Death Watch (1980)

In a future where dying of illness is exceedingly rare, a terminally ill woman becomes a celebrity and a man with camera implants goes to secretly record her for a morbid TV show.

Director:

Bertrand Tavernier

Writers:

David Compton (novel), David Rayfiel

Stars:

Romy Schneider, Harvey Keitel, Harry Dean Stanton

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Romy Schneider	...	Katherine Mortenhoe
Harvey Keitel	...	Roddy
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Vincent Ferriman
Thérèse Liotard	...	Tracey
Max von Sydow	...	Gerald Mortenhoe (as Max Von Sydow)
Caroline Langrishe	...	Girl in the Bar
William Russell	...	Dr.Mason (as William Russel)
Vadim Glowna	...	Harry Graves
Eva Maria Meineke	...	Dr. Klausen
Bernhard Wicki	...	Katherine's Dad (as Bernard Wicki)
Freddie Boardley	...	Technician
Robbie Coltrane	...	Limosine driver
Julian Hough	...	Young doctor
Peter Kelly	...	Technician
Boyd Nelson	...	Policeman

Storyline

Roddy has a camera implanted in his brain. He is then hired by a television Producer to film a documentary of terminally ill Katherine, without her knowledge. His footage will then be run on the popular television series, "Death Watch".

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Plot Keywords:

reality tv production | remarriage | fictional reality show | near future | 1980s | 

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Taglines:

She's the target of every eye...including eyes only science could create.

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France West Germany

Language:

French English German

Release Date:

April 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Death Watch

Filming Locations:

Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Castle Street, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Films A2, Gaumont International, Little Bear

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point of the film, Gerald Mortenhoe (Max von Sydow) tells some historical facts about the Medieval French Composer Robert De Bauleac, while listening to one of his works on a record player. When the film was released, numerous music lovers tried to get a copy of the same record in specialized stores, which could never provide any for a very good reason: Robert De Bauleac has never existed, and the composition heard in the film is Antoine Duhamel's work. However, the concerned piece of music, "Robert De Bauleac's Lament", has been since available as part of the complete movie soundtrack.

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Quotes

Vincent Ferriman: Look how shy we've become about death. It's the new pornography.

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Crazy Credits

Harvey Keitel wears a Seiko watch.

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Connections

References The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

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Soundtracks

Robert De Beauleac's Lament
Written by Antoine Duhamel, Produced by Gabriel Boustiani
Performed by The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz

User Reviews

sci-fi without the hardware

Science fiction films in recent years have been noticeably lacking both credible science and original fiction, but this multi-national production is a startling exception, presenting a complex tale of emotional manipulation that engages the imagination without the crutch of special effects. The intriguing plot, set in a recognizable near future where medical advances have completely eliminated the threat of natural death, follows a young volunteer (Harvey Keitel) who after having experimental micro-cameras implanted into his eyes agrees to follow a woman known to have a rare, incurable disease, in order to record on video her final days for the entertainment of a desensitized and nostalgic TV audience. Despite the morbid premise (anticipating by two decades the current glut of tacky, ersatz 'reality TV' programming) it's a surprisingly life-affirming movie, maintaining a mood of cautious optimism even while prophesying dark days just around the corner.