Memoirs of a Survivor (1981)

Set in a bleak future where roving gangs of children terrorize city streets, and reality is often an illusion.

Director:

David Gladwell

Writers:

Kerry Crabbe, David Gladwell

Stars:

Julie Christie, Christopher Guard, Leonie Mellinger

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julie Christie	...	'D'
Christopher Guard	...	Gerald
Leonie Mellinger	...	Emily Mary Cartwright
Debbie Hutchings	...	June
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Victorian Father
Pat Keen	...	Victorian Mother
Georgina Griffiths	...	Victorian Emily
Christopher Tsangarides	...	Victorian Son
Mark Dignam	...	Newsvendor
Alison Dowling	...	Janet White
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	Prof. White
Rowena Cooper	...	Mrs. White
Barbara Hicks	...	Woman on Waste Ground
John Comer	...	Man Delivering Emily
Adrienne Byrne	...	Maureen

Storyline

'D' is a chronicler of a society in chaos, who looks down on the marauding gangs, and rubbish-strewn streets from the fortress prison of her flat. Buffeted by inner dreams and longings, D finds an alternative world by stepping through the wall of her flat, like Alice through the Looking Glass. Here it is Victorian England, the bosom of an unsettled family, harbingers, perhaps, of the decay to come. She flits between the two sides of her double life, always observing, never participating, and watches as her protégé, Emily, becomes involved with vagrants' leader Gerald and their efforts to control the violent scavengers fail.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | scavenger | future | children | post thermonuclear war | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Details

Official Sites:

Doris Lessing web site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1981 (UK)

Also Known As:

Anamniseis apo to parelthon

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Memorial Enterprises,National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Emily Mary Cartwright (Leonie Mellinger) was based on Emily Diski according to her. Diski lived with source author Doris Lessing for several years when she was an adolescent.

User Reviews

Psychological Philosophical Thriller - if indeed there is such a genre

Mobia and Jon F (above) describe this movie pretty well. It is a deeply 'philosophical' piece, which sounds an awfully elitist thing to say I know, but it is a movie that demands a reflection upon what it means to be human and the sorts of relationships that bind humans together. It may also be called 'psychological' in that it examines intra-psychic conflicts as well - particularly from the female perspective (which I am not) and that is powerful. It is based in an era of social decay and reminded me of Hobbes where life is "nasty, brutish and short", where humans have been reduced to animals, where the bonds of humanity have been stretched. Is this what we are to become? Is this what we really are? I loved it. It haunted me. I became a Doris Lessing fan after this and have just finished the book. No exploding cars for those that love that sort of thing.