Leslie Megahey Movies
As co-directed by Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill, the nature documentary Earth represents an edited-down version of the 12-hour small-screen miniseries Planet Earth, reslated for cinematic release. The program provides a sweeping 99-minute tour of our home planet's biosphere -- spanning every level of gaze, from the epic (crystal-clear shots of the Earth hovering in space) to the hyper-specific (a mother polar bear and her cubs waking from a lengthy period of hibernation). The film almost exclusively emphasizes the behavior of the animal populations that inhabit the Earth, yet carefully omits shots that depict the more gory predatory behavior of species, rendering it family-friendly. It also employs a chronological approach -- beginning in January in the Arctic wilderness, and moving progressively through the four seasons and 12 months comprising a single year, until it hits late December -- contrasting various geographic regions of the Earth as shot in various seasons. Above all else, a cautionary message underscores this footage; as in An Inconvenient Truth, the filmmakers continually remind their audience that despite the grandiloquence present onscreen, all may be lost if humankind is not careful. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Earl Jones
In France in 1452, the dark superstition of the Medieval era was beginning to give way to the more enlightened attitudes of the Renaissance. But the changes were slow in coming, as Richard Courtois (Colin Firth) learns when he moves to the country village of Abbeville, owned and ruled by the Seigneur (Nicol Williamson). Courtois is a lawyer, or an "advocate" as they were called in those days, and the Seigneur has hired him to act as a public defender for those who cannot provide their own legal counsel. One odd remnant of the dark ages that Abbeville has not purged from its legal system is the practice of prosecuting animals as well as humans for crimes; as Courtois arrives, he nearly witnesses the execution of both a man and a donkey who were found guilty of bestiality (the donkey was spared at the last minute because it could not be proved that she consented to the act). So Courtois is not exactly surprised when one of his first cases finds him defending a pig against charges of murdering a small child. Courtois soon discovers that the pig belongs to Samira (Amina Annabi), a beautiful gypsy woman he finds himself falling in love with. Losing the pig would mean losing many meals down the road, so to win Samira's good tidings, Courtois must prove the pig innocent -- which means finding the real killer. However, since the Seigneur is eager to see Courtois (or anyone, for that matter) marry his daughter Filette (Lysette Anthony), his affection for Samira may not be good for his future employment prospects. This period comedy/drama also features Donald Pleasance, Ian Holm, and Michael Gough. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Firth, Ian Holm, (more)
- 1989
Something of a rarity - an opera redesigned for film cameras, in lieu of being a filmed stage production per se - this 1989 work from director Leslie Megahey constitutes an interpretation of Béla Bartók's one-act 1911 opera Bluebeard's Castle. The morose and macabre tale dramatizes the sinister Duke Bluebeard's return to his secluded castle, with new wife Judith in tow, and Judith's subsequent discovery of the horrors that lurk within. It stars Robert Lloyd as Duke Bluebeard and Elizabeth Laurence as Judith, Anna Buruma designed the costumes, Leslie Megahey directs, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra lends musical accompaniment under the baton of Adam Fischer. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Laurence
- 1987
Theodore Gericault's gruesome subject matter and fascination with symbolic interpretation made him a forerunner to the French Romantic movement. Portrait of an Artist: Theodore Gericault- Men and Wild Horses documents his revolutionary style. Gericault actually studied the faces of decapitated heads of criminals to paint the nature of suffering. His series of canvasses depicting mental patients testifies to Gericault's ideas on the purpose of art. His dark and detailed Raft of the Medusa was Gericault's most complicated achievement. The ambitious and horrific painting symbolized Gericault's wish to re-create topical events while exploring the deeper meaning behind them. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Each episode of Portrait of an Artist offers an intimate peek at the life and work of an important figure in the world of art. Not just a dry discussion of the major works, this is an exploration of the environment that produced the artist and influenced his work. From interviews with family and friends, to short trips to the artist's favorite haunts, no stone is left unturned. In this particular episode, viewers explore the life and work of Jacques-Louis David, an artist whose strident political views both landed him in jail and thrust him into a leadership role within the art world. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Each episode of Portrait of an Artist offers an intimate peek at the life and work of an important figure in the world of art. Not just a dry discussion of the major works, this is an exploration of the environment that produced the artist and influenced his work. From interviews with family and friends, to short trips to the artist's favorite haunts, no stone is left unturned. In this particular episode, viewers explore the life and work of Ingres, a reactionary artist who many feel inspired the romantic movement. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 198z
A portrait of works from this great artist. ~ All Movie Guide
