The Legend of the Holy Drinker (1988)

An alcoholic homeless man is given two hundred francs by a stranger, who requests that when he can he will return the money to Saint Therese in the cathedral.

Director:

Ermanno Olmi

Writers:

Ermanno Olmi, Tullio Kezich

Stars:

Rutger Hauer, Anthony Quayle, Sandrine Dumas

12 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rutger Hauer	...	Andreas Kartak
Anthony Quayle	...	Distinguished Gentleman
Sandrine Dumas	...	Gaby
Dominique Pinon	...	Wojtech
Sophie Segalen	...	Karoline
Jean-Maurice Chanet	...	Daniel Kaniak
Cécile Paoli	...	Fur store seller
Francesco Aldighieri	...	Policeman (as Franco Aldighieri)
Joseph De Medina	...	Fat man
Françoise Pinkwasser	...	Inn woman
Joséphine Lecaille	...	Fat man's wife
Maria Mazzocco	...	Tari-Bari owner
Dalila Belatreche	...	Thérèse
Claude Kolton
Jacques Pasternak

Storyline

An alcoholic homeless man is given two hundred francs by a stranger, who requests that when he can he will return the money to Saint Therese in the cathedral.

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Plot Keywords:

alcoholic drink | drunk | alcohol | homelessness | paris france | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tullio Kezich, who collaborated with Ermanno Olmi on the script, was a famous Italian movie critic and also the most eminent biographer of Federico Fellini.

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Connections

Referenced in Allemaal film: De amerikaanse droom (2007)

User Reviews

A beautiful, quirky novella brought to life

Takeaway Scene Rutger Hauer's biggest, joyful smile is for a bathtub.

The Good This is one of very few successful screen transpositions of an introspective literary work. The dialogue is sparse and in two languages but the film while making small adjustments here and there conveys all the internal monologue of Joseph roth's novella. Hauer. Probably his best performance (although I also like his understated character in lady Hawke). He is the icon of a getleman drunk. The photography. natural, unobtrusive, realistic. The cast: A very heterogeneous looking cast that manages to fit in well and act natural in their respective roles. The women: For a very Catholic director, Olmi is very kind to almost the women in the movie, including extras, and they look attractive without losing their real, unpolished authenticit

The Not So Good The film is almost real time,with long contemplative moments, to the point that sometimes the flashbacks have more action that the main scene. For all its photographical and acting beauty, the going can be slow, and watching Hauer drinking one longs to join in. I haven't counted them, but I suspect that matching the movie glass for glass would be lethal (especially the Cafe'-Calva followed by an Absinthe in the morning)

The Strange Hauer is a character living and dressing in the 1930s filmed in 1980s Paris. And it fits seamlessly, the same way that the real, surviving old bistrots and locations fit in their modern surroundings. Olmi has taken advantage of a phenomenon familiar to us all walking in cities and performed a sleight of hand trick, aided by the costume design of Ms. Marchand that emphasizes the continuity between periods to blend characters in.

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian French English

Release Date:

2 September 1988 (Italy)

Also Known As:

La leyenda del santo bebedor

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica, Aura Film, RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1