Jonathan Miller Movies

Neurologist-turned-playwright and self-confessed atheist Jonathan Miller speaks with six of the world's leading authorities in letters and science to discuss their personal intellectual journeys and explore the topic of atheism from a disparate variety of perspectives in this mini-series designed to enlighten and inform. Conversations with philosophers Daniel Dennett and Colin McGinn, biologist and best-selling author Richard Dawkins, famed playwright Arthur Miller, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg, and Cambridge theologian Denys Turner offer illuminating insight into mankind's biggest mystery. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Lucio Gallo and Eteri Gvazava headline this faithful rendition of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, captured live at Florence's Teatro Communale in October of 2003 and featuring conductor Zubin Metha leading the Orchestra Maggio Musicale Florintino. Choreography is provided by Susanna Quartana and Mario Paolo Longobardo directs for television and video. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Conducted by Franz Welser-Most, this stage production of Mozart's classic The Magic Flute was filmed in Switzerland. The classic story of good and evil follows the romance of Tamino and Pamina, and features Matti Salminen, Anton Scharinger, Julia Newman, and Elena Mosuc. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Previously filmed by director Sidney Lumet in 1962, Eugene O'Neill's gloomy Pulitzer Prize-winning play Long Day's Journey Into Night is given a vibrant videotaped treatment by Jonathan Miller. Set on one hot August day and night in 1912, the story concerns the tragic Tyrone family (based, as any American literature student will tell, on O'Neill's own star-crossed clan). The four principals include James Tyrone (Jack Lemmon), a once-great actor who compromised his talent by barnstorming all over the country in a tired melodrama and by consuming great quantities of alcohol; James' wife Mary (Bethel Leslie), a morphine addict who lives in a world of dreams and delusions; oldest son Jamie (Kevin Spacey), a drunken hellraiser; and sensitive,tuberculosis-ridden younger son Edmund (Peter Gallagher), the Eugene O'Neill counterpart. As originally staged, Long Day's Journey Into Night was a long journey indeed, running close to four hours. Director Miller wisely prunes the text down to the essentials, and with equal wisdom packs plenty of visual dynamics into an otherwise excessively verbose piece. Long Day's Journey Into Night was first telecast April 11, 1987, over the Showtime Cable Service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dr. Jonathan Miller, onetime Beyond the Fringe trouper, who was one of the leading lights of the PBS Shakespeare productions of 1978-83, serves as director of The Beggar's Opera. This adaptation of John Gay's lusty 18th-century "play with song" stars The Who's Roger Daltrey as robber captain MacHearh. Stratford Johns co-stars as Peachum, king of beggars, whose licentious daughter Polly falls in love with MacHeath, while Bob Hoskins is appropriately scrungy as an "on the take" constable. Originally taped for British television, The Beggar's Opera received American air play on public and cable TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Greeks laid siege to the city of Troy after Paris (David Firth) of Troy abducted the beautiful Helen (Ann Pennington) from Sparta. In the city, Troilus (Anton Lesser), brother of Paris, is courting the lovely Cressida (Suzanne Burden), who is playing hard to get so that his interest will be heightened. Outside the walls of Troy, the Greek forces are growing weary of the war. Leader Agamemnon (Vernon Dobtcheff) even finds his prize warrior Achilles (Kenneth Haigh) to be sullen about the proceedings, and is concocting a plan to promote Ajax (Anthony Pedley ) as the Greeks' greatest hero, thereby goading Achilles back into action. To this end, Ajax is chosen when the Trojans suggest a wrestling match with Hector (John Shrapnel), another brother of Paris and Troilus. Meanwhile, Troilus and Cressida consolidate their feelings for one another and spend the night together. The next day, however, Cressida's traitorous father arranges for her to be given to the Greeks in exchange for a captured Trojan. Troilus vows vengeance on Diomedes (Paul Moriarty), the Greek who seduces Cressida, and goes on a rampage in the Greek camp. The fighting spreads, with Hector killing Patroclus (Simon Cutter), beloved of Achilles, and Hector viciously slain in turn by Achilles. The film ends with the war far from over, and Troilus bemoaning the meaninglessness of love and life. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

