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Martin Potter	....	electrician
Ray Potter	....	gaffer
George Richmond	....	clapper loader
Steve Roberts	....	electrician
David Rudd	....	focus puller
Derrick Santini	....	still photographer
Martin Shepherd	....	focus puller: second unit
Christopher Sykes	....	still photographer
Jonathan Sykes	....	follow focus cameraman
Dean Thompson	....	clapper loader
Kirk Thornton	....	grip
Julian Bucknall	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christine Edzard	....	additional costumes
Morgan Elliott	....	wardrobe assistant
Sharon Long	....	costume assistant
Marion Weise	....	wardrobe supervisor
Andrew Hunt	....	costume assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Stanborough	....	color grader
Tony Tromp	....	assistant editor
Jeremy Wimble	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Alfred Cooper	....	composer: additional music
Halina Laciak	....	orchestra leader: Sinfonia Varsovia
Rafal Paczkowski	....	music recording engineer
Zdzislaw Szostak	....	conductor
Sinfonia Varsovia	....	orchestra
John Wesley	....	composer: additional music
Toby Wood	....	assistant scoring engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Cengiz Khan	....	unit driver
Michael Lind	....	unit driver
Jim Magill	....	unit driver
Christian Martin	....	unit driver
Ron Nanson	....	unit driver

Other crew
Lucy Amor	....	production assistant
Bill Barringer	....	location manager
Sandra Butterworth	....	dialect coach
Naomi Cohen	....	floor runner
Peter Elford	....	location manager
Barbra Flinder	....	title designer
Vicky Harrison	....	script supervisor
Charley Henley	....	floor runner
Polly Jefferies	....	production assistant
John Jenkinson	....	shoemaker
Sunil Kirparam	....	production accountant
Freddy Korner	....	floor runner
Ingrid Litman	....	assistant production coordinator
Christian Martin	....	production assistant
Sally-ann Neame	....	unit nurse
Sanjiv Pahwa	....	production accountant
Tim Pepper	....	harvesting advisor
Malcolm Ransom	....	fight arranger
Frances Richardson	....	production accountant
Fran Triefus	....	production coordinator
Xavier Wakefield	....	location assistant
Sue Weston	....	choreographer
Michael Yell	....	production accountant
James Harris	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Touchstone Pictures (presents)
• Merchant Ivory Productions (as Merchant Ivory)
• Peregrine Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1995) (Greece) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RTL Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL4)

Other Companies

• Mike Fraser  negative cutting (as Mike Fraser LTD)
• Studio Polskiego Radia SZ/S4  music recorded at (as Studio Polskiego Radia, Warsaw)
• Studio Buffo  music recorded at
• Twickenham Studios  sound re-recorded at (as Twickenham Film Studios)
• Angels & Bermans  costumes (as Angels and Bermans)
• Cosprop  costumes
• Peerless Camera Company  titles and opticals (as Peerless Camera Co.)
• Michael Samuelson Lighting  lighting equipement
• Technicolor  processing and prints
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Mobile Mouthful  catering
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for brief violence and sexuality

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Black Country Museum, Dudley, West Midlands, England, UK

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Quotes:

Jedd Wainwright:[to Bella] No, no, never say goodbye. It's too final.

Soundtrack:

WALTZ '90

Summary: Beautifully filmed good story

In an almost quasi-Victorian style, and most certainly with a true Victorian setting, H.E.Bates' novel has been turned into a fine cinematographic production. Excellent interpretations by all concerned, not only the leading actors, lushly backed up by some truly splendid photography, this is a film which appeals to the senses of perceptive viewers.

Unfortunately the music score is not up to much, or perhaps I should say that you should not see this film expecting great orchestral and vocal music as Zbigniew Preisner has already given us in the trilogy `Trois Couleurs' or especially in the previous film `La Double Vie de Véronique' (1991).

H.E.Bates was first a serious novelist, giving us such splendid titles as `The Jacaranda Tree' and `The Purple Plain', both based on his wartime experiences in Burma (now called something like Myaungyi), and evidently `Feast of July' falls into this category. Unfortunately he then turned his hand to light frivolous reading with would-be attempts at hilarity, and he simply fell out of any serious reading list. Thoroughly recommend these two novels as they paint an authentic picture of people with real feelings and genuine jealousies and mistrust. Perhaps it is this characterisation that has been soundly transformed into a visual experience that makes `Feast of July' a thoroughly recommendable film. Near 7 out of 10.