Everything Is Illuminated (2005)

Director:

Liev Schreiber

Writers (WGA):

Jonathan Safran Foer (novel)
Liev Schreiber (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 September 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Leave Normal Behind.

Plot:

A young Jewish American man endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village, that was ultimately razed by the Nazis, with the help of a local who speaks weirdly funny broken English.

Plot Keywords:

Ukraine | Jewish American | Car | Plastic Bag | Dog

Awards:

7 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Eugene Hutz	...	Alex
Elijah Wood	...	Jonathan Safran Foer
Jonathan Safran Foer	...	Leaf Blower
Jana Hrabetova	...	Jonathan's Grandmother
Stephen Samudovsky	...	Jonathan's Grandfather Safran
Ljubomir Dezera	...	Young Jonathan
Oleksandr Choroshko	...	Alexander Perchov, Father
Gil Kazimirov	...	Igor
Zuzana Hodkova	...	Alex's Mother
Mikki	...	Sammy Davis Jr. Jr.
Mouse	...	Sammy Davis Jr. Jr.
Boris Leskin	...	Grandfather
Robert Chytil	...	Breakdancer
Jaroslava Sochova	...	Woman on Train
Sergei Ryabtsev	...	Ukrainian Band Member (as Sergej Rjabcev)
Yuri Lemeshev	...	Ukrainian Band Member (as Jurij Lemeshev)
Pamela Racine	...	Ukrainian Band Member
Oleksandr Houtz	...	Ukrainian Band Member
Ludmila Kartouska	...	Hotel Waitress
Igor Latta	...	Old Man at Fair
Eugenin Marandic	...	Fair Goer
Orest Tkachuk	...	Fair Goer (as Orest Tkachyk)
Elias Zerael Bauer	...	Goatherder Boy
Jurij Kokyrc	...	Well Digger
Sergej Kapitan	...	Well Digger
Jaroslav Jurichkanc	...	Well Digger
Igor Savivskij	...	Well Digger
Jan Pavel Filipensky	...	Well Digger
Bert Schneider	...	Nazi Officer
Tereza Veselkova	...	Augustine
Laryssa Lauret	...	Lista
Lukas Kral	...	Young Grandfather, Baruch
Vera Sindelarova	...	Young Lista

Directed by
Liev Schreiber

Writing credits (WGA)
Jonathan Safran Foer		(novel)
Liev Schreiber		(screenplay)

Produced by
Kelley Cribben	....	associate producer
Tom Karnowski	....	co-producer
David Minkowski	....	co-producer
Peter Saraf	....	producer
Matthew Stillman	....	executive producer
Marc Turtletaub	....	producer

Original Music by
Paul Cantelon

Cinematography by
Matthew Libatique

Film Editing by
Andrew Marcus
Craig McKay

Casting by
Avy Kaufman

Production Design by
Mark Geraghty

Art Direction by
Martin Vackar

Costume Design by
Michael Clancy

Makeup Department
Georgina Abanto	....	key hair stylist
Georgina Abanto	....	key makeup artist
Tomás Kuchta	....	special makeup
Veronika Riehs	....	makeup assistant
Lucie Vybiralova	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Kelley Cribben	....	post-production supervisor
Tom Karnowski	....	unit production manager
Ravi D. Mehta	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jakub Dvorak	....	second assistant director
Helena Frankova	....	second second assistant director
Jude Gorjanc	....	first assistant director: New York
Jan Mensik	....	first assistant director
Maggie Murphy	....	first assistant director
Kieron Phipps	....	first assistant director (as Kieron A. Phipps)
Amanda Taylor	....	key second assistant director: New York

Art Department
Kasia Adamik	....	storyboard artist
Elizabeth Colomba	....	storyboard artist
Jiri Fleischer	....	property master
Stanislav Suva	....	scenic artist
Michal Svoboda	....	set dresser
Petra Trachtmanova	....	co-set decorator
Kurt Van Der Basch	....	storyboard artist (as Kurt van der Basch)
David Vondrasek	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Dave Bihldorff	....	sound re-recordist
Rick Chefalas	....	first assistant sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Kenna Doeringer	....	adr editor
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Petr Forejt	....	production sound mixer
Lawrence Herman	....	sound editorial intern
Bobby Johanson	....	adr mixer
Branka Mrkic	....	dialogue editor (as Branka Mrkic-Tana)
Igor Nikolic	....	assistant sound editor
Sarah Jean Porter	....	apprentice sound editor (as Sarah Porter)
Roman Rigo	....	boom operator
Wyatt Sprague	....	sound effects editor
Paul Urmson	....	sound designer
Paul Urmson	....	supervising sound editor
Steven Visscher	....	supervising foley editor (as Steve Visscher)
Deborah Wallach	....	adr supervisor