This play gets its title from the name of a British holiday called Midsummer Day, the feast of John the Baptist, celebrated on June 24 with merrymaking. On Midsummer Night, witches, goblins, and fairies materialized to hold a festival of their own. Shakespeare's play capitalizes on the magic of the occasion. Set in Athens, it begins when Duke Theseus orders gala ceremonies for his coming marriage to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. But domestic strife intrudes upon the gay atmosphere when one of the duke's subjects, Hermia, chooses Lysander as her future husband over her father Egeus' choice, Demetrius. Theseus reminds Hermia of a law requiring her to obey her father or face death or banishment. Hermia and Lysander then escape to the woods. There, tradesmen are rehearsing a play for the duke's wedding. Demetrius, the rejected suitor, searches the woods for Hermia, while another young lady, Helena, follows him, praying that he will bestow his love on her instead of Hermia. Also in the woods are fairies gathered to bless the duke's wedding. Oberon, the fairy king, argues violently with his queen, Titania, after she refuses to give him a boy he wants as a servant. In retaliation, Oberon orders a fairy named Puck to concoct a potion of flower juice, which, when squeezed on Titania's eyelids, will enamor her of the first creature she sees -- whether animal or man. Witnessing the love problems of Helena and Demetrius, Oberon decides a dose of flower juice will do them good. But because of mischief and mixups, Puck's potion anoints indiscriminately, and everyone temporarily falls in love with the wrong person. Titania ends up with bumpkin Bottom, a tradesman wearing the head of an ass. Eventually, remedial magic rights the wrongs and a triple wedding takes place. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide

After looking at the bank bail-outs of cities in financial duress in the late '70s, this documentary proposes that the banks took power away from the municipal political leaders, to the detriment of the lower echelons of society (as social programs were cut in the process). Apparently the banks backed commercial and industrial development and cuts in city spending, policies that whether intentional or not, adversely affected the lower classes. One example of the dominance of bank interests is when a banker, Felix Rohatyn set up a series of solutions to New York City's financial crisis in 1975. He created the Municipal Assistance Corporation (Big Mac), soon to be followed by the Emergency Financial Control Board. As a result of bankers' interpretations of fiscal policy, the city closed daycare centers, fire stations, and hospitals. There is no doubt that directors James Gaffney, Martin Lucas, and Jonathan Miller intended to illustrate their own viewpoints, culled after five years of filming and writing. The segment on the city of Cleveland and its default in 1978 in which the efforts of Mayor Dennis Kucinich and the community to restore fiscal stability are shown as opposed by the banks and the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. may not be as objective as some would like. Viewers will have to judge the merits of the documentary's arguments based on their own knowledge and experience. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Bassanio (John Nettles), a young man of Venice, falls hopelessly in love with fair Portia (Gemma Jones), a wealthy heiress. But his pocket lacks the jingle to woo her. So Bassanio obtains a loan from the Jewish moneylender Shylock (Warren Mitchell), and his friend Antonio(John Franklyn-Robbins) agrees to repay it in three months. However, if Antonio fails to meet the deadline, Shylock says, Antonio must forfeit a pound of his flesh -- certain death -- as payment. In his heart, Shylock hopes Antonio will default so that he can carve up one of the Christians who mock and humiliate him simply because he is Jewish. Meanwhile, Portia entertains distinguished suitors from around the world. Although she loves Bassanio, her late father made her promise to marry only the suitor who passes a strange test: He must choose from among three caskets -- one gold, one silver, and one lead. If the chosen casket contains a picture of Portia, the suitor wins her hand in marriage. After princes from Morocco and Arragon select the wrong caskets, Bassanio chooses the right one. In the meantime, Shylock's daughter Jessica (Leslee Udwin) elopes with a Christian, Bassanio's friend Lorenzo (Richard Morant), and helps herself to her father's jewels and gold before leaving. When Antonio suffers a financial reversal and fails to repay the loan, Shylock demands the pound of flesh. A trial before the Duke of Venice ensues, in which Portia, disguised as a male advocate, addresses the court, telling Shylock he is entitled to his pound of flesh according to the loan agreement. Shylock, praising her for her ruling, prepares to cut into Antonio's chest. But Portia warns him that he must take only flesh, but no blood, for the contract says nothing of blood. Shylock drops his knife, realizing he has been defeated. As punishment for conspiring to kill Antonio, Shylock must forfeit property and become a Christian. As he leaves the court, a broken man, the other principals celebrate and live happily ever after. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide

This documentary is a filmed record of the preparations and rehearsals for a Monty Python group performance in conjunction with "Beyond the Fringe" comedian Peter Cook at Her Majesty's Theatre in London in 1976. Backstage sequences are also shown. The very serious work involved in creating funny business is contrasted with the humor of the actual performances. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide