ORLANDO
 
STARRING: Tilda Swinton, Billy Zane, Lothaire Bluteau, John Wood, Charlotte
Valandrey, Heathcote Williams, Quentin Crisp, Peter Eyre
1993, 93 Minutes, Directed by: Sally Potter
 Description:
Commanded never to age by Queen Elizabeth (Quentin Crisp), the title
character becomes immortal; we then follow Orlando through 400 years of
dreamlike British history. Midway through the film, Orlando changes genders.
Based on, but scarcely resembling, the Virginia Woolf modernist classic of the
same name. —
Amazon.com
Orlando is a lavish fantastical tale that follows
the adventures of a young androgynous Elizabethan male who is not only
immortal, but also changes into a female halfway through the movie . .
.
Come again? It’s a difficult film to describe or even
analyze, and that is exactly
the pleasure behind the movie. It’s the sort of thing that’ll want you to talk
to somebody about the movie right after you’ve seen it. Based on the novel of the
same name by Virginia Woolf, it scores a few points on the satiric level especially
regarding the roles of males and females and the similarities between 20th century and
Elizabethan society and . . .
Well, listen. Don’t be afraid of Virginia Woolf. Go see this movie. If you’re
looking for some quirky and unpredictable fare then go see this movie - you’ll love
it. I certainly did. But if you’re of the opinion that Independence
Day was the greatest movie ever made then give it a miss . . .
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