Death and the Compass (1992)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Alex Cox

Writers:

Jorge Luis Borges (story)
Alex Cox (writer)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

In a nightmare city inhabited only by criminals and police... a mystic detective finds a tool to catch a villainous outlaw.

Plot Keywords:

Ritual Murder | Flashback Sequence | Based On Short Story | Police Corruption | Foreign Language Adaptation

Cast

Peter Boyle	...	Erik Lonnrot
Miguel Sandoval	...	Treviranus
Christopher Eccleston	...	Alonso Zunz
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez	...	Ms.Espinoza / Harlequin
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Blot
Alonso Echánove	...	Novalis
Eduardo López Rojas	...	Finnegan
Alex Cox	...	Commander Borges
Karl Braun	...	Sergeant
Gabriela Gurrola	...	Hooker / Harlequin
Ariane Pellicer	...	Natasha
Mario Iván Martínez	...	Hotel Manager
René Pereyra	...	Azevedo
Roberto Sosa	...	Drug Addict I
Bruno Bichir	...	Drug Addict II

Also Known As:

La muerte y la brújula (Mexico)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA | Mexico | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:15

Filming Locations:

Estudios Churubusco Azteca, Mexico City, México D.F., Mexico

Company:

Estudios Churubusco Azteca S.A.

Quotes:

Lonnrot: Let's just say I'm looking for a more rabbinical explanation.

Another fascinating but flawed movie from Alex Cox, Britain's most underrated director.

I've been looking for 'Death and the Compass' for quite some time, as I'm an admirer of the Borges story that inspired it, and I thought it would be another piece in the puzzle of Alex Cox's frustrating career. Unfortunately I didn't manage to watch it on DVD and wasn't able to listen to Cox's commentary, one which I really could have done with! On top of that I watched it in two sittings, something I don't usually like doing. I really would like to watch it a second time as I feel my concentration was wavering. Anyway, it's yet another fascinating but flawed movie from Cox, a description which describes almost all his output since 'Repo Man', which to me is still his most completely satisfying work. Peter Boyle stars as the enigmatic detective Lonnrot(he had previously worked with Cox in the unfairly maligned 'Walker'), with Christopher Eccleston ('Shallow Grave') and Cox regular Miguel Sandoval supporting. Another comment mentioned 'Element Of Crime' as a stylistic reference point and I can see that, only on presumably a much smaller budget. Of course '...Compass' isn't anywhere near as good as Von Trier's film, but it does give you some idea of what to expect. I can't say I don't have some reservations about this movie, but if you like offbeat films that play with genre and require a bit of thought, then give this a shot. Me, I want to watch it a second time and hear what Alex Cox has to say about it before I make up my mind.