The Statement (2003)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Ronald Harwood (screenplay)
Brian Moore (novel)

Release Date:

27 February 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

At the end of World War II, many of those involved in war crimes were prosecuted. Some got away. Until now.

Plot:

Tale of a former Nazi executioner who becomes a target of hit men and Police investigators. |

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Police | Obstruction Of Justice | Telephone | Shot In The Head

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Michael Caine	...	Pierre Brossard
Tilda Swinton	...	Annemarie Livi
Jeremy Northam	...	Colonel Roux
Alan Bates	...	Armand Bertier
Charlotte Rampling	...	Nicole
John Neville	...	Old Man
Ciarán Hinds	...	Pochon
Frank Finlay	...	Commissaire Vionnet
William Hutt	...	Le Moyne
Matt Craven	...	David Manenbaum
Noam Jenkins	...	Michael Levy
Peter Wight	...	Inspector Cholet
Malcolm Sinclair	...	Cardinal of Lyon
Colin Salmon	...	Father Patrice
David de Keyser	...	Dom André (as David De Keyser)
Christian Erickson	...	Father Joseph
Dominic Gould	...	Captain Durand
Peter Hudson	...	Professor Valentin
Joseph Malerba	...	Max
Irene Palko	...	Clotilde
George Wills	...	Young Brossard (as George Williams)
Edward Petherbridge	...	Dom Vladimir
Simon Gregor	...	Father Rozier
John Boswall	...	Father Léo
James Greene	...	Dom Olivier
Joseph Long	...	Bishop
Helen Later	...	Marianne
Jürgen Zwingel	...	SS Officer
Alain Morel	...	Milice Captain
Jorg Schnass	...	German Sergeant
Wolfgang Pissors	...	German Soldier
Benjamin Euvrard	...	Photographer
Catherine Van Hecke	...	Mme Vionnet
Annette Milsom	...	Sister Dominique
Edward Hamilton-Clark	...	Father Thiers (as Edward Hamilton Clark)
Shelly De Vito	...	Forensics Officer
Thierry Obaïka	...	Legal Clerk
Daniel Lundh	...	Bertier's Secretary
Renaud Calvet	...	Bartender Montana
Frédéric Pellegeay	...	Janitor
Jean-Jacques Boullay	...	Manservant
Jérémie Covillault	...	Interrogation Officer
Michael Berreby	...	Dombey Victim
Christophe Deslandes	...	Dombey Victim
Guy Germody	...	Dombey Victim
Kostia Gouzic	...	Dombey Victim
Arnaud Rosenblatt	...	Dombey Victim
Rolland Safrana	...	Dombey Victim
Jean-Claude Subiro	...	Dombey Victim
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hakan Coskuner	...	German Soldier (voice) (uncredited)
Frédéric Jessua	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Norman Jewison	...	Priest in black & white photo (uncredited)
Victor Loukianenko	...	German soldier (uncredited)
Eric Moreau	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Thierry René	...	Daniel (uncredited)
Olivier Riquelme	...	Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ronald Harwood		screenplay
Brian Moore		novel

Produced by
Yannick Bernard	....	co-producer
Michael Cowan	....	executive producer
Sandra Cunningham	....	co-producer
Sandra Cunningham	....	line producer
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Robert Lantos	....	producer
Mark Musselman	....	executive producer
Jason Piette	....	executive producer
Julia Rosenberg	....	associate producer
Robyn Slovo	....	co-producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Normand Corbeil

