''The Serpent's Kiss'' is a 1997 British
romantic drama film
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...
directed by
Philippe Rousselot
Philippe Rousselot, (born 4 September 1945) is a French cinematographer and film director best known for his wide range of work in both European and mainstream American cinema, ranging in genres from drama, to fantasy, to blockbusters. He ha ...
. Set in late-17th-century England, it tells the story of a Dutch garden architect, Meneer Chrome (
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...
), who has been hired by a wealthy merchant (
Pete Postlethwaite
Peter William Postlethwaite, (7 February 1946 – 2 January 2011) was an English character actor.
After minor television appearances, including in '' The Professionals'', his first major success arose through the British autobiographical film ...
) to create an extravagant garden. The film also stars
Greta Scacchi
Greta Scacchi, OMRI (; born 18 February 1960) is an Italian-Australian actress. She holds dual Italian and Australian citizenship. She is best known for her roles in the films '' White Mischief'' (1987), '' Presumed Innocent'' (1990), '' The Pl ...
and
Richard E. Grant.
The film was entered into the
1997 Cannes Film Festival
The 50th Cannes Film Festival was held from 7 to 18 May 1997 in film, 1997. The Palme d'Or was jointly awarded to ''Taste of Cherry, Ta'm e guilass'' by Abbas Kiarostami and ''The Eel (film), Unagi'' by Shohei Imamura. Jeanne Moreau was the mistre ...
.
To date, it is the only feature directed by Rousselot, an award-winning cinematographer.
Plot
Thomas Smithers (Postlethwaite), who has made his fortune as an ironmonger and cannon-maker, hires the famous Meneer Chrome (McGregor) to create the most extravagant garden imaginable on his overgrown property. Smithers doesn't know that his wife's cousin Fitzmaurice (Grant) has already hired Chrome, with the goal of bankrupting Smithers and essentially acquiring Juliana, whom he loves. Juliana, however, is attracted to Chrome and he in turn to the Smithers' daughter, Anna, who filters all experiences through a volume of
Andrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell (; 31 March 1621 – 16 August 1678) was an English metaphysical poet, satirist and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659 and 1678. During the Commonwealth period he was a colleague and friend ...
's poems that she is never without. Her parents, thinking her mentally unstable, subject her to numerous "treatments" that prompt Chrome's compassion.
As the garden grows increasingly complex and Smithers approaches bankruptcy, Fitzmaurice realizes that Chrome's affection for Anna makes him a liability; he threatens to reveal some damaging information about Chrome and then decides to kill him, but his plan backfires and Fitzmaurice dies. Juliana decides to remain loyal to her husband, now bankrupt from his obsession with the garden project. Chrome, revealed as an imposter (the assistant to the actual Chrome), goes to the sea with Anna, where she throws away her book of poetry.
Cast
*
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...
as Meneer Chrome
*
Greta Scacchi
Greta Scacchi, OMRI (; born 18 February 1960) is an Italian-Australian actress. She holds dual Italian and Australian citizenship. She is best known for her roles in the films '' White Mischief'' (1987), '' Presumed Innocent'' (1990), '' The Pl ...
as Juliana
*
Pete Postlethwaite
Peter William Postlethwaite, (7 February 1946 – 2 January 2011) was an English character actor.
After minor television appearances, including in '' The Professionals'', his first major success arose through the British autobiographical film ...
as Thomas Smithers
*
Richard E. Grant as James Fitzmaurice
*
as Thea / Anna
*
Donal McCann
Donal McCann (7 May 1943 – 17 July 1999) was an Irish stage, film, and television actor best known for his roles in the works of Brian Friel and for his lead role in John Huston's last film, '' The Dead''. In 2020, he was listed as number 4 ...
as Physician
*
Charley Boorman
Charley Boorman (born 23 August 1966) is a British TV presenter, travel writer and actor. A motorbike enthusiast, Boorman has made three long-distance motorcycle rides with his friend Ewan McGregor, documented in ''Long Way Round'' (2004), ''Lo ...
as Secretary
*
Gerard McSorley
Gerard McSorley (Irish: Gearóid Mac Somhairle; born 1 January 1950) is an Irish theatre, television and film actor.
Early life
He was born in the County Tyrone town of Omagh and, after attending a Christian Brothers school in his hometown, ...
as Mr. Galmoy
*
Britta Smith
Britta (also spelled Brita) is a female given name that is a variant of the Swedish name Birgitta, which is a form of the Irish Gaelic name ''Brighid'' (Bridget in English). The name Britta became popular in Scandinavia and Germany because of St. ...
as Mrs. Galmoy
*
Susan Fitzgerald
Susan Mary Theresa FitzGerald (28 May 1949 – 9 September 2013) was an Irish actress, best known for her work in television and her work in Irish theatre. She also played the role of May in Samuel Beckett's ''Footfalls'' for the Gate Theat ...
as Mistress Clevely
*
Pat Laffan
Patrick Laffan (8 June 1939 – 14 March 2019) was an Irish actor.
Laffan is best remembered for playing the lothario milkman Pat Mustard in the Channel Four sitcom ''Father Ted'' episode " Speed 3" (1998), and Mr Burgess in Roddy Doyle
R ...
as Pritchard
*
Rúaidhrí Conroy
Rúaidhrí Conroy (born 30 November 1979 in Dublin) is an Irish actor. He is the son of actor Brendan Conroy. One of his first castings was as Tito (and not Tayto as commonly misconceived) in the 1992 film '' Into the West'', for which he won ...
as Physician's Assistant
*
Henry King as Lead Reaper
Locations
Most of the film was shot in the
County Clare
County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...
village of
Sixmilebridge
Sixmilebridge (), is a large village in County Clare, Ireland. Located midway between Ennis and Limerick city, the village is a short distance away from the main N18 road.
Sixmilebridge partly serves as a dormitory village for workers in the ...
in
Mount Ievers court, the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
.
Legacy
This film marks the start of
Charley Boorman
Charley Boorman (born 23 August 1966) is a British TV presenter, travel writer and actor. A motorbike enthusiast, Boorman has made three long-distance motorcycle rides with his friend Ewan McGregor, documented in ''Long Way Round'' (2004), ''Lo ...
and Ewan McGregor's long running friendship that would eventually lead to their trip around the world: ''
Long Way Round
''Long Way Round'' (''LWR'') is a British television series and book documenting the journey of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman from London to New York City on motorcycles. They travelled eastwards through Europe and Asia, flew to Alaska, ...
'' and is referenced in the documentary.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Serpents Kiss
1997 films
Films directed by Philippe Rousselot
Films scored by Goran Bregović
Films set in the 17th century
British historical drama films
1990s historical drama films
1997 directorial debut films
1990s English-language films
1990s British films