In Schwimmen-Zwei-Vögel (1997)

Director:

Kurt Palm

Writers:

Flann O'Brien (book), Kurt Palm

Stars:

Andreas Sobik, Renato Uz, Andreas Karner

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andreas Sobik	...	Paul Shanahan / Shorty Andrews
Renato Uz	...	Antony Lamont / Slug Willard
Andreas Karner	...	Dermot Trellis
Johannes Friesinger	...	Pooka MacPhellimey
Karl Ferdinand Kratzl	...	John Furriskey
Stefan Wieland	...	Sweeny
Ernst Wolzenburg	...	Jem Casey
Harry Rowohlt	...	Finn Mac Cool
Werner Wultsch	...	Bran
Hermann Scheidleder	...	Uncle
Andreas Lust	...	Brinsley
Kathy Tanner-Weidhofer	...	Peggy
Nicholas Ofczarek	...	Orlick
Wolfgang Bauer	...	William Tracy
Stefan Weber	...	Red Kiersay

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

foreign language adaptation | based on novel | number in title

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Details

Country:

Austria

Language:

German

Also Known As:

At Swim-Two-Birds

Filming Locations:

Droß, Lower Austria, Austria

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fischer Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of At Swim-Two-Birds

User Reviews

Loses much in translation

(I don't have the credit list and can't remember the names)

This adaptation loses much in its translation from the page to the screen and from O'Brien's witty use of English into German. It's funny because it's so bad, bereft of the O'Brien's clever games with language and characters.

O'Brien's story gains much from the Irish Catholic setting in Dublin. His writing, like Joyce's, depends much on the character of the city and its inhabitants. All this is lost in this adaptation, which has no sense of place or time.

The production is amateur: the sets are very poor and the lighting is wrong. The performances are OK; the actor playing the Pooka MacPhellimey comes out best. The narrator looks wrong.

O'Brien's book remains more enjoyable to read and this little-known and little-seen film ought to remain so.