Death and the Maiden (1994)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers (WGA):

Ariel Dorfman (play)
Rafael Yglesias (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 March 1995 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Prepare yourself for the moment of truth.

Plot:

A political activist is convinced that her guest is a man who once tortured her for the government.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Closed Society | Self Justice | Rape Confession | Trial

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Sigourney Weaver	...	Paulina Escobar
Ben Kingsley	...	Dr. Roberto Miranda
Stuart Wilson	...	Gerardo Escobar
Krystia Mova	...	Dr. Miranda's Wife
Jonathan Vega	...	Dr. Miranda's Son
Rodolphe Vega	...	Dr. Miranda's Son
Gilberto Cortés	...	String Quartet Player (as Gilberto Cortes)
Jorge Cruz	...	String Quartet Player
Carlos Moreno	...	String Quartet Player
Eduardo Valenzuela	...	String Quartet Player
Sergio Ortega Alvarado	...	String Quartet Manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Karen Strassman	...	Elena Galvin (uncredited)

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits (WGA)
Ariel Dorfman		(play)
Rafael Yglesias		(screenplay) and
Ariel Dorfman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jane Barclay	....	executive producer
Ariel Dorfman	....	co-producer
Sharon Harel	....	executive producer
Josh Kramer	....	producer
Thom Mount	....	producer
Gladys Nederlander	....	associate producer
Bonnie Timmermann	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Wojciech Kilar

Cinematography by
Tonino Delli Colli

Film Editing by
Hervé de Luze		(as Herve de Luze)

Casting by
Patsy Pollock
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Pierre Guffroy

Art Direction by
Claude Moesching

Costume Design by
Milena Canonero

Makeup Department
Linda DeVetta	....	makeup artist (as Linda De Vetta)
Didier Lavergne	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Patrick Gordon	....	unit manager
Kathie Weaver	....	post-production supervisor
Suzanne Wiesenfeld	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Boshart	....	second assistant director
Michel Cheyko	....	first assistant director
Christopher Gachet	....	second assistant director (as Christophe Gachet)

Art Department
Yves Blanchard	....	head carpenter
Alexander Boksa	....	head painter (as Alexandre Boksa)
Daniel Braunschweig	....	prop master
Jean-Paul Gaillot	....	head grip construction
Frederic Heurlier	....	painter: cyclorama
René Loubet	....	head of construction (as Rene Loubet)
Eugenio Ahumada Morales	....	prop buyer: Chile
Xavier Morange	....	painter: cyclorama
François Philippi	....	prop buyer
Robert Pilat	....	draper
Janie Ryckmans	....	draper
Martina Skala	....	set dresser
Pierre Thirion	....	set painter

Sound Department
Jean-François Auger	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jean-Marie Blondel	....	boom operator
Daniel Brisseau	....	sound engineer
Keith Grant	....	sound engineer
Dean Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Anne Le Campion	....	sound re-recording mixer
François Lepeuple	....	assistant foley artist
Laurent Lévy	....	foley artist (as Laurent Levy)
Jacqueline Mariani	....	dialogue editor
Anne de Montangon	....	adr editor (as Anne De Montangon)
Laurent Quaglio	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Thierry Alloy	....	special effects assistant (as Thierry Allou)
Bruno Lefebvre	....	special effects assistant
Gilbert Piéri	....	special effects (as Gilbert Pieri)
Gilles Piéri	....	special effects assistant (as Gilles Pieri)
Michel Vialla	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Frederic Moreau	....	optical and digital effects
Pierre Biecher	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Alan Church	....	optical camera operator (uncredited)
Olivier Cotte	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Christian Rajaud	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Jean-Louis Airola	....	stunts
Alain Grellier	....	stunts
Ghislaine Juillot	....	stunts (as Guylaine Juillot)
Janet Pharaoh	....	stunts
Anne Rossner	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Laurent Barès	....	assistant camera: second unit (as Laurent Bares)
Pierre Barougier	....	assistant camera
David Brisseau	....	video assistant
Geoff Brown	....	crane operator: Louma crane
Philippe Cadeau	....	electrician (as Philip Cadeau)
Alain Dondin	....	electrician
Roland Dondin	....	electrician
François Duhamel	....	unit photographer
André Haidant	....	grip (as Andre Haidant)
Gérard Haidant	....	grip (as Gerard Haidant)
Jean Harnois	....	camera operator
Jean-Bernard Josko	....	grip
Jean-Claude LeBras	....	gaffer (as Jean-Claude Lebras)
Jean-Hugues Oppel	....	focus puller
Nicola Pecorini	....	Steadicam operator
Marcel Renult	....	grip
Luc Roux	....	still photographer
André Thiéry	....	head grip (as Andre Thiery)
Jean-Pierre Voisin	....	electrician
Alain Tanguy	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Marie-Sylvie Caillierez	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nathalie Doux	....	dresser
Germinal Rangel	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Christian Dutac	....	color timer
Julie Jouaffre	....	assistant editor
Olivier Laurent	....	assistant editor
Rose-Marie Lausson	....	assistant editor
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer
Geranium Melman	....	assistant editor
Raphaël Péaud	....	assistant editor (as Raphael Peaud)
Simon Ubsdell	....	special editorial consultant
Dorothee Veron	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Andrew Glen	....	music editor
Tim Oldham	....	music producer
Harry Rabinowitz	....	conductor
Toby Wood	....	assistant scoring engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Oreste Canakis	....	driver (as Oreste Ganakis)
Alain Domínguez	....	driver
Emilio Fernández	....	driver (as Emiliano Fernandez)
Joseph Rodegher	....	driver

