Disgrace (2008)

After having an affair with a student, a Cape Town professor moves to the Eastern Cape, where he gets caught up in a mess of post-apartheid politics.

Director:

Steve Jacobs

Writers:

J.M. Coetzee (novel), Anna Maria Monticelli (screenplay)

Stars:

John Malkovich, Jessica Haines, Eriq Ebouaney

5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Malkovich	...	Professor David Lurie
Jessica Haines	...	Lucy Lurie
Eriq Ebouaney	...	Petrus
Fiona Press	...	Bev Shaw
Antoinette Engel	...	Melanie Isaacs
Natalie Becker	...	Soraya
Antonio Fisher	...	Sidney - Student
Isabella De Villiers	...	Mrs. Cundell - Student
Cindy Mkaza	...	Mrs. Mbeti - Student
Liezel De Kock	...	Student Director
Charles Tertiens	...	Ryan
David Dennis	...	Mr. Isaacs
Paula Arundell	...	Dr Farodia Rassool
Anne Looby	...	Rosalind
David Ritchie	...	Manas Mathbane

Storyline

Cape Town professor David Lurie blatantly refuses to defend himself for an affair with a colored student whom he gave a passing grade for an exam she didn't even attend. Dismissed, he moves to his daughter Lucy's farm, which she runs under most disadvantage terms, favoring the black locals. Yet rowdies violently robs and abuse them both, unprovoked. Lucy refuses to fight back, unlike David, who however is surprised by his own altruistic potential.

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Plot Keywords:

student | professor | farm | abuse | bare chested male | 

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Taglines:

What is a mad heart?

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity, some violence and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [au] Official site [fr]

Country:

Australia South Africa

Language:

English Xhosa Afrikaans Zulu

Release Date:

18 June 2009 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Desgracia

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$12,615 (USA) (18 September 2009)

Gross:

$66,643 (USA) (2 October 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fortissimo Films, Sherman Films, Whitest Pouring Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Disgrace' won the Best Narrative Film (The Black Pearl) Award at the Middle East Film Festival 2008.

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Goofs

When David confronts Lucy at the impound yard, he pulls her left arm away from the steering wheel. In the next shot, it has returned.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Professor David Lurie: I haven't heard from my daughter.
Soraya: Still living with a woman.
Professor David Lurie: Yes, still a lesbian. Still on the farm. She thinks it's safe there.
Soraya: No where's safe. Too many people with nothing to do but cause trouble. How's work?
Professor David Lurie: They look through me when I speak. Forget my name.
Soraya: There's no respect anymore. Have you missed me?
Professor David Lurie: I miss you all the time.

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Soundtracks

"Skokiaan"
Written by August Musarurwa
Performed by Spokes Mashivane

User Reviews

Ballad Of A Thin Man

DISGRACE is the kind of movie that tackles so many "Big Issues"-- Colonialism, South Africa's History of Apartheid, Sexual Roles, and even, Animal Rights--that it seems almost destined to fail, yet Steve Jacobs's film is a resounding success. The film charts the moral and psychological journey of a Cape Town professor, Dr. David Lurie, who is banished from his university position because of an illicit affair with a student, and takes refuge at his daughter's remote farm in Eastern Cape, South Africa. John Malkovich is perfectly cast as a man who suffers from an acute lack of compassion driven by an overbearing intellectual demeanor. He is an expert on Romantic Literature, however his personal outlook is anything but optimistic or idealistic. And, once he begins to acclimate to life on this secluded ranch, he and his daughter are subjected to a brutal and racist attack, and he can do nothing. Then, Dr. Lurie and his daughter must struggle to pick up the pieces and reintegrate into a stratified social system where, not so long ago, the mere color of their skin guaranteed preferential treatment. Jessica Haines plays Professor Lurie's daughter, and admirably manages to convey the pain, anguish, and psychic damage of the aftermath of rape. She more than holds her own next to Malkovich's incandescent performance. DISGRACE is a film which is both visually mesmerizing and intellectually bold, and unflinching.