The King Is Alive (2000)

When a bus breaks down in the desert, the passengers decide to stage "King Lear."

Director:

Kristian Levring (uncredited)

Writers:

William Shakespeare (with: inspiration from "King Lear"), Kristian Levring

Stars:

Miles Anderson, Romane Bohringer, David Bradley

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Miles Anderson	...	Jack
Romane Bohringer	...	Catherine
David Bradley	...	Henry
David Calder	...	Charles
Bruce Davison	...	Ray
Brion James	...	Ashley
Peter Khubeke	...	Kanana (as Peter Kubheka)
Vusi Kunene	...	Moses
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Gina
Janet McTeer	...	Liz
Chris Walker	...	Paul
Lia Williams	...	Amanda

Storyline

While shifting airports by bus in Africa, a group of passengers is driven to the middle of nowhere in the desert by the driver that is following a defective compass. They run out of gas and they reach a ghost village inhabited by a single man, Kanana. One passenger that has experience with desert gives five advices to the others to survive in the spot, among them to keep the spirit high, while he travels through the desert seeking for help. One intellectual in the stranded group suggests the performance of King Lear to keep the morale of the survivors. Along the days, while hope decreases, the tension increases among the survivors.

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Plot Keywords:

desert | tragedy | bus | stranded | village | 

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Taglines:

As the sand shifts...madness nears.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and language

Details

Country:

Denmark Sweden USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

11 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dogme 4

Filming Locations:

Sperrgebiet National Park, Namibia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,929, 13 May 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$103,505, 12 August 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Newmarket Capital Group, Good Machine, Zentropa Entertainments

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min (TV) 105 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the fourth film to be made according to the Dogme 95 rules. The Dogme 95 was founded by Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and Kristian Levring.

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Crazy Credits

In Memoriam Brion James

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Connections

References Staying Alive (1983)

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Soundtracks

Every 1's a Winner
(1978)
Written by Errol Brown
Performed by Hot Chocolate
Courtesy of Chocolate/RAK Publishing
EMI Records

User Reviews

A busload of European tourists, stranded in a deserted mining town in an African desert, attempt to perform Shakespeare's KING LEAR as they struggle to survive and stay sane.

I was inspired to write this because the other review was so dismissive of the film. The set-up may be contrived, but I found Levring's film compelling, visually inventive, richly atmospheric, and often surprising. The relationships among the characters drew me in and the performances were gripping. All told, the film provides an inspiring example of the Dogma approach to filmmaking that ventures beyond the formulaic Hollywood mold. Props to Levring and the actors!