THE OLD MAN WHO READ LOVE STORIES

Australia/France, 2005, 115 minutes, Colour.
Richard Dreyfuss, Timothy Spall, Hugo Weaving, Cathy Tyson.
Directed by Rolf de Heer.

The Old Man Who Read Love Stories is based on a novella by Luis Sepulveda. It was adapted and written for the screen by its director Rolf de Heer.

Rolf de Heer has a strong reputation in Australian cinema with a variety of films including Dingo, Incident at Raven’s Gate and, especially, Bad Boy Bubby. Later films include The tracker.

This film was made on location in French Guiana, boasting beautiful cinematography of the Amazon jungle and rivers.

Richard Dreyfuss is the star, a strong central performance of a Campasino who is settled in the Amazon, loses his wife, remains isolated in the jungle, befriending the Indians, learning from them and by his mistakes. He also reads very slowly but decides to read the love stories that he can borrow. He relishes the words, the sounds, the sentences as well as the meanings of the stories. In all of this, and with his memories of the past (inserted in flashbacks), he becomes a wise man. This is especially the case in the confrontation with a jaguar who is avenging the death of her cubs by terrorising the jungle.

The supporting cast includes Timothy Spall as the vain mayor of the remote town and Hugo Weaving as the visiting dentist. Cathy Tyson is the woman, living with the mayor, but who chooses the old man who read love stories.

1.The impact of the film? Art-house? The visual beauty? The sound? Poetic, mythic?

2.The work of Rolf de Heer, his adaptation of the story? His perspective on Latin America and the Amazon way of life?

3.The French Guiana locations, the jungle, the river, its beauty, the terror?

4.The jungle as a mythical location, its isolation and remoteness? The resources and lack of resources? Government and law? Primitive and civilised? The nature of primitive society, barbaric society, civilised society?

5.The range of people in the jungle, the Indians, the settlers, the government officials, travellers, the dentist?

6.The structure of the film: the opening with the voice-over narration, seeing the book, the book as a love story come to life? The linear development of Antonio Bolivar’s story by the end of the film? The superimpositions on the screen, Antonio’s memories, dreams, fears and visions? The insertion of these and the flashbacks?

7.The character of Antonio: Richard Dreyfuss’s style, strong presence? His age, the story of his being settled in the jungle, the long tracking shot up the river as this was described? His marriage (and the photo with him and his wife coming alive)? His comments on her not kissing, her death and burial? The short time of their marriage? His beginning to read, savouring the words, the sentences, the stories? The adverbs? The gondola? His relationship with Josephine, knowing she was with the mayor, with the dentist, borrowing the books from her? Her lending him love stories? Her giving him the gift of the magnifying glass? Her moving in with him at the end after leaving the mayor? Offering him love? His friendship with the dentist? The issue of the hunt, the jaguar, the deaths, the mayor? The background of his giving the mayor his vote and his reading? The hunt, the culmination of his life? Growing in wisdom?

8.The Indians, their friendship with him, the tribe, the welcome? The Gringos and their attack? His remembering the presence of the chief and his welcome? His being shot? Antonio and his anger, pursuing the Gringo, killing him, dragging him back across the river? The rituals of the Indians? Their turning their backs? The chief’s speech about power, the unworthiness of the way that Antonio killed him? The impact on Antonio, learning about the power of the dead, absorbing this power?

9.The influence of the chief, on his hunting the jaguar? The victims, the claw marks, the mayor and his rash judgment, attack on the Indians? The autopsy? The six going on the hunt, the mayor and his gathering people together? Antonio and his savvy, his respect for the jaguar, the cubs and their pelts and throwing them in the river? The mayor and his brashness, the quicksand, the scorpions, shooting the scorpions, the light of the fire, the scent of the jaguar? Antonio and his letting the others go, hiding, the confrontation with the jaguar, making the poison, making the blow reed? Killing the jaguar, his being wounded, sending it down the river?

10.The dentist, his life, friendship with Antonio, his work as a dentist, the people watching, the boasting man getting his fifteen teeth removed to win the bet? His revolutionary attitudes? His joining in the hunt?

11.Josephine, her place in the jungle, with the mayor, the prostitution on the side, the money for the mayor? The relationship with the dentist? Giving the love stories? Her leaving the mayor, moving in with Antonio, giving him the magnifying glass?

12.The mayor, his self-importance, ignorance, saying he was educated? His reaction to the jaguar? The flashback to the voting? With Josephine? His plan, going in the jungle, the boots, not being able to be told, wanting to give orders, shooting the scorpion?

13.The men in the hunting party? The outsiders coming into the jungle – and Antonio warning them off? Antonio’s life, a life of dignity, potential, wisdom?