7.9/10
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Providence (1977)

R | | Drama | 9 February 1977 (France)
Providence Poster
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 | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
11 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 17 photos »
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Edit

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 Milo Sperber ... Mr. Jenner
Anna Wing Anna Wing ... Karen
Peter Arne ... Nils
Tanya Lopert Tanya Lopert ... Miss Lister
Joseph Pittoors Joseph Pittoors ... An Old Man
Samson Fainsilber Samson Fainsilber ... The Old Man
See full cast »
Edit

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? Written by Archie Moore <ar.moore@student.qut.edu.au>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

bed | flashback | subconscious | dream | estate | See All (42) »

Taglines:

A Movie of Rare Intelligence

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

Switzerland | France

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1977 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

Провидение See more »

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Action Films, Société Française de Production (SFP), France 3 (FR 3) See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir John Gielgud, who spent most of his career on the stage, considered this movie and the television mini-series Brideshead Revisited (1981) to be his only two screen appearances of which he was genuinely proud. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Clive Langham: Damn. Damn. Damn... damn!
See more »

Crazy Credits

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

Connections

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What then young and still brilliant musical theater composer was slated to write the score for "Providence," but declined at the last minute?
See more »

User Reviews

Superb intellectual drama and an awful shame that it is not in available on DVD
27 October 2004 | by dimbda – See all my reviews

I saw this film at release and have seen it several times since and this motion picture still holds up, a seemingly complex story that unravels steadily

throughout the film. Resnais uses every dramatic device available to tell what becomes a moving and tender portrait, not least visual puns, particularly a

sequence where Dirk Bogarde drives across "town", in which a very simple

montage predates digital morphing as seen in current commercials, smoothly

linked through the activity of the character. All good Resnais films include an examination of the minds of his characters and this is a superb twist-and-turn reality that involves us completely. The acting of course is flawless and includes a wonderful pairing of the great Elaine Stritch and Ellen Burstyn. David Warner, a personal favorite, is actually given the opportunity to act and steps up to the plate and compliments Dirk Bogarde's cool and wooden portrait. I regularly look for this release on DVD and am consistently disappointed. Could someone

publish it soon?
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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