SIESTA

US, 1987, 97 minutes, Colour.
Ellen Barkin, Gabriel Byrne, Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Grace Jones, Julian Sands, Isabella Rossellini, Alexi Sayle.
Directed by Mary Lambert.

Siesta is an eccentric, dreamlike melodrama. It was written by Patricia Knopf, wife and collaborator with Zalman King (best known for Nine and a Half Weeks, Wild Orchid and other films dealing with sensuality and sexuality). The film was directed by Mary Lambert, who directed many of Madonna's music videos and directed the two Pet Sematary horror films.

The film has a very strong international cast with Ellen Barkin in the central role. Gabriel Byrne is her trainer, Martin Sheen her husband. Jodie Foster appears as a friend, Julian Sands as a lover, Alexi Sayle as a lascivious taxi driver.

The film was made in Spain and has the summer heat atmosphere of the end of June and the beginning of July.

The plot is somewhat difficult to follow - but it eventually emerges that Clare, the heroine, is dead and that she is reliving the last days of her life for some kind of understanding and purgation.

1. Interesting and enjoyable drama, fantasy? Life and death? The film-makers and cast and the women's perspective?

2. The structure of the film: Clare and her lying dead, the fourth of July and the five subsequent days, the United States, leaving for Spain? The build-up of events, the intercutting of past and present? The puzzle of her journey, the characters? Death and purgatory?

3. The Spanish settings, Madrid, the countryside? Editing and pace? The stunts? The blend of reality and unreality? The score?

4. The title, Spanish overtones? Augustine and Clare? Love and death and sleep?

5. The portrait of Clare: Ellen Barkin and her style and screen presence, her age, her experience, her relationships? The training by Augustine and her skills? The option to free-fall (and the moral implications of this image)? Her relationship with Dell, his promoting her? Her leaving him? Going to Spain? The taxi driver - lust, rape? Her coming across him several times? Augustine and Maria, memories of the past, Augustine's relationship with Clare? His marriage with Maria? Clashes, temptation, dislike of Maria? The return, the sexual liaison, siesta? Death? Her wandering the countryside, the bloodstain on her red dress, washing in the pool, the taxi, the police? Reading the paper? Her going to the party? The encounter with the young man, attracted? Nancy and her friendship? The friends, the gallery? The exhaustion, the three in bed? Grace Jones and her appearance, keeping Clare? The fall, the bus, the arena? Clare and her memories? The advice she received? Her commitment in love (or not)?

6. The sketch of Dell, his work as a promoter, the initial comments over the credits? His plans for Clare? Her leaving him?

7. The taxi driver, his brutish behaviour, the dead passenger?

8. Augustine, the past, the training, meeting Clare again, temptation, Maria and his love for her, sexual liaison, death? The end and Maria's arrest?

9. Nancy, her wealth, her style, friends, the gallery, party, helping Clare to the airport?

10. Julian Sands as the artist, his work, violence, sex? Wife and brother?

11. Conchita, the influence on Clare?

12. The narrative complexity, the overall effect of moving between past and present, the characters in this journey? Clare and the reassessment of her life? The exotic and passionate touches?