Orlando

UPC: 043396357662

Studio: Sony Pictures

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Adult Situations, Questionable for Children]

Summary: Independent filmmaker Sally Potter's gender-bending epic, which views four centuries of sexual politics through the eyes of a sex-switching main character, is based on the 1928 novel by Virginia Woolf. The androgynous title character is played with delicate quietude by Tilda Swinton. The story begins during the reign of the aging Queen Elizabeth I (Quentin Crisp, in a droll turn recalling his The Naked Civil Servant). Queen Elizabeth takes a shine to the attractive young Orlando and seeks out his sexual favors. In return, Elizabeth grants him a large estate, commanding him, "Do not fade, do not wither, do not grow old." Orlando takes the queen at her word and doesn't. When Elizabeth dies, Orlando becomes attracted to Sasha (Charlotte Valandrey), the daughter of a Russian diplomat, but she rebuffs his advances. Crushed, Orlando accepts an ambassadorship to Constantinople. After witnessing the killing of a man in battle, Orlando undergoes a change of sex, becoming a woman and returning to England, where she hobnobs with 18th-century geniuses like Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and John Addison. Walking through a garden labyrinth, the time frame shifts to the 19th century, and Orlando falls in love with a handsome American (Billy Zane). Now in the 20th century, Orlando gives birth to his child and continues on. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best "Young" European Film – European Film Academy Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Costume Design – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Foreign Film – Independent Spirit Awards

Features: Orlando goes to Russia
Orlando in Uzbekistan
Jimmy was an angel
Venice Film Festival press conference
An interview with Sally Potter
Select scenes commentary with director Sally Potter

Orlando

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 08/17/2010

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DS Dolby Surround (4.0)

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Orlando
1. Chapter 1 [6:09]
2. Chapter 2 [2:55]
3. Chapter 3 [2:51]
4. Chapter 4 [1:30]
5. Chapter 5 [2:06]
6. Chapter 6 [2:08]
7. Chapter 7 [4:01]
8. Chapter 8 [2:23]
9. Chapter 9 [2:04]
10. Chapter 10 [3:26]
11. Chapter 11 [1:57]
12. Chapter 12 [5:45]
13. Chapter 13 [3:24]
14. Chapter 14 [2:57]
15. Chapter 15 [4:16]
16. Chapter 16 [5:29]
17. Chapter 17 [2:28]
18. Chapter 18 [1:36]
19. Chapter 19 [2:42]
20. Chapter 20 [3:29]
21. Chapter 21 [2:37]
22. Chapter 22 [1:27]
23. Chapter 23 [3:08]
24. Chapter 24 [5:39]
25. Chapter 25 [3:48]
26. Chapter 26 [4:03]
27. Chapter 27 [1:26]
28. Chapter 28 [7:42]

Andrea LeVasseur

Orlando is a witty visual spectacle with compelling ideas and a story with many gaping holes that are open to interpretation. The source novel by Virginia Woolf, written as a love letter to Vita Sackville-West, was adapted for the screen by director Sally Potter, who also composed the musical score. With a budget of four million dollars, Potter manages to re-create 400 years of European history, complete with royal landscapes and elaborate costumes. The inspired set was the work of experimental filmmaker Peter Greenaway's production designers, Ben Van Os and Jan Roelfs. The plot is generally overshadowed by the remarkably talented Tilda Swinton portraying the character of Orlando throughout different times, places, and genders. It is never explained why or how Orlando can persevere without aging and change from a he into a she, yet Swinton's performance remains convincing. The supporting characters never develop into much, despite such clever casting as Quentin Crisp playing Queen Elizabeth I. However lacking in narrative elements, Orlando is a humorous and fascinating study of gender identity throughout history, made with an observant and critical eye on the traditions of Victorian costume dramas. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Cast and Crew: John Grillo  Actor 
Simon Russell Beale  Actor 
Robert Demeger  Actor 
Barbara Hicks  Actor 
Toby Jones  Actor 
Mary McLeod  Actor 
Jerome Willis  Actor 
Ned Sherrin  Actor 
Sarah Crowden  Actor 
Roger Hammond  Actor 
Kathryn Hunter  Actor 
Thom Hoffman  Actor 
John Byrne  Actor 
Sally Potter  Director 
Sally Potter  Composer (Music Score) 
Sally Potter  Screenwriter 
Laurie Borg  Producer 
Christopher Sheppard  Producer 
David Motion  Composer (Music Score) 
Tilda Swinton  Actor 
Billy Zane  Actor 
Lothaire Bluteau  Actor 
John Wood  Actor 
Charlotte Valandrey  Actor 
Quentin Crisp  Actor 
Heathcote Williams  Actor 
Peter Eyre  Actor 
Jimmy Somerville  Actor 
Dudley Sutton  Actor 

Country: France,Italy,Netherlands,UK