It was perfect to compare what I have felt while reading the book and how the movie shows it...Readers will not be dissappointed.
8 Reviews
Perfect novel good adaptation
dersim-4335431 May 2021
A very good adaptation
gga31 October 2000
"Cronica de una Muerte Anunciada" (Chronicle of a Death Foretold) is based on the novel of the same name by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Garcia Marquez, together with Jorge Luis Borges, is the most recognized name in Latin American literature and one of the exponents of what is usually called magic realism. If you are an American reader and are familiar with the works of Isabel Allende, you should definitively read Garcia Marquez, who is her original inspiration. Most of his stories occur in a fictional world that resembles provincial Colombia at a time right where the traditional values of Spanish colonialism are slowly beginning to clash with the new laws and customs of modern society.
Garcia Marquez writing is dense and, as a good story teller of old, he slowly gives us pieces of the plot, while vividly describing the surroundings and, most importantly, his characters' state of mind. Nowhere is this more true than in this novella, which, as the title implies, will retell the story of one single death.
This film adaptation is one of those rare cases where the spirit of the book has been kept intact, and, in my opinion, by changing the order of two incidents in the conclusion, the film has even improved upon the book. This is a compliment not only to Garcia Marquez but to the talent of Tonino Guerra, one of Fellini's long standing collaborators. Right away we are told that Santiago Nasar has been murdered and we already know who the killers are. What we are not completely sure is how and why. And what is not understood is how it was possible for this to happen in the center of the plaza, in front of the whole town.
These are the mysteries that propels the narration. And, just as with 'Citizen Kane' or 'Rashomon', we listen to the different testimonies of the witnesses to the incident -- each one holding just a small piece of the truth.
The non-linear story and slow peeling of layers of truth will confuse and maybe bore some viewers, but those paying attention will enjoy one of the most satisfying films in a long time.
While many of the actors will seem unknown to American audiences, this film has a stellar cast of international European stars, and is a display of the talent of the veterans Irene Papas and Gian Maria Volonte. But where the casting shines is also in that of the main protagonists of the drama: Ornella Muti, as the beautiful and mysterious Angela Vicario who motivates the drama, Anthony Delon (son of the great Alain Delon) as the man she falls for and the yet unknown Rupert Everett.
This period piece is recreated authentically, in both the costumes and the surroundings.
Garcia Marquez writing is dense and, as a good story teller of old, he slowly gives us pieces of the plot, while vividly describing the surroundings and, most importantly, his characters' state of mind. Nowhere is this more true than in this novella, which, as the title implies, will retell the story of one single death.
This film adaptation is one of those rare cases where the spirit of the book has been kept intact, and, in my opinion, by changing the order of two incidents in the conclusion, the film has even improved upon the book. This is a compliment not only to Garcia Marquez but to the talent of Tonino Guerra, one of Fellini's long standing collaborators. Right away we are told that Santiago Nasar has been murdered and we already know who the killers are. What we are not completely sure is how and why. And what is not understood is how it was possible for this to happen in the center of the plaza, in front of the whole town.
These are the mysteries that propels the narration. And, just as with 'Citizen Kane' or 'Rashomon', we listen to the different testimonies of the witnesses to the incident -- each one holding just a small piece of the truth.
The non-linear story and slow peeling of layers of truth will confuse and maybe bore some viewers, but those paying attention will enjoy one of the most satisfying films in a long time.
While many of the actors will seem unknown to American audiences, this film has a stellar cast of international European stars, and is a display of the talent of the veterans Irene Papas and Gian Maria Volonte. But where the casting shines is also in that of the main protagonists of the drama: Ornella Muti, as the beautiful and mysterious Angela Vicario who motivates the drama, Anthony Delon (son of the great Alain Delon) as the man she falls for and the yet unknown Rupert Everett.
This period piece is recreated authentically, in both the costumes and the surroundings.
the hardest movie to find- you'd be lucky to see it somewhere
evangeline9 April 2004
this film is impossible to find...which is too bad because I would absolutely love to see it again. I saw it when I was 13 years old and it made such an impression that I read Marques's book and here I am 17 years later still trying to find it! It is romantic, dreamy and a real pleasure to watch. Anthony Delon, Rupert Everett and Ornella Muti deliver a truly unforgettable story.
If anyone know where I can get a copy- see it first and then PLEASE let me know where I can get one!
If anyone know where I can get a copy- see it first and then PLEASE let me know where I can get one!
The Price of a woman's honor
legork14 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Not having read the book I can't say how close this movie sticks to the story by the great author, Gabriel Garcia Marques. The scenes in this movie are works of art, joined together and put in a sequence that gradually reveals a multitude of plots all woven into one. Long after seeing the movie, the scenes, of their own accord come back into my mind, like a tune that once heard is never forgotten, demanding to be considered the main plot. A man, on the prow of a river boat looks at the approaching land. The scene, without words, only the thudding motor of the boat, feint sounds of voices coming from the land, the brilliant white of an elegant mansion, contrasting with the dark gold of the water and a glimpse of narrow alley ways opening on to a wide plaza, hints to us that dramatic events, now memories, are going to be revealed here. Even now, more than a week since seeing the movie, I ask myself, what I can learn from this tragic story. The town's folk have just celebrated a fairy tale marriage of a young woman. Immediately her prince like husband reveals her lost virginity on her marriage bed and returns her to her mother as spoiled property. The lesson I learned from this movie is that a woman whose honor has been taken away has the right to name the price for its recovery. Her price is the life of the most popular young man in town, full of the joy of life and hope in the future. It doesn't matter whether it really was he who had robbed her of her virginity. The fact is that a fallen woman is dangerous; she can name the price of her lost honor. She chooses him to be the sacrifice, because he is worthy. He is killed just like a sacrifice, stabbed to death in the town's main square, while all the people of the town, his friends look on. I wouldn't have come to this conclusion had I continued, like most viewers, I suppose, to dwell on the mystery of whether it was really he who had taken away her virginity. If it wasn't him, then who was the true defiler? Why didn't she give him up to be murdered? Was she protecting someone? Who was she protecting? Was it the doctor? Or was it someone in her immediate family? Maybe even her father or one of her brothers?