Cinematography by
Kevin Jewison

Film Editing by
Andrew S. Eisen
Stephen E. Rivkin

Casting by
Nathalie Cheron
Robin D. Cook
Nina Gold

Production Design by
Jean Rabasse

Set Decoration by
Françoise Benoît-Fresco

Costume Design by
Carine Sarfati

Makeup Department
José Lucas Casas	....	hair stylist
Nuala Conway	....	personal hair stylist: Michael Caine
Nuala Conway	....	personal makeup artist: Michael Caine
Christian Garcia	....	daily haircut (as Christian 'Boris' Garcia)
Sylvie Greco	....	daily makeup artist
Trefor Proud	....	key hair designer
Trefor Proud	....	makeup department head
Christophe Robin	....	colourist
Jean-Christophe Roger	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Sylvie Barthet	....	unit production manager
Nadine Chaussonnière	....	unit manager
Stéphanie Delbos	....	assistant unit manager
Thibaud Garron	....	assistant unit manager
Jean-Baptiste Germain	....	assistant unit manager
Guillaume Hanoun	....	production manager
Geoffroy Hassoun	....	unit manager
Cyril Pavaux	....	assistant production manager
Julien Prudhomme	....	assistant unit manager
Lori A. Waters	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emilie Cherpitel	....	second assistant director
Luccio Di Rosa	....	first assistant director: second unit (as Luc Di Rosa)
Renaud Epelboin	....	trainee assistant director
George Every	....	first assistant director
Anthony Gaudioz	....	second unit director
Eliot Mathews	....	third assistant director
Gauthier Ravily	....	location unit director
David Sparkes	....	first assistant director: second unit Canada

Art Department
Philippe Auclaire	....	construction manager
Camille Bougon-Pigneul	....	props
Thomas Broyon	....	swing gang
Julius Hoffmann	....	swing gang
Arnaud Le Roch	....	assistant art director
Christelle Maisonneuve	....	props buyer
Gilles Ségurel	....	property master
Simon Tric	....	painter
Eric Viellerobe	....	first assistant art decorator

Sound Department
Todd Beckett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce Carwardine	....	production sound mixer
Robin Crumley	....	assistant sound editor
Nick Foley	....	adr recordist
Mark Gingras	....	sound effects editor
Goro Koyama	....	foley artist
John Laing	....	supervising dialog editor
Diep Le	....	first assistant sound editor
Sylvain Lefebvre	....	sound mixer
Christophe Luparini	....	sound trainee
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Anna Malkin	....	foley recording assistant
Matthew McKenzie	....	adr recordist
Colin McLellan	....	adr recordist
Michael O'Farrell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael O'Farrell	....	supervising sound editor
Jill Purdy	....	dialogue editor
John Douglas Smith	....	sound editor
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Cécile Vuaillat	....	sound assistant
Markus Wade	....	boom operator
Don White	....	foley recording mixer
Don White	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
John Furniotis	....	digital artist
Laurence Lok	....	digital compositor
Laurence Lok	....	roto artist
Chris Wallace	....	digital colourist

Stunts
Michel Norman	....	stunt coordinator: cars
Patrick Robineau	....	assistant stunt: cars
Frédéric Vallet	....	stunt coordinator: execution
Daniel Vérité	....	stunt coordinator: roofs

Camera and Electrical Department
Philippe Bordelais	....	steadicam operator
Richard Brodet	....	gaffer
Lorenzo Donati	....	steadicam operator
Henri Fiks	....	camera operator
Alaux Jean-Marc	....	lighting balloon technician
Raphael Jourdan	....	key grip
Laurence Maestracci	....	assistant camera
Anne Nicolet	....	assistant camera
Jérôme Prébois	....	still photographer
Samuel Renollet	....	assistant camera
Philippe Wegiel	....	electrician

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting
Rosalie Clayton	....	casting assistant
Robin D. Cook	....	casting: Canada
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting
Bouchra Fakhri	....	casting assistant
Tamara Gillon	....	casting assistant
Nicole Hilliard-Forde	....	casting associate: Canada
Sara Kay	....	casting assistant: Canada

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nathalie Chesnais	....	costume supervisor
James Smith	....	personal dresser: Michael Caine (as Jim Smith)

Editorial Department
Luis Freitas	....	assistant editor
Michelle Mendenhall	....	assistant editor: Paris
Catherine Rankin	....	negative cutter
Emma Sanders	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Nicholas Dodd	....	conductor
Nicholas Dodd	....	orchestrator
Geoff Foster	....	music engineer
Geoff Foster	....	music mixer
Paul Intson	....	composer: additional music
Paul Intson	....	music editor
Sylvain Lefebvre	....	score mixer: score recordist
Dan Parr	....	score preparation
Paul Talkington	....	orchestra contractor
Allan Wilson	....	score preparation

Transportation Department
Charles Heidet	....	action vehicle coordinator
Colin Morris	....	personal driver: Michael Caine

