Five Days One Summer (1982)

Sir Sean Connery stars in Fred Zinnemann's haunting tale of incestuous love set against a magnificent background of the Swiss Alps.

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Michael Austin (screenplay), Kay Boyle (short story: "Maiden, Maiden")

Stars:

Sean Connery, Betsy Brantley, Lambert Wilson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	Douglas Meredith
Betsy Brantley	...	Kate
Lambert Wilson	...	Johann Biari
Jennifer Hilary	...	Sarah Meredith
Isabel Dean	...	Kate's Mother
Gérard Buhr	...	Brendel
Anna Massey	...	Jennifer Pierce
Sheila Reid	...	Gillian Pierce
Georges Claisse	...	Dieter
Kathy Marothy	...	Dieter's Wife
Terry Kingley	...	Georg
Emilie Lihou	...	Old Woman
Alfred Schmidhauser	...	Martin
Jerry Brouer	...	Van Royen (as Jerry Brouwer)
Marc Duret	...	French Student

Storyline

Douglas Meredith (Sir Sean Connery) is a respectable married middle aged doctor with a terrible secret. He's been having a secret consensual incestuous affair with his niece Kate (Betsy Brantley) for some time now. She lives in the Swiss Alps and they have their badly needed privacy there. One day, Swiss guide Johann Biari (Lambert Wilson) shows up to take them mountain climbing. Kate shows a faint interest in this man, which worries Douglas. During the climb an accident happens and their lives are changed forever.

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Plot Keywords:

mountain climbing | secret | swiss alps | alps | doctor | 

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Taglines:

An obsession, a love, a memory.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lambert Wilson and Fred Zinnemann worked together on Julia (1977).

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Alternate Versions

Fred Zinnemann edited 11 minutes from this film for its 1987 CBS television network premiere.

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Connections

Referenced in The King of Comedy (1982)

User Reviews

High five for a final bow

I'm one of those who think this film is a neglected gem.

It has a number of twists but it is the interaction between the three leads that makes it so compelling. Without giving too much away, the story, which is set in 1932, is about a couple, Douglas Meredith (Sean Connery) and the much younger Kate Meredith (Betsy Brantley) who arrive at a Swiss chalet during the summer for some hiking and a little mountain climbing.

As the story unfolds we realise that although they introduce themselves as husband and wife, there is something difficult about the relationship. The whole thing comes to a head and decisions are forced when Kate attracts the attention of a young climbing guide played by Lambert Wilson.

This was Fred Zinneman's last film, but it has a different mood and pace than many of his films. It unfolds at not so much a leisured pace but a measured one, and there is plenty of tension throughout the story. It seems very much like a Merchant Ivory production. If you have seen films such as "Heat and Dust", "Howard's End" or "Remains of the Day", you'll know what I mean - although it was made a few years before any of those.

Apparently the film bombed when it was first released and the critics were less than impressed. Possibly that was partly because it was an unexpected entry from the man who had helmed films such as "From Here to Eternity", "High Noon" and "The Day of the Jackal", but I think they may also have been put off by the revelation about the Meredith's relationship.

Sean Connery plays a man with much on his mind with no small amount of guilt thrown in. He handles it with the same understatement that underpins the film. Surprisingly, Connery's natural power comes through more noticeably here than in many of his action roles.

With her rather unflattering 1930's fashions and bobbed hairstyle, Betsy Brantley at first seems unprepossessing as Kate but her openness and freshness soon makes believable the attention she receives from the males in the movie.

If you're tastes run to "Fast and Furious 4" then this probably isn't your movie, but if you are looking for a beautifully acted and photographed story with a touch of intrigue told in an unhurried manner, "Five Days in Summer" is worth seeking out.

Details

Official Sites:

WB Shop / Warner Archive

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

1982 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Fred Zinnemann's Five Days One Summer

Filming Locations:

Samedan, Kanton Graubünden, Switzerland

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$43,891, 14 November 1982

Gross USA:

$199,078

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$199,078

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cable and Wireless Finance, Major Studio Partners, The Ladd Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1