Wish I had a copy
eekemper17 March 2006
My favorite book, brief, suspenseful, and frighteningly real in scope and character. Having recently lived through Katrina as a physician at various aid stations, rescue squads into the city, etc. it brought me back to this book and a film I saw when I was in my early teens. It speaks of the tragedy of modern life, where apathy can settle like dust and no one is responsible for their neighbor. The riverside town in the heart of Colombia, trapped in an absurd past where an unspoken code of conduct is barbarously enforced (against even the enforcers' wishes, I might add), is fleshed out masterfully. This is one remake I am desperately hoping I live to see, and one movie I wish I could see again.
Very good movie
victormartinezmoreno22 March 2004
I saw this movie when I was a little boy, just 10 years old. I'm almost 21 now and I will remember this one forever. This is one of those movies you once see, and love so much, but are afraid of not getting another chance to see it again. I have forgotten some parts of the film, and i would do anything to see it again, just to remember it to see if it still would be one of my favourites. So i hope someone reads this and maybe can help me? I liked it so much I sudently got interested of reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez' tales and books, so I told my father to read some of them for me. I now am a big fan of Garcia Marquez. I'm a movie lover and my favourite movies are such as The Usual Supects, The Shawshank Redemption, Memento, Schindler's List, Life is Beautiful + many, many more. Good movie. Please forgive me for my bad english... Peace y'all
an unforgettable visual experience
cybertwerp8 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I was finally able, thanks to the Colombian DVD version, to see this film again after twenty years. I saw immediately what drew me to it in the first place.
What's so special is all basically extraneous to the plotting. The photography is basically a sequence of stills, but what stills! - full benefit of the exoticism of the setting was realized (some was shot in a village chosen as the fictional "Macondo", some in Cartagena), and all in a very high colour. A lot of attention was paid to the appearance of the characters as well - Muti/Everett/Delon became a sort of programme music to commemorate human beauty, and I really liked the reluctantly avenging twins. Another technical trick was the scantiness of the soundtrack; there were times when I would have liked a bit more dialogue, but some of the long silences (like Bayardo and Angela in the rowboat) spoke for themselves, as it were.
Speaking of soundtrack, why were Rupert Everett's lines dubbed into Spanish? I know it avoids the need for subtitles; but it was so out of sync with the movement of his mouth as to be ridiculous, and his use of English (apparently sullenness rather than bad Spanish - so said the flyer at the 1987 Montreal Film Festival) added to the fish-out-of-water, if not actually exotic, characterization of Bayardo.
What really troubled me, and it would be unfair not to say so, was the narrative frame that Garcia Marquez adopted for the screenplay. It was clumsy to have Cristo Bedoya as both character and objective narrator, and the external narrator of the novel might have been kept as a voice-over device. And (SPOILER HERE) the final scene wasn't plausible; being untrue to the novel is no big deal, but it was so far beyond belief as to have harmed the film. Why not just finish with the body of Santiago Nasar lying in the sand? But it's a WONDERFUL piece of film-making. It deserves far more attention than it's had to date.
What's so special is all basically extraneous to the plotting. The photography is basically a sequence of stills, but what stills! - full benefit of the exoticism of the setting was realized (some was shot in a village chosen as the fictional "Macondo", some in Cartagena), and all in a very high colour. A lot of attention was paid to the appearance of the characters as well - Muti/Everett/Delon became a sort of programme music to commemorate human beauty, and I really liked the reluctantly avenging twins. Another technical trick was the scantiness of the soundtrack; there were times when I would have liked a bit more dialogue, but some of the long silences (like Bayardo and Angela in the rowboat) spoke for themselves, as it were.
Speaking of soundtrack, why were Rupert Everett's lines dubbed into Spanish? I know it avoids the need for subtitles; but it was so out of sync with the movement of his mouth as to be ridiculous, and his use of English (apparently sullenness rather than bad Spanish - so said the flyer at the 1987 Montreal Film Festival) added to the fish-out-of-water, if not actually exotic, characterization of Bayardo.
What really troubled me, and it would be unfair not to say so, was the narrative frame that Garcia Marquez adopted for the screenplay. It was clumsy to have Cristo Bedoya as both character and objective narrator, and the external narrator of the novel might have been kept as a voice-over device. And (SPOILER HERE) the final scene wasn't plausible; being untrue to the novel is no big deal, but it was so far beyond belief as to have harmed the film. Why not just finish with the body of Santiago Nasar lying in the sand? But it's a WONDERFUL piece of film-making. It deserves far more attention than it's had to date.
Illusive masterpiece
larsbredorahbek3 July 2023
I saw this movie in Denmark upon its worldwide release most likely in 1987 or could it have been early 1988. The movie has stayed with me forever. Through the years, through the decades, scenes and moods have kept popping up in my mind. I feel wrapped in a tropic heatwave of emotions so many years after. Ornella Muti shines along with a multifaceted and utterly fascinating cast and so does Gabriel Garcia Marquez' hypnotising plot which is so heartbreakingly foreboding. Lush, atmospheric, wonderful and sad. A grand romance. I wish I could witness this movie's splendours just one more time. The movie poster is iconic, by the way.
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