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Equinox (1986 film)
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| Equinox | |
|---|---|
| French | Équinoxe |
| Directed by | Arthur Lamothe |
| Written by | Arthur Lamothe Gilles Carle Pierre-Yves Pépin |
| Produced by | Nicole Lamothe |
| Starring | Jacques Godin |
| Cinematography | Guy Dufaux |
| Edited by | François Gill |
| Music by | Jean Sauvageau |
Production company | Les Ateliers audiovisuels du Québec |
Release date |
|
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | French |
Equinox (French: Équinoxe) is a Canadian drama film, directed by Arthur Lamothe and released in 1986.[1] Lamothe's first narrative feature film in 18 years after having concentrated exclusively on documentary films since 1968's Dust from Underground (Poussière sur la ville), the film stars Jacques Godin as Guillaume, a man returning to his hometown for the first time since being wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit, in order to confront the former friend whose false testimony resulted in Guillaume being sent to prison.[2]
The film was shot in the rural Îles de Sorel near Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, in 1985,[3] and premiered at the 1986 Montreal World Film Festival.[4]
Cast
[edit]- Jacques Godin as Guillaume
- Marthe Mercure as Rita
- Ariane Frédérique as Nathalie
- André Melançon as Bert (as André Mélançon)
- Luc Proulx as Arthur
- Jerry Snell as Jos
Critical response
[edit]In his 2003 book A Century of Canadian Cinema, Gerald Pratley called the film a triumph of cinematography over script.[5] For the Montreal Gazette, Bruce Bailey dismissed the film as "something of a cross between a Beachcombers episode and something from Walt Disney's Adventureland", concluding that it "has more depth than something made for TV. But only barely."[1]
José Arroyo of Cinema Canada reviewed the film more positively, writing that "the film works best as a psychological drama with Guillaume's journey of self-discovery as a focus...Lamothe's experience as a documentary filmmaker here serves him very well." He concluded that "Equinoxe could have used a tighter structure. But it is very well acted and beautifully shot. I find the image of a leonine Godin, paddling a canoe through marshes to come to a rendez-vous with his past, unforgettable. A film that has this much going for it deserves to be seen by more people."[2]
Awards
[edit]The film received two Genie Award nominations at the 8th Genie Awards in 1987, for Best Cinematography (Guy Dufaux) and Best Original Song (Gilles Vigneault for "Les îles de l'enfance").[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Bruce Bailey, "Equinoxe crosses line into the unbelievable". Montreal Gazette, August 26, 1986.
- ^ a b José Arroyo, "Arthur Lamothe's Equinoxe". Cinema Canada, December 1986. p. 25.
- ^ Léo Bonneville, "Arthur Lamothe tourne Équinoxe aux îles de Sorel". Séquences, No. 122 (October 1985).
- ^ "Montreal film festival lineup set". Toronto Star, July 30, 1986.
- ^ Gerald Pratley, A Century of Canadian Cinema. Lynx Images, 2003. ISBN 1-894073-21-5. p. 70.
- ^ Greg Quill, "Decline rises to top Genie nominations". Toronto Star, February 5, 1987.
External links
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