Madame Sousatzka (1988)
- Starring:
- Shirley MacLaine, Navin Chowdhry, (more)
- Director(s):
- John Schlesinger
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG13
Member Rating
My RatingRent DVD by Mail
Theatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
Shirley MacLaine is Madame Sousatzka, an aging piano instructor of Russian extraction. Entrenched in a dilapidated London rooming house, the Madame gives lessons only to the most gifted. She does not stop at mere instruction; Sousatzka insists that her pupils conduct their lives in the same genteel, cultured manner in which she was raised. Her prize student at the moment is an East Indian teenage boy (Navin Chowdhry), who forms a strong and loving bond with the old woman. Director John Schlesinger occasionally cuts away from the Madame and her pupil to allow comic space for the other tenants in Ashcroft's building, including an erstwhile songstress (Twiggy) and a gay osteopath (Geoffrey Baydlon). Navim Chowdhry's mother is played by Shabana Azmi, an important star of Indian films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Shirley MacLaine - Mme. Irina Sousatzka
- Peggy Ashcroft - Lady Emily
- Shabana Azmi - Sushila Sen
- Geoffrey Bayldon - Mr. Cordle
- Robert Rietty - Leo Milev
- Roger Hammond - Lefrance
- Barry Douglas - Pianist at Portman Hall
- Katherine Schlesinger - Piano Student
- Mohammed Ashiq - Sunil
- Susan Porrett - Receptionist
- Humphrey Burton - Festival Announcer
- Sam Smart - Street Youth
- Sam Howard - Edward
- David F. Doyle - Street Youth
- Peter-Hugo Daly - Roadie
- Navin Chowdhry - Manek Sen
- Twiggy - Jenny
- Leigh Lawson - Ronnie Blum
- Lee Montague - Vincent Pick
- Jeremy Sinden - Woodford
- Christopher Adey - Conductor
- Jean Anderson - Lady with Removal Men
- Cheryl Miller - Black Schoolgirl
- Stephen Webber - School Teacher
- Carol Gillies - Sousatzka's Mother
- Andrew St. Clair - Festival Mime Artist
- Charu Bala Chokshi - 1st Punjabi Lady
- Elizabeth Hayes - Piano Student
- Roland Curram - Menswear Salesman
- Vernon Dobtcheff - Music Critic
- Director(s):
- John Schlesinger
- Writer(s):
- John Schlesinger, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Peter Morgan
- Producer(s):
- Robin Dalton
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG13(Adult Language, Questionable for Children, Profanity, Adult Situations)
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- 1988 - Madame Sousatzka - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
- 1988 - Madame Sousatzka - National Media Owl - First Prize
- 1988 - Madame Sousatzka - Venice International Film Festival - Volpi Cup for Best Actress
