LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND
US/UK, 1997, 89 minutes, Colour.
John Hurt, Jason Priestley, Fiona Loewi, Sheila Hancock, Maury Chaykin.
Directed by Richard Kwietniowski.
Love and Death on Long Island is based on a novel by Gilbert Adair, long-time film critic as well as novelist. He draws on his experience as a film reviewer with a wide range of reference to film (including Sight and Sound for which he wrote).
John Hurt gives an impeccable performance as a British novelist, Giles De’ Ath. He has no awareness of modern technology – and is interviewed by the BBC in a discussion about word processing. When he hears that E.M. Forster has been adapted for the screen, he is locked out of his house by accident and goes to see the film. He goes into the wrong cinema and sees Hot Pants College 2 – on the point of leaving, he is attracted by the star, played by Jason Priestley (who appeared in Beverly Hills 90210).
He becomes an obsessive fan of Ronnie, collecting magazines, even getting a video player – and discovering that he needs a television set as well. He borrows the films of the actor. When he gives a lecture on the death of the future, he digresses with his reflections on cinema, acting, art.
Advised by his agent, he goes on a trip to the United States and goes to Ronnie’s town on Long Island, meeting Ronnie’s fiancée, ingratiating himself, meeting Ronnie, trying to guide his career, give him advice, enjoy his company – and then declare his love for him.
The film is modelled on Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice and other stories of elderly artists who become infatuated with a young man. In this case, there is love rather than death at the end – with an open-ended sequence.
The film was written and directed by Richard Kwietniowski who also made the film Owning Mahoney.
1.A character portrait, art, the media, technology – and its effects? The changes from 20th century to 21st century?
2.The title, Giles’s name of De’ Ath (and the jokes about it and his explanations)? Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice?
3.The London settings, the BBC, restaurants and homes, interiors, Giles’s world?
4.London, the popular cinemas, the video shops, pizza parlours?
5.Long Island, the beaches, the suburbs, the streets, Irv’s diner, the restaurants, homes?
6.The contrast of the worlds, British and US, in manners, language, vision? Europe and experience? American brash?
7.The structure of the film: the opening on the beach, Giles’s world, the glimpses into Ronnie’s world via film and videos, the visit to the United States, the end – and the hands shaking?
8.The portrait of Giles, John Hurt’s performance, his age, literary background, success, the awkward radio interview, the discussions about writing and word processing? His relationship with his agent, the discussions? At home, Mrs Barker looking after him, hearing him on the radio? A widower, his wife, no children? His study, being locked out? His friendship with the deaf lady, the television and the captions, the videos?
9.Going to the cinema, awkward, wanting the E.M. Forster adaptation, going to Hot Pants College 2, his reaction, on the verge of leaving, seeing Ronnie, infatuated and remaining? The actor prone with the tomato sauce container, seeing the Death of Chatterton in the art gallery? His buying the milk, seeing the magazines, collecting the magazines, borrowing the scissors to cut out, the scrapbook, Mrs Barker's reaction, going to the art gallery, looking at the Chatterton painting? Wanting to know what a sitcom was?
10.Going to the cinema again, having to say the title out loud, his decision to get a video, the delivery, having to get the television, his watching, looking at the sitcom with Ronnie, the video shop, trying to get Ronnie’s films? The pizza, watching, the delight, the effect? His lecture on the death of the future – and the references to film and actors?
11.The agent suggesting the trip, getting the Chesterton cigarettes, going to the town of Chesterton, the motel, the landlady and her welcoming the Britisher, going to Irv’s, the friendship with Irv, the chatter, the clientele, the assistant? Getting information? Looking for the house, seeing the car? Stopped by the police? Bumping into Audrey at the market, taking her to lunch, meeting Ronnie, his joy, discussions, the meals?
12.Ronnie, the ordinary actor, the sitcom and the awkward humour, his being in Los Angeles, the Hot Pants films, the scene from Tex-Mex? and the priest and his dying, skid marks and the biker? Audrey, older than Ronnie, Giles talking with them, the rehearsal, his ideas?
13.Giles, the talk, making up his niece Abigail, interest in Ronnie’s career, praising him, Europe, the artist, the solitary life? Offering to write the screenplay? The description of the screenplay about the wild child who only knew television? The quotation from Walt Whitman for the funeral scene? Baseball and its being explained, Audrey seeing through him? The final meeting, the impassioned speech, the faxed letter?
14.Audrey, nice, modelling, the model shoots, impressed by Giles, friendship, the diner? At home, the meals, the talk? The baseball, her explanations – and knowing that Giles was pretending? Her wanting to take possession of Ronnie?
15.Irv, his diner, the style, the company? The motel lady, the guests and noise, the typewriter?
16.The theme of infatuation, Giles’s explanation to Ronnie, the long letter and the going through of the whole story? Saying that Ronnie would cherish the letter? Keep it secret? The need for a mentor, the older man, the wiser, the patron? The film illustrating this theme with insight and wit?
