The Blood Oranges (1997) User Reviews

Interesting but silly

[pyenme · 6/10 · 6 September 2008]

I got this for my "Charles Dance" collection. Had seen "Angels and Insects", like many others, so that added to the appeal. Hope the book was better. The premise was fine - an attempt at a somewhat surreal tale of sexual intrigue. Aside from Dance, however, the performances were stilted and silly (especially Sheryl Lee, even if she was supposed to sound like she did - it was a distraction). The dialog certainly could have been written to better develop the characters. Pretty to look at, not enough erotica (and I don't mean soft porn, just erotic). But even Dance looked a bit silly with the "love lunch"...... I like it just enough to watch it again as part of my film library - and even to recommend it to friends who would see the value and look beyond the inane.

Drama that does not lead much.

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 10 March 2023]

(1997) The Blood Oranges DRAMA

Adapted from the novel by John Hawkes co-written and directed by Phillip Haas has open marriage couple of Cyril(Charles Dance) narrating him and his wife, Fiona (Sheryl Lee) while settling down in the ruins of Illyria, soon succumbing to be friendly with a middle age couple of three kids stuck onto a stream wile riding on their van. The couple, is an one arm photographer name Hugh (Colin Lane) and his wife Catherine (Laila Robins). While his wife gives in to temptation Hugh on the other hand is reserve. And the movie flashbacks between past and present, which may lead to heartbreak for it is just a matter of when and what happened.

Viewers understand what Hugh's objective was as he is a photographer of natives, but it's like why did the husband chose to stay when he has the opportunity to leave some place else as Illyria is not the country that has natives.

Interesting exploration of alternate relationships

[movie_nut · 22 December 2001]

While the acting wasn't fantastic, I found the movie interesting from the point of view of the way the open marriage of Fiona and Cyril was explored, and how it was treated by people viewing it from the outside. And how the new couple of Colin and Catherine reacted in different ways to the ideas presented, and how their feelings evolved.

I think that a lot was left out, and I am looking forward to reading the book to get some more of the background about why things happened they way they did, and what the history of the two couples are.

I'd recommend watching this movie, but keep an open mind, and imagine how you would react, given the situations presented.

Boring and inane!

[lib-4 · 3/10 · 4 October 2000]

I thought this would be a sexy movie but it was not- it was just full of hot air and trite sentiments. I loved his other movie Angels and Insects but this movie was not up to that one at all. The acting was bad and the story was stupid. The only person who was somewhat believeable was Hugh's wife. A waste of time

Beautifully photographed pretentious drivel

[vyto34 · 3/10 · 12 May 2003]

Sheryl Lee gets to play a dull-witted strumpet--now isn't that creative! Her supposed love interest, Colin Lane, is no heart-throb, but does get to play a tight-arsed boor. Charles Dance is good and likable, but cannot save this turkey. The decayed, picturesque Latin American village is photographed gorgeously, but the movie is better with the sound off.

Prepare to Hear "Baby" 1 Million Times

[mariajonasfahlsing · 7/10 · 30 January 2013]

By twenty minutes into the film, I was already tired of hearing Fiona call Cyril and Hugh "Baby" every few minutes. As the story progresses, she continues to say "Baby" at least fifty more times. This gets extremely old very quickly.

I found the disjointed, time-jumping method of story-telling to be a bit hard to follow.

Also, I think that the sexual nature of the relationship between the two couples started too quickly after everyone met. It seemed unnatural. There should have been a more gradual progression toward full swap.

I'm still not sure what the point or moral of this story is.

The chastity belt scene was really hard to watch. Hugh is a sick, twisted, sadistic bastard. What Kathryn could possibly see in him is a complete mystery. Also, I fail to see what Cyril sees in Fiona other than eye candy.

Overall, I liked the movie for its exploration of open marriage and alternative sexuality.

A moody, atmospheric, tropical psychodrama

[joekaz · 7/10 · 1 February 2001]

The plot was weak, and the story a bit stupid, but I really liked this film. The mood and atmosphere appealed to me. It's set in an old village in a tropical setting, the characters were all a bit mysterious. There's a big psychodrama between all of the characters. You never find out what motivates any of them, but the tension and wondering kept my interest, so I give this an above average rating.

This is actually a good film.

[legumes9 · 8/10 · 29 September 2006]

I have seen in various places negative comments about this film, but I found it engaging and well done. The characters are complex,interesting,human, and don't fit the usual stereotypes. The situation is not at all formulaic. I can see how some people may not get this film, or may be turned off or threatened by the subject matter, which has to do with people exploring alternative forms of intimate relationships, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. The acting is very good, especially Charles Dance - plus you get to see him sans clothing a few times, if you like that kind of thing, which I do. Sheryl Lee is kind of an odd actress, and it's kind of an odd character. The narrative, told from Cyril's point of view, goes back and forth in time, and the way it's structured creates a mystery that hints at tragedy. Cyril is a fascinating character, seemingly laid back, but you get a sense he's controlling everything under the surface. Wonderfully nuanced acting from Charles Dance. The film has tons of one my favorite things - moral ambiguity. Is it really Illyria, or is it Cyril's little kingdom - and does it matter? Now I want to read the book to dig further into the many layers of the story and characters.

The Blood Oranges

[yogi2436 · 8/10 · 4 August 2006]

I saw this movie just recently and liked it a lot. It's a different take on marriage and relationships and for that reason alone worth seeing. It's very different from the usual Hollywood version of romance and marriage. I once saw Hollywood described somewhere as a machine for making marriages, well this movie is an antidote. As a movie it's subtle and works through imagery and symbolism integrated into everyday reality and succeeds pretty much. John Dance does a great job and the supporting cast is just as good. The movie is perhaps summed up by the line utterance by John Dance's character Cyril: "Monogamy is the enemy of marriage". Many could be outraged at this movie, but it's just possible the movie has got it right.

A Quote From Novelist John Hawkes, Author Of "The Blood Oranges"

[project717-629-119383 · 10/10 · 9 August 2021]

''My fiction,'' he goes on to say, ''is generally an evocation of the nightmare or terroristic universe in which human sexuality is destroyed by law, by dictum, by human perversity, by contraption, and it is this destruction I have attempted to portray and confront in order to be true to human fear and . . . Ruthlessness, but also in part to evoke its opposite, the moment of freedom from that constriction, from that restraint, and from death.''