, director =
Raúl Ruiz
, producer =
Paulo Branco
Paulo Branco (born 3 June 1950) is a Portuguese film producer.
Life and career
Paulo Branco was born in Lisbon, and attended the undergraduate program in chemical engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico but he did not graduate. He star ...
António Vaz da Silva
, writer = Raúl Ruiz
, based_on =
, starring =
Melvil Poupaud
Melvil Poupaud (born 26 January 1973) is a French actor, author and filmmaker.
Career
Poupaud's first appearance was, as a child, in Raúl Ruiz (director), Raúl Ruiz's 1983 film ''City of Pirates''. He met Ruiz through his mother, Chantal Poupau ...
, music =
Jorge Arriagada
Jorge Arriagada (born 1943) is a Chilean film composer. He is perhaps best known for his long-term collaboration with director Raúl Ruiz (director), Raúl Ruiz. He has also worked with directors Patricio Guzman, Barbet Schroeder and Olivier Assay ...
, cinematography =
Acácio de Almeida
Acácio de Almeida (born 29 June 1938) is a Portuguese cinematographer best known for his work with João César Monteiro, Raúl Ruiz, Alain Tanner, Valeria Sarmiento and Rita Azevedo Gomes.
Filmography
* '' Past and Present'' (1972)
* '' ...
, editing =
Valeria Sarmiento
Valeria Sarmiento (born 29 October 1948) is a film editor, director and screenwriter best known for her work in France, Portugal and her native Chile. She has worked both in film and television, directing 20 feature films, documentaries and te ...
, distributor =
Cannon Films
The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested ...
, released =
, runtime = 115 minutes
, country = United Kingdom
France
United States
, language = English
''Treasure Island'' (french: L'île au trésor) is a 1986
fabulist
Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular moral ...
metafiction
Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasises its own narrative structure in a way that continually reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and story ...
film directed by Chilean filmmaker
Raúl Ruiz, which was screened in the
Un Certain Regard
(, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob.
The section presents 20 films w ...
section of the
1991 Cannes Film Festival. French, British and American companies funded Ruiz's obscure and complex adaptation of the classic
1883 coming-of-age adventure novel by
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...
. ''Treasure Island'' stars a young
Melvil Poupaud
Melvil Poupaud (born 26 January 1973) is a French actor, author and filmmaker.
Career
Poupaud's first appearance was, as a child, in Raúl Ruiz (director), Raúl Ruiz's 1983 film ''City of Pirates''. He met Ruiz through his mother, Chantal Poupau ...
, a familiar face in Ruiz's filmography, alongside popular veteran actors such as
Martin Landau
Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...
,
Anna Karina
Anna Karina (born Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer; September 22, 1940 – December 14, 2019) and
Jean-Pierre Léaud
Jean-Pierre Léaud, ComM (; born 28 May 1944) is a French actor, known for playing Antoine Doinel in François Truffaut's series of films about that character, beginning with ''The 400 Blows'' (1959). He also worked several times with Jean-Luc ...
.
The film's play on the traditional narrative of an iconic and frequently dramatized story is very representative of Ruiz'
oneiric Oneiric most commonly refers to:
* Dreams, during sleep
* Oneirology, the science of dreams
Oneiric may also refer to:
* Oneiric (film theory), dreams as a metaphor for film—or in critiques thereof
* ''Oneiric'' (album), 2006, by Boxcutter
* ' ...
approach and style. Ruiz takes his fondness for
cartography
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
to a new level with Stevenson's narrative, making the book into a map to the treasure in this rendition.
Plot
''Treasure Island'' opens with the narrator, who is both the main character, Jonathan, and
Jim Hawkins (
Melvil Poupaud
Melvil Poupaud (born 26 January 1973) is a French actor, author and filmmaker.
Career
Poupaud's first appearance was, as a child, in Raúl Ruiz (director), Raúl Ruiz's 1983 film ''City of Pirates''. He met Ruiz through his mother, Chantal Poupau ...
), describing a violent television show that he is watching about African civil war and the theft of diamonds. Then the film moves to the shabby hotel owned and run by Jonathan's drunken father (
Lou Castel
Lou Castel (born Ulv Quarzell; 28 May 1943) is a Swedish actor who became known through his work in Italian films.
Life and career
The son of a Swedish father and an Irish mother, Castel was born Ulv Quarzell in Bogotá, Colombia, where his fat ...
), and peculiar mother (
Anna Karina
Anna Karina (born Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer; September 22, 1940 – December 14, 2019) ) where they take in as few guests as possible.
A mysterious man (
Martin Landau
Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...
