Youth Without Youth (2007)

A love story wrapped in a mystery. Set in World War II Europe, a professor is changed by a cataclysmic event and explores the mysteries of life.

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:

Mircea Eliade (novel), Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay)

Stars:

Tim Roth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tim Roth	...	Dominic Matei
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Veronica / Laura / Rupini
Bruno Ganz	...	Prof. Roman Stanciulescu
André Hennicke	...	Dr. Josef Rudolf
Marcel Iures	...	Prof. Giuseppe Tucci
Alexandra Pirici	...	Woman in Room 6
Adrian Pintea	...	Pandit
Florin Piersic Jr.	...	Dr. Gavrila
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mircea Albulescu	...	Davidoglu
Dan Astileanu	...	Professor (as Dan Astilean)
Cristian Balint	...	Grenzschutz
Dragos Bucur	...	Bartender
Zoltan Butuc	...	Dr. Chirila
Theodor Danetti	...	Dr. Neculache
Andrei Gheorghe	...	Taxi Driver

Storyline

Christmas Eve, 1937, Piatra Neamt, Romania: Dominic Matei, a 70-year-old professor, contemplates suicide. The love of his life is dead, and he remains unable to complete his life's work on the origins of language. On April 24th 1938, Easter Sunday, he takes a train to Bucharest to kill himself, but suddenly he's struck by lightning. After a slow recovery, he miraculously grows younger and gains superhuman powers. WWII breaks out and Romania's fascist dictator Ion Antonescu cooperates with Adolf Hitler. Matei must escape to Switzerland, because Nazi scientists want to use his powers...Some years later, he meets a woman who has her own passage through a lightning storm. Not only does Dominic find love again, but her new abilities hold the key to his research...Coppola's adaptation of Mircea Eliade's surreal novella is a mysterious, romantic, melancholic and humorous journey to the outer limits of space, time and identity. Dreams become reality and reality feels like a dream...

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Plot Keywords:

dream | surrealism | sheer white nightgown | wellesian | romania | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality, nudity and a brief disturbing image

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics [United States]

Country:

USA Romania France Italy Germany

Language:

English Sanskrit German French Italian Russian Romanian Mandarin Latin Armenian

Release Date:

26 October 2007 (Italy)

Also Known As:

L'homme sans âge

Filming Locations:

Romania

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,550, 16 December 2007

Gross USA:

$244,397

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,624,759

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Zoetrope, SRG Atelier, Pricel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White (some shots)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Unlike the other characters, Prof. Giuseppe Tucci (played by Marcel Iures) existed in real-life (5 June 1894 - 5 April 1984): He was an Italian scholar of oriental cultures, specializing in Tibet and the history of Buddhism. He was Italy's foremost scholar of the East, with such diverse research interests ranging from ancient Iranian religion to Chinese philosophy. He taught primarily at the University of Rome but was a visiting scholar at institutions throughout Europe and Asia.

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Goofs

The panoramic x ray shown when the teeth of the main character start to change is obviously from a 12 years old person as are clearly visible temporal molars (that are not present in adults) and their adult successors.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dominic: [voice over] Sometimes... I admit to myself that it's possible... I will never be able to finish my life's work. My one and only book. And that in the end... without her... I will be nothing. And I will die alone.
[cries]

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: I Am Legend/Alvin and the Chipmunks/The Perfect Holiday/Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street/Youth Without Youth/The Kite Runner (2007)

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Soundtracks

Middle Village
Written by Lev Zhurbin (as Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin)
Performed by Lev Zhurbin (as Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin) on viola and Balogh, Kálmán (cymbalom)

User Reviews

Deep, Entrancing, Thrilling, and Thought-Provoking

I am happy masterful filmmakers like FFC are coming back to the big screen and not only that but full force with a "youthful" independent spirit, an inclination towards the digital medium and a great sense of experimentation. Directors who come to mind are George Lucs, David Lynch, Mike Figgis, and Steven Soderberg to name a few that come to mind.

YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH is a brilliant film. It is very appealing visually. Artistic in every way. Philosophically deep and psychologically complex and full of spiritual themes.

The pacing of the film will seem very slow to the average viewer and it is slow, but it is more contemplative than slow. And it is stylistically so to go along with one of the main themes of the film: TIME.

The plot is all over the place. And I mean that in a good way. It's epic. Progressive. And utterly unpredictable.

The acting is BRILLIANT. Thank you, Mr. Tim Roth for another great performance.

The screenplay is poetic not less than any other quality in the film.

This movie needs a deep viewer with some patience and a love for art, philosophy, spirituality, and science.

Honestly, the film should get a higher rating, but it's not the kind that would be accessible to all kinds of audiences. It is in essence EXPERIMENTAL but in every POSITIVE sense of the word. Consciously experimental in a natural and mature way.

I am happy this is Coppola's comeback after not so strong movies in the 90's. Well done! It was worth the wait.