Other crew
Sylvette Baudrot	....	script supervisor
Robert Blalack	....	visual consultant (as Rob Blalack)
Jean-Pierre Carasso	....	French subtitles: English version with subtitles
Santiago Dalmau Soler	....	location manager: Spain (as Santi Dalmau)
Isabelle Dassonville	....	assistant: Mr. Polanski
Maggy Deleskiewicz	....	script trainee
Laetitia Dom	....	production secretary
Rodrigo Dorfman	....	production assistant
Sophie Drouin	....	administrator
Gilles Dumesnil	....	stand-in (as Gilles Dumenil)
Sophie Evans	....	production assistant
Donna Flandrin	....	stand-in
Janine Gold	....	assistant: Mr. Mount
Jacques Grousset	....	caterer
Olivier Lhoste	....	location manager
Elizabeth Lira	....	psychological researcher
Colette Martin	....	production accountant
Patrick Olmstead	....	assistant to producers: USA
Manuella Papatakis	....	press attache
Ghislaine Pinsard	....	assistant: Mr. Mount
Antoine Riviere	....	production assistant
Isabelle Roussel	....	production banking services
Bernard Rousselot	....	stand-in
Jonathan Rutter	....	public relations: international
Romaly Sar	....	assistant: Mr. Kramer
Matthew Tynan	....	assistant: Mr. Mount
Mark Urman	....	public relations: USA
Jack Waltzer	....	drama coach
Blanche Wiesenfeld	....	production coordinator
Patrick Boshart	....	location scout (uncredited)

Thanks
Maria Stella Dabances	....	thanks
Angelica Dorfman	....	thanks
Eli Klein	....	thanks
Hannah Leader	....	thanks
Roger Levy	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Canal+
• Capitol Films
• Channel Four Films
• Fine Line Features
• Flach Film
• TF1 Films Production

Distributors

• Fine Line Features (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Electric (1995) (UK) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1995) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (1995) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Pyramide Distribution (1995) (France) (theatrical)
• New Line Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (1996) (Japan) (theatrical)
• New Line Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• TF1 Vidéo (1996) (France) (VHS)
• TF1 Vidéo (1998) (France) (DVD)
• Concorde Video (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Aventi (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Kinokuniya (2007) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Ex Machina (digital effects)
• Objectif Lune

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded at
• Banque Internationale A Luxembourg S.A.  production financing
• Berliner Bank  production financing
• CMC  French subtitles
• Cerruti 1881  selected wardrobe
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  publicity: USA
• English Chamber Orchestra  original music performed by
• Erato Records  music recorded on
• F.I.L.M.S.  production financing
• Hôtel Raphaël  thanks
• JVC  video equipment
• Kodak  film stock
• Lawyers Committeee for Human Rights  thanks
• Magic Camera Company, The  optical effects
• McDonald and Rutter  international public relations
• Microfilms  titles
• Physicians for Human Rights  thanks
• RHH/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance
• S.I.S.  post-production
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services
• Spectral Recording Dolby Stereo Digital  recording system
• Studios CTS  music recorded at
• Studios Carnot  sound post-production
• Transpalux  lighting equipment
• Twickenham Film Studios  post-production
• Warner / Chappell Music  music publisher
• Yusef & Leader  financial legal services

Also Known As:

La jeune fille et la mort (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language including descriptions of violent situations.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK | USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | UK:18 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R18 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 (bw) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chile

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

This film was shot entirely in exact chronological order, except for the last scene which takes place at dawn. Roman Polanski chose to shoot at sunset because lighting for the set was better, so he shot the sequence backwards (i.e. last scene when the sun comes up, was shot first as the sun was actually going down, etc.)

Goofs:

Continuity: Dr. Miranda's moustache changes inconsistently throughout the movie.

Quotes:

Dr. Roberto Miranda: How can I confess to something I haven't done?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: 65 Million Years Off (#2.2)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

SCHUBERT STRING QUARTET IN D MINOR

Brilliant dark character study

When it comes to dark and morbid thrillers, there's no one around that can handle them like Roman Polanski does. It is with that in mind, therefore, that I say Polanski is the best man for the job of adapting Ariel Dorfman's stage play; 'Death and the Maiden'. He proves this with the resulting movie, which is a thrill ride, combined with a character study all wrapped up in a layer of morbidity; needless to say, the film really hits home. Polanski handles this story, and his actors with the utmost precision and I have no qualms with labelling this movie as one of the man's masterpieces. I have no idea quite why it hasn't been better received, as although it's not up there with the likes of Knife in the Water, Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby; this is Polanski doing what Polanski does best, and when he's at his best; the man is brilliant. The story follows a chance encounter between a political lawyer and his neighbour, whom the man's wife is certain, is the same man who brutally beat and raped her while blindfolded under the reign of a fascist regime. What follows is a three-way character study between the victim, the man she thinks is her oppressor, and her husband; who is caught in the middle.

The themes of truth and justice are rampant in this tale and as we watch to see if the villain of the piece really is the man who oversaw torture in the oppression, we are always reminded of the idea of the difference between a right and just punishment, and otherwise. As this is based on a stage play, it is the actors that are very much the star of the show. The three-pronged cast makes for a great ensemble, and every single one of them impresses. Sigourney Weaver gives determination and anger to her victim, and it is easy to believe that this woman really was tortured and beaten. Stuart Wilson is great also as the man caught in the middle of a horrible situation, but it is Ben Kingsley that provides the real standout performance. He manages to skilfully tread a line between an evil madman and a pathetic innocent victim brilliantly, and he ensures that at all times we are asking the question "did he?". Polanski's direction is superb, and the thing that most impressed me is the way that he firmly positions the tale in the middle of nowhere. This ensures no distraction, and makes sure that we are put firmly within our character's plight.

On the whole, this is one of the best films that Polanski ever made. Considering his prowess as a filmmaker; that is really saying something and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this film to anyone who enjoys movies.