) arrives at the hotel, and asks to be called "Captain." Jonathan begins to analyze him through the "eye of god:" a hole in the ceiling of the Captain's room. He realizes that this man is no stranger but actually quite familiar with his parents.
While tending to guests on the terrace, a strange blind man (Charles Schmidt) approaches Jon. The man is relentless in wanting to speak with Jonathan about the Captain.
The Captain attempts to bribe Jonathan into not sharing that he is staying at the hotel, to which Jonathan responds it's too late. As his mother watches, the Captain drugs him. While drugged, Jon sleepwalks, and is unable to tell if he is awake or asleep. He sees a fight between the Captain and his father. His mother screams at him to go back to sleep.
After fully regaining consciousness, Jonathan ventures to a cave where he can retreat for days at time. He looks outside to see the blind man dancing. He escapes back to the hotel, where a man, Midas (
Jean-Pierre Léaud
Jean-Pierre Léaud, ComM (; born 28 May 1944) is a French actor, known for playing Antoine Doinel in François Truffaut's series of films about that character, beginning with ''The 400 Blows'' (1959). He also worked several times with Jean-Luc ...
), sits at a typewriter. Midas seems to know everything about Jonathan. The blind man then appears at the hotel, and tries to grab Jonathan.
The Captain's familiarity is explained when Jonathan's mother and he are seen giggling and holding each other: it is obvious now that they are lovers. They begin to mock the husband; drunkenly, as Jonathan watches.
Jonathan leaves the hotel. He eventually runs into a man on the side of the road, named
Silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
(
Vic Tayback
Victor E. Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is known for his role as Mel Sharples in the film ''Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974) and the television series ''Alice'' (1976–1985). The latter earned him t ...
). He offers Jonathan a place to stay and a ride. Jon then begins to notice that Silver also knows everything about him. As he heads off to sleep, a random person in the hall claims to be Jonathan's father. Silver makes the stranger leave. Off to bed, Jonathan grabs a book:
Treasure Island
''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...
. He comments “that book accounted for Silver’s entire secret library”.
Jonathan returns home and arrives to find his Father's funeral is in progress. Jonathan is not upset by, but rather indifferent to, his father's death: to him, it only means he will never have to loathe him again. Jon then awakes to a room of people, one being a doctor (
Lou Castel
Lou Castel (born Ulv Quarzell; 28 May 1943) is a Swedish actor who became known through his work in Italian films.
Life and career
The son of a Swedish father and an Irish mother, Castel was born Ulv Quarzell in Bogotá, Colombia, where his fat ...
). It is gathered that he fainted at the funeral. The doctor purposefully scares Jonathan. His mother watches, laughing. She urges the doctor to stop, as she believes Jon's memory is gone. She claims Jon thinks other people are his father, which at this point in the film is not ridiculous as there are a few people who could potentially be his biological father. There are now a few guests; the doctor, a millionaire, and the Captain along with a new family member, Aunt Helen (
Sheila
Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...
). Everyone is reading Treasure Island.
The Captain has now gone insane. He refuses to see anyone but Jonathan. Jon goes to visit the captain and sees that he has annotated Treasure Island. He notices that there is a character named Silver, and that his lines echoed that of the Silver he had met a few days earlier. The Captain is dying. He asks Jonathan to promise to read every book (all the treasure islands) carefully, because the entire fate of the western world depends on it. Before He dies he tells Jonathan that he is his actual father.
Jonathan begins to prepare for a trip in search of treasure. There is now a new Captain, who is French (
Yves Afonso
Yves Afonso (13 February 1944 – 21 January 2018) was a French actor. He was born in Saulieu in the Côte-d'Or ''département''. Since his uncredited debut in the movie '' Masculin, féminin'' in 1966, he had many roles, both in movies and o ...
). The group includes the doctor, a millionaire, Silver, and other familiar faces. There are two groups, Silver's and the French Captain's. Jon is continually pestered by Silver to come to his side. Jon refuses and stays with the French Captain. He then overhears Silver saying that all of the other crew must go. The captain and his crew abandon ship in a rowboat.
The group eventually makes it to another boat where there is yet another captain (
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
Pedro Armendáriz Bohr (April 6, 1940 – December 26, 2011), better known by his stage name Pedro Armendáriz Jr., was a Mexican actor.
Life and career
Pedro Armendáriz Bohr was born in Mexico City to Mexican-American actor Pedro Armendáriz ...
). Once on the ship, they discover Silver and his crew are already there as hostages, along with Helen. As Helen and Jon enjoy a few moments on deck before being forced back beneath, they begin to talk about morals: she explains that the men on the ship are lacking morals because they are all playing a ''game''.
The group has finally found Treasure Island. Jon, below deck with his group