Gus Van Sant's Constant Thematic and Cinematic Elements
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The Contract (1982)
Bearing traces of the old Anton Chekhov play The Wedding, The Contract is set during an "arranged" ceremony. The bride and groom barely know each other, but this matters not at all to their tradition-bound families. At the last minute, the bride balks. Only slightly nonplused, the groom's father, a status-seeking doctor, decides to go ahead with the expensive reception anyway. Polish director Krzysz Zanussi uses this scenario to stick it to capitalist corruption, and to society's destruction of the individual spirit. Leslie Caron, the one recognizable member of the cast, is outstanding as a wealthy, over-the-hill ballerina who happens to be a kleptomaniac.
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Bearing traces of the old Anton Chekhov play The Wedding, The Contract is set during an "arranged" ceremony. The bride and groom barely know each other, but this matters not at all to their tradition-bound families. At the last minute, the bride balks. Only slightly nonplused, the groom's father, a status-seeking doctor, decides to go ahead with the expensive reception anyway. Polish director Krzysz Zanussi uses this scenario to stick it to capitalist corruption, and to society's destruction of the individual spirit. Leslie Caron, the one recognizable member of the cast, is outstanding as a wealthy, over-the-hill ballerina who happens to be a kleptomaniac.
Rating:
Genre:Drama
Written By:Krzysztof Zanussi
In Theaters:3/3/1982
Box Office:
Runtime:114 minutes
Studio:Zespół Filmowy "Tor"
Cast
Krzysztof Zanussi
Director
Maja Komorowska
Dorota
Tadeusz Łomnicki
Adam Ostoja-Okędzki
Magdalena Jarosz
Lilka Bartoszuk
Krzysztof Kolberger
Piotr Ostoja-Okędzki
Nina Andrycz
Olga Aleksandrowa
Zofia Mrozowska
Maria
Beata Tyszkiewicz
Nina
Janusz Gajos
Bolesław Bartoszuk
Edward Linde-Lubaszenko
Journalist Zygmunt
Ignacy Machowski
Adam's Friend
Christine Paul-Podlasky
Patrycja
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