Other crew
Jalal Aqdim	....	set supervisor: second unit
Emilie Barbault	....	script supervisor: second unit
Marie Barré	....	location scout
Max Besnard	....	location scout (as Maxime Besnard)
Shirine Best	....	development assistant
Elizabeth Broden	....	personal assistant: Norman Jewison
Cherri Campbell	....	assistant: Robert Lantos
Christophe Chauveau	....	location scout
Charlotte Corrigan	....	production assistant
Mathilde Cukierman	....	location scout
Sylvia Desrochers	....	publicist
Ken Dhaliwal	....	production legal counsel
Benjamin Euvrard	....	assistant: Norman Jewison, France
Brad Fox	....	production finance coordinator
Thibaud Garron	....	assistant location manager
Mel Hider	....	assistant: Mr. Cowan and Mr. Piette
Joe Iacono	....	financing and audit
Emily Kyriakides	....	assistant to producer: UK
Bernard Lamy	....	production accountant
Steven Lewis	....	finance legal
Gabriel Mamruth	....	production accountant
Alex Marshall	....	head of business affairs
Marie McFerran	....	production coordinator
Astrid Monarque	....	assistant accountant
Eric Nebot	....	production assistant
Frédéric North	....	helicopter pilot
Jackie Page	....	unit publicist
Dominique Piat	....	script supervisor
Manuel Pouet	....	location scout
Luc Poullain	....	aerial coordinator
Leonard B. Rosman	....	legal services
Nick Savva	....	production finance coordinator
Lucy Shuttleworth	....	development executive
Kelly Willson Harvey	....	assistant: Robert Lantos
John Nabereznyj	....	delivery consultant (uncredited)
Michael Solomon	....	assistant: Mr Lantos (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Serendipity Point Films
• Odessa Films
• Company Pictures
• Astral Media (in association with)
• Téléfilm Canada (in association with) (as Telefilm Canada)
• Corus Entertainment (in association with)
• Movision (in association with)
• Sony Pictures Classics (in association with)
• BBC Films (in association with)

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Classics (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Bac Films (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• DNC Entertainment (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Filmax S.A. (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2005) (UK) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (BBC2)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Avsar Film (2003) (Turkey) (all media)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Teleview International (2003) (Lebanon) (TV) (Middle East)

Special Effects

• Film Effects (visual effects)
• SFX Evolution (special effects)

Other Companies

• Air Lyndhurst Studios  music recorded at
• Arion Facilities  dailies telecine transfers
• Deluxe Post-Production  post-production facilities
• Film Effects  titles and opticals
• Film Finances Canada  completion guarantor
• Footsteps Post-Production Sound  foley recorded at
• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  orchestra
• S.L. Feldman & Associates  music supervision
• Studio La Majeure  music recording and mixing
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack published by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for violence

Runtime:

USA:120 min | Argentina:120 min

Country:

Canada | France | UK

Language:

English | German | Italian | Latin | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R | UK:12A | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Australia:M | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Château de Chantilly, Chantilly, Oise, France

Company:

Serendipity Point Films

Trivia:

The film opens with a man seeking Michael Caine with the aid of a photograph. In the photograph, the man seen next to Michael Caine is director Norman Jewison.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Brossard searches the killer's wallet, we can see 500 francs banknotes with the head of Pierre and Marie Curie. This kind of banknote was released in 1994 and the action takes place in April 1992.

Movie Connections:

Features Only You (1994)

Soundtrack:

Frederica

A bit of a flop

I dare say this film would have been much better received had it cast the film logically rather than have 'everybody's favourite Cockney' Michael Caine playing somebody called Pierre Boussard - I mean, Caine has never struck me as a "Pierre" somehow. And we can say for sure, that it couldn't have done any worse, a $22m financial loss is testament to that.

Of course I realise the book is in English, but there is a big difference between the two mediums and very rarely does a film pull off a stunt like this, see 'The Hunt For Red October' or Jude Law's Russian misfortune in 'Enemy At The Gates'. At least The Statement didn't slip into having Caine and co. adopt Gallic accents - that would have been too much to bare.

As for the film itself, it seemed a complete waste of police time to have half of the French PD chasing round after an OAP with a heart condition who'd been *ordered* to kill seven people 50 years earlier during German occupation. And for the film to set itself up as some sort of chase thriller, it very rarely gets past a stroll and the tension never really reaches the levels it should do.

All that said though, there are far worse films out there and this isn't an altogether bad way to spend 2 hours. 6/10