Land of the Blind (2006)

A soldier recounts his relationship with a famous political prisoner attempting to overthrow their country's authoritarian government.

Director:

Robert Edwards

Writer:

Robert Edwards

Stars:

Ralph Fiennes, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Fiennes	...	Joe
Donald Sutherland	...	Thorne
Tom Hollander	...	Maximilian II
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	First Lady
Marc Warren	...	Pool
Ron Cook	...	Doc
Robert Daws	...	Jones
Laura Fraser	...	Madeleine
Jonathan Hyde	...	Smith
Camilla Rutherford	...	Tania
Don Warrington	...	First Sergeant
Miranda Raison	...	Daisy
Nigel Whitmey	...	Anchorman
Leigh Zimmerman	...	Anchorwoman
Mackenzie Crook	...	Editor

Storyline

A political drama about terrorism, revolution, and the power of memory. In an unnamed place and time, an idealistic soldier named Joe strikes up an illicit friendship with a political prisoner named Thorne, who eventually recruits him into a bloody coup d'etat. But in the post-revolutionary world, what Thorne asks of Joe leads the two men into bitter conflict, spiraling downward into madness until Joe's co-conspirators conclude that they must erase him from history.

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Plot Keywords:

prisoner | terrorism | revolution | government | jailer | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content/nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one part of the movie, Thorne notes how Maximilian II's father tried to kill the unborn Maximilian II when he heard a prophecy that his son would destroy the empire. This is a reference to the legend of Troy, where Paris was fated to bring ruin to the city, which he ultimately did.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Anchorwoman: So many fond memories of Maximilian the First on the tenth anniversary of our glorious leader's death.
Anchorman: Many of course doubted that his son and heir, Maximilian II, could live up to the example of his charismatic father. But the man affectionately called Junior has valiantly continued against the pesky rebellion, led by the playwright turned terrorist, John Thorne.
Anchorwoman: Once derided as the playboy Prince more interested in the movie business, the President-for-life announced today that he ...
[...]

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Connections

References Planet of the Apes (1968)

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Soundtracks

Ave Maria
Written by Franz Schubert

User Reviews

Depressingly Interesting

To put it simply, this film is George Orwell's Animal Farm as told by the makers of Memento. It covers a dark subject, and embraces the darkness associated with it.

This film is set in a fictional country that takes elements from many utilitarian countries around the world to give us things to relate to. To me the most interesting was the Kim Jong-il analogy. A president for life who succeeds his father and is very interested in the film industry. Others will likely see other references.

As the film progresses, we follow this country through stages of governmental upheaval. We ride on the shoulder of an idealistic prison guard as he chooses sides, and faces the consequences of that choice.

As the movie was building, I felt like it was building a Pro-Terrorism Utopian government, but in the end I was left hopeless, because of each plot turn making the movie yet more dour.

Symbolism abounds, and you will find yourself trying to locate the meanings of the symbols, which are perhaps a tad too convoluted for my tastes.

I was completely immersed in the story, and I found the progression of the movie to be very compelling, but the overall message of hopelessness clashed with my youthful idealism.

I recommend this movie as debate fodder for political theorists. Its dark themes limit its audience otherwise.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 2007 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Confesión bajo juramento

Filming Locations:

UK

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,244, 18 June 2006

Gross USA:

$5,244

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,116

Company Credits

Production Co:

Avnet/Kerner Productions, Bauer Martinez Studios, Brooklyn Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1