Special Effects by
Jirí Vojtech	....	special effects crew

Visual Effects by
Roland Friedrich	....	Inferno artist
Miro Gal	....	Inferno artist
Maros Kesjar	....	compositor
Helena Keslova	....	Flame artist
Vladimir Koller	....	compositor
Vít Komrzý	....	visual effects producer
Robert Loudil	....	compositor
Zdenek Machuta	....	compositor
Jay Mallet	....	motion control cameraman
Vladimír Matousek	....	compositor
Robert Pik	....	Inferno artist
Robert Pik	....	compositor
Jim Rider	....	motion control cameraman
Jirí Sabata	....	Flame artist
Amit Sethi	....	digital artist: titles
Rasto Simocko	....	Flame artist
Jiri Stamfest	....	matte artist
Mike Trinker	....	digital intermediate editor
David Vána	....	visual effects supervisor
Jan Vseticek	....	visual effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Václav Cermak	....	gaffer
Milan Chadima	....	director of photography: second unit
Lamont Crawford	....	key grip: New York
Magela Crosignani	....	camera operator
Neil Davidson	....	still photographer
Ingo Gardner	....	balloon light technician
Jiri Gazda	....	dolly grip
Ivo Gresak	....	key grip
Jarda Hromadka	....	best boy
Ladislav Hruby	....	first assistant camera
Vaclav Kares	....	camera loader
Viktor Lonek	....	video assist operator
John J. Moers	....	director of photography: documentary crew
Frantisek Novák	....	first assistant camera
Miroslav Pavlik	....	second assistant camera

Animation Department
J. John Corbett	....	animator: titles

Casting Department
Nancy Bishop	....	casting: Prague
Max Bollinger	....	casting: Russia, Ukraine
Jessica Daniels	....	casting associate
Jirí Hrstka	....	extras casting
Noelle Trkulja	....	casting assistant: Prague

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gabriela Horská	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Ernest Leif Boyd	....	assistant editor
John Crowley	....	digital intermediate colorist
Kate Eales	....	associate editor
Conor Guy	....	assistant editor
Attila Kovacs	....	assistant editor
Beth Moran	....	assistant editor
Matthew Reedy	....	digital intermediate producer
Corey Stewart	....	digital intermediate engineer
Franklin Vargas	....	digital colorist assist (as Frankie Vargas)

Music Department
Nancy Allen	....	music editor
John Carbonara	....	assistant music editor
Gary Chester	....	music engineer
Gary Chester	....	score mixer
Brian Deming	....	additional music mixer
Tony Finno	....	music preparation
Eric V. Hachikian	....	assistant orchestrator (as Eric Hachikian)
Susan Jacobs	....	music supervisor
Richard King	....	additional music mixer
Wolfram Koessel	....	music contractor
Sonny Kompanek	....	orchestrator
Annette Kudrak	....	additional music editor
Jack Livesey	....	composer: additional music
Suzana Peric	....	music editor
Matt Rocker	....	music programing: score
Seth Rothschild	....	assistant music supervisor
Derek Somaru	....	apprentice music editor (as Derek P. Somaru)
Ted Sperling	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Jiri Fleischer	....	picture cars coordinator
Silvie Janculová	....	unit transportation coordinator
Pavel Voracek	....	unit transportation coordinator

Other crew
Judy Aley	....	researcher: archival photos (as Judith Aley)
David Allsberry	....	assistant animal trainer
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer (as Randy Balsmeyer)
Lauren Barnhart	....	assistant to director
George Bunce	....	2K conform
Mandy Butler	....	production accountant
Emma Cooper	....	unit publicist
J. John Corbett	....	title designer
William Cusick	....	intern
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant
Lubomir Janci	....	stand-in: Young Grandfather
Vladimir Kesl	....	computer technician
Tomas Kreisl	....	cashier
Yana Collins Lehman	....	post-production accountant
Sandy Lizaola-Hernandez	....	physical production coordinator
Boone Narr	....	animal trainer
Zack Neuman	....	office intern
Lenka Pavlakova	....	assistant production coordinator
Nada Pinter	....	script supervisor
Sara Pollack	....	assistant to producer
Victor Quinaz	....	assistant to the director: Liev Schreiber
Justin Ritson	....	key production assistant: New York unit
Lucie Ryan	....	assistant to director
Justin Hamilton Salem	....	key set production assistant
Julie Sevach	....	title producer
Katerina Silna	....	production coordinator
Petr Skvor	....	location manager
Jiri Tichacek	....	production accountant: Czech Republic
Goran Uljanic	....	assistant production coordinator
Peter Ziak	....	assistant accountant

Production Companies

• Warner Independent Pictures (WIP)
• Telegraph Films
• Big Beach Films
• Stillking Films

Distributors

• Fox-Warner (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Universal Production Partners (UPP) (visual effects) (as UPP Prague)

