Movie Description
The ambitions announced in the title THE LOSS OF SEXUAL INNOCENCE are realized in the concept of the film itself--the tale of a modern man intercut with scenes of Adam and Eve's fall. Writer-director Mike Figgis charts episodes in the sexual life of Nic (played as an adult by Julian Sands), a filmmaker who seems a lot like Figgis himself. (Nic, like Figgis, is raised in Africa and lives in England as a teenager.) As these episodes build to form a psychological portrait of Nic, Figgis flashes to a naked Adam being born from the center of a lake, then to the birth of Eve, their discoveries of the world, Eve's encounter with the serpent, and their expulsion from the garden. The modern story and the biblical one are not necessarily parallel, but their grim conclusions are inextricably linked in a universal cycle of sin and retribution. The film is almost wordless, relying instead on striking imagery and beautiful 16mm handheld camerawork. Figgis fades to black within scenes to create the pulsing effect he employed in MISS JULIE; he also uses title cards to play with the narrative and heighten the allegorical nature of this challenging film.
| Credits | | Cast: | Bernard Hill, George Moktar, Gina McKee, Johanna Torell, Kelly MacDonald, Terry Crump |
| Details | | Edition: | Widescreen; Closed Captioned |
Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.78
Single Side - Single Layer
Audio:
Dolby Surround - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - Mike Figgis - Director, Theatrical release: May 28, 1999.
Filmed on location in Newcastle, England; Umbria, Italy; and Tunisia, Africa.
The film is a labor of love for Mike Figgis, who wrote the first draft in 1982. Five years before the film was made, a studio backed out on financing after Figgis refused to change the black Adam and white Eve to a white Adam and black Eve. Figgis eventually shot the film on his own, preselling the rights to obtain the capital, and shooting in under five weeks. He used super 16mm film and available light whenever possible.
Figgis plays the trumpet on the soundtrack of the film.
Editorial Reviews
"...[A] visually exquisite, intensely personal meditation on the story of Adam and Eve..."
New York Times - Stephen Holden (05/28/1999)
"...An intriguing Tunisian scenario that recalls the most chilling stories of Paul Bowles..."
Premiere - Glenn Kenny (06/01/1999)
"...[A] ravishingly beautiful and highly distinctive film..."
Los Angeles Times - Kevin Thomas (05/28/1999)
"...THE LOSS OF SEXUAL INNOCENCE is built of memory and dreams....It's rare to find a film this ambitious..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (06/18/1999)
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