Providence (1977)

A dying writer bases his last book on his own perception of his family.

Director:

Alain Resnais

Writer:

David Mercer

Stars:

Dirk Bogarde, Ellen Burstyn, John Gielgud

11 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dirk Bogarde	...	Claude Langham
Ellen Burstyn	...	Sonia Langham
John Gielgud	...	Clive Langham
David Warner	...	Kevin Langham / Kevin Woodford
Elaine Stritch	...	Helen Wiener
Cyril Luckham	...	Doctor Mark Eddington
Denis Lawson	...	Dave Woodford (as Dennis Lawson)
Kathryn Leigh Scott	...	Miss Boon
Milo Sperber	...	Mr. Jenner
Anna Wing	...	Karen
Peter Arne	...	Nils
Tanya Lopert	...	Miss Lister
Joseph Pittoors	...	An Old Man
Samson Fainsilber	...	The Old Man

Storyline

Clive Langham (Sir John Gielgud) spends one tormenting night in his bed suffering from health problems and thinking up a story based on his relatives. He is a bitter man and he shows, through flashbacks, how spiteful, conniving and treacherous his family is. But is this how they really are or is it his own vindictive slant on things?

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Plot Keywords:

bed | flashback | subconscious | dream | estate | 

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Taglines:

A Movie of Rare Intelligence

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Switzerland France

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1977 (France)

Also Known As:

Провидение

Filming Locations:

New York State Capital - Washington Avenue and State Street, Albany, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Action Films, Société Française de Production (SFP), France 3 (FR 3)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Elaine Stritch's last movie until September (1987).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Clive Langham: Damn. Damn. Damn... damn!

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Crazy Credits

The National Philharmonic Orchestra is misspelled as National Philarmonic Orchestra in the opening credits.

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Connections

Referenced in The Empty Screen or the Metaphysics of Movies (2017)

User Reviews

In Vino Veritas

Since so many good comments have been written here, mostly on the psychological side of the characters, and they are all excellent, I decided to comment upon a very present entity and that is WINE.

Notice that, until the last scene, everybody drinks white, mostly CHABLIS, an acid one. But on that last scene Resnais shifts to RED. It is no accident, it has in my modest opinion, a way that illustrates a very fundamental change in the feelings that occurred in that lunch.

Criticism and over-analysis, ever present till that event, give way to peaceful acceptance of the characters by the father, Without hypocrite sensibility, that he refuses, but with warmth and tolerance.

Well, I do believe, by some 55 years of experience, that white wine (dry, European style) makes one restless and sometimes bitter.

Red wine makes one more relaxed and happy.

I do not know which kind of wine Resnais prefers, but since he is a Breton I would not be surprised, that it is WHITE. Maybe that is the reason why His movies are so difficult to decode. They are also some of the most magnificent works of cinematic art..