Other Companies

• Arri Rental  camera equipment provided by
• Arri Rental  grip and lighting equipment
• Big Film Design  special photography
• Big Film Design  title design
• Blue Sky Stock Footage  stock footage courtesy of
• C5  sound editing services (as C-5)
• CE VideoAssist Rental  VideoAssist equipment provided by
• Digital Playground  stock footage courtesy of
• EXTRAfilms S.r.o.  extras casting
• Film Laboratory Barrandov  film laboratory (as Barrandov Studios, Prague)
• Getty Images  stock footage courtesy of
• Library of Congress  archival photographs courtesy of
• Macwell  computer services provided by
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities
• Postworks New York  digital intermediate
• Sound One Corporation  adr recording facility (as Sound One Corp.)
• Soundtrack F/T  sound re-recording facility (as Soundtrack F/T NY)
• Stillking Films  production services
• TVT Soundtrax  soundtrack
• Technicolor  color
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting
• Universal Production Partners (UPP)  2K spirit scan (as UPP Prague)

Also Known As:

The Collector (USA) (pre-release title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images/violence, sexual content and language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | Ukrainian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby | SDDS

Certification:

UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Brazil:14 | Mexico:B15 | Argentina:13 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Germany:12 | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41916) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Lvov, Ukraine

Company:

Warner Independent Pictures (WIP)

Trivia:

Cameo: [Jonathan Safran Foer, the author of the novel on which the movie is based]appears as the leaf blower at the beginning of the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the three run out of gas and camp outdoors, Jonathan briefly holds the photo of his grandfather and Augustine with both hands. Between shots, his hands are in different positions.

Quotes:

Alex: You make sex often with American girl?
Jonathan: Not really.
Alex: What is mean by "not really?"
Jonathan: I'm not a priest, but I'm not John Holmes either.
Alex: I have heard of this John Holmes. He has premium penis.
Jonathan: Yes, he did.
Alex: Everyne in Ukraine has penis like that.
Jonathan: Even the women?
Alex: You make joke, yes?
Jonathan: Yes.

Movie Connections:

References Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925)

Soundtrack:

Start Wearing Purple

Past Illuminates Present in EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED

Actor turned director Liev Schreiber (The Sum of All Fears) does an above average screen version of the novel, Everything Is Illuminated, by author Jonathan Safran Foer. This tale of journey and self discovery is highlighted by strong ensemble performances and sharp direction with a storyline that enriches and enlightens the soul.

Jonathan Foer (Elijah Wood) is a young man who has seen his grandfather, Safran, pass away. Jonathan has a peculiar habit of taking small objects and life's little memorabilia and sealing them in plastic ziplock bags to display them on his wall. Safran gives Jonathan an old picture showing a young Safran standing next to a beautiful girl who saved his life many years ago. Thus Jonathan commences on a long journey to locate this mystery woman in the Ukraine not knowing if she is still alive. He enlists the help of a brash, young tour guide named Alex (Eugene Hutz) and his grandfather (Boris Leskin) to drive him to his goal. At first the trip hits dead ends and false leads, but as the group nears its target, the men find themselves amid the ruins of a dark chapter in history with the memories of war and the past ghosts of a nonexistent town. There, they find their own respective destinies and will be forever changed by what they learn.

This film feels like it was directed by someone who knew how to get the most from his actors. At times, the film is spoken in Russian and seems like a foreign film. The title itself is a play on self discovery. This is a thoughtful trek of one man into his past, and his past ironically involves his companions; Jonathan's obsessive journey becomes an emotional journey for Alex and his grandfather as well. It's a tale of bonding over the long haul and the guilt one must carry for a lifetime. By the end of the film, these characters have all experienced life altering events that will permanently intertwine their lives. It proves that memories can be powerful in traumatizing and also cleansing the soul. It's also about one's legacy and how others view an event or a person in the past. Alex eventually sees his grandfather in a completely different light. Even our perception of these individuals will have changed by film's end which is a tribute to a story that is well told.

The story is deceptively simple. It functions as a road trip movie (like The Straight Story) combined with an interesting mystery story. It really involves a great many layers of emotions and subplots that range from the past to the present. The ending is a bit surreal with its déjà vu feeling.

Elijah Wood (Sin City, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)) has chosen a wide range of roles ever since his splash in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Here, he does a fine job with what is essentially a minimalist role with not much to show. Eugene Hutz and Boris Leskin fare better as Alex and his grandfather respectively. Even the grandfather's dog named Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. (that's right) is funny as a fiercely loyal companion.

The spare music score by Paul Cantelon is a moody compliment to the thoughtful nature of the film. The editing is effective as imagery from past and present are linked and transitioned effortlessly. The cinematography by Matthew Libatique (Gothika, Requiem for a Dream) is appropriately stark and lifeless with some impressive images of war and its aftermath.

The coincidences that emerge during the last half of the film make for good drama but are a little too coincidental. We never fully understand the whole background story of Alex's grandfather and what his motivations are. Likewise, Jonathan's blank stares and lack of apparent substance and depth do not give us much more than a sketch of a quirky man. At times, the film feels a little downbeat and depressing as more horrific revelations are exposed. But these are minor criticisms of what is a good, introspective story with good performances and interesting themes of remembrance and closure. That Schreiber not only directed but adapted the screenplay to this worthwhile slice of history is a tribute to his talents and promising potential in the future.