Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Under the Volcano

  • 19841984
  • RR
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
5.6K
YOUR RATING
Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Andrews, and Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
A day in the life of a self-destructive British consul in Mexico on the eve of World War II.
Play trailer1:38
1 Video
41 Photos
  • Drama
A day in the life of a self-destructive British consul in Mexico on the eve of World War II.A day in the life of a self-destructive British consul in Mexico on the eve of World War II.A day in the life of a self-destructive British consul in Mexico on the eve of World War II.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
5.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Huston
  • Writers
    • Malcolm Lowry(novel)
    • Guy Gallo(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Albert Finney
    • Jacqueline Bisset
    • Anthony Andrews
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Huston
  • Writers
    • Malcolm Lowry(novel)
    • Guy Gallo(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Albert Finney
    • Jacqueline Bisset
    • Anthony Andrews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 39User reviews
    • 50Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 3 wins & 7 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:38
    Trailer

    Photos41

    Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Albert Finney in Notes from Under the Volcano (1984)
    Albert Finney, Emilio Fernández, José René Ruiz, and Salvador Sánchez in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Albert Finney and Katy Jurado in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Jacqueline Bisset in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Jacqueline Bisset and Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Anthony Andrews and Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Jacqueline Bisset and Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Albert Finney
    Albert Finney
    • Geoffrey Firminas Geoffrey Firmin
    Jacqueline Bisset
    Jacqueline Bisset
    • Yvonne Firminas Yvonne Firmin
    Anthony Andrews
    Anthony Andrews
    • Hugh Firminas Hugh Firmin
    Ignacio López Tarso
    Ignacio López Tarso
    • Dr. Vigilas Dr. Vigil
    • (as Ignacio Lopez Tarzo)
    Katy Jurado
    Katy Jurado
    • Senora Gregoriaas Senora Gregoria
    James Villiers
    James Villiers
    • Britas Brit
    Dawson Bray
    • Quinceyas Quincey
    Carlos Riquelme
    Carlos Riquelme
    • Bustamanteas Bustamante
    Jim McCarthy
    • Gringoas Gringo
    José René Ruiz
    • Dwarfas Dwarf
    • (as Rene Ruiz 'Tun-Tun')
    Eleazar Garcia Jr.
    Eleazar Garcia Jr.
    • Chief of Gardensas Chief of Gardens
    • (as Eliazar García Jr.)
    Salvador Sánchez
    Salvador Sánchez
    • Chief of Stockyardsas Chief of Stockyards
    • (as Salvador Sanchez)
    Sergio Calderón
    Sergio Calderón
    • Chief of Municipalityas Chief of Municipality
    • (as Sergio Calderon)
    Araceli Ladewuen Castelun
    • Mariaas Maria
    Emilio Fernández
    Emilio Fernández
    • Diosdadoas Diosdado
    • (as Emilio Fernandez)
    Arturo Sarabia
    • Cervantesas Cervantes
    Roberto Sosa
    Roberto Sosa
    • Few Fleasas Few Fleas
    • (as Roberto Martinez Sosa)
    Hugo Stiglitz
    Hugo Stiglitz
    • Sinarquistaas Sinarquista
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • Malcolm Lowry(novel)
      • Guy Gallo(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Wise Blood
    6.9
    Wise Blood
    The Dead
    7.2
    The Dead
    Fat City
    7.2
    Fat City
    The Night of the Iguana
    7.6
    The Night of the Iguana
    Under the Volcano
    7.6
    Under the Volcano
    Reflections in a Golden Eye
    6.7
    Reflections in a Golden Eye
    The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
    6.9
    The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
    The Dresser
    7.5
    The Dresser
    Secret Honor
    7.2
    Secret Honor
    Freud
    7.2
    Freud
    Phobia
    4.1
    Phobia
    Prizzi's Honor
    6.7
    Prizzi's Honor

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      On lead actor Albert Finney in this "Under the Volcano" film, director John Huston said: "I think it's the finest performance I have ever witnessed, let alone directed".
    • Goofs
      The story takes place in 1939, but the car driven by James Villiers that almost hits Albert Finney as he is lying in the road is an MG-TF, which was manufactured between 1953 and 1956.
    • Quotes

      Geoffrey Firmin: How, unless you drink as I do, can you hope to understand the beauty of an old indian woman playing dominoes with a chicken?

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Conan the Destroyer/Top Secret!/Under the Volcano (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      Allerseelen (All Soul's Day)
      (uncredited)

      Music by Richard Strauss

      Performed by Jacqueline Bisset

    User reviews39

    Review
    Top review
    An Indulgent, Often Incoherent, but Interesting Adaptation
    John Huston's adaptation of Malcom Lowry's celebrated novel is very much like his adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's "Wise Blood": foggy, dreamlike and at times unwatchable. Huston finds a strange, distant tone that is somewhere between ironic and completely bizarre, with intentionality that is questionable at best. Even though Huston was getting old at this point, he was still tackling challenging material in his old age, which possibly explains the odd mix of provocative, dense material with stilted, unintuitive storytelling. If his age isn't the main culprit for the film's weird failings, then it may be his stiflingly traditional film-making, which seemed a bit outmoded in 1984. Either way, the film never finds a proper stylistic center, causing "Under the Volcano" to continually sink into incoherence.

    Huston's most grave misstep was his choice to pace the film with mostly static shots and slow editing rhythms. For being so conservatively made, there is an almost constant lack of clarity, as no one element in the film complements the other. Albert Finney's go-for-broke performance as British diplomat Geoffery Firmin is fearless and raw, but Huston's shot selections and mostly bland mise-en-scene distract from the brimming anger and pain the actor tries so nakedly to express. Similarly, the absorbing, mythical imagery of the story's Mexican "Day of the Dead" setting instead feels random as the foregrounded symbolism seems ham-fisted where it should have been atmospheric. Instead of casting the story's eerie spell, Huston's film-making suffocates the material, causing it to become overblown yet underdeveloped.

    That is all not to say Huston is completely to blame, however. Screenwriter Guy Gallo's task of condensing such enormous, literary ideas into a stand alone two-hour film is admirable, and structurally he does great things to keep the story immediately revolving around Geoffory's character arc, but by the end it feels like too many corners were cut to make it happen. The character of Hugh, Geoffery's dashing half-brother, is extremely undeveloped to the point of feeling unnecessary, and Yvonne, Geoffery's estranged wife, is never given the psychological need that would make her sympathy toward him credible. Even worse, the conclusion comes with a clumsy thud, ending the film suddenly and untidily.

    (2 out of 4)
    helpful•12
    14
    • Nick_Dets
    • Aug 15, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 13, 1984 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Criterion (United States)
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Unter dem Vulkan
    • Filming locations
      • Acapantzingo, Morelos, Mexico
    • Production companies
      • Conacite Uno
      • Ithaca
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,556,800
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $31,000
      • Jun 17, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,556,800
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Andrews, and Albert Finney in Under the Volcano (1984)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Under the Volcano (1984) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    2022 TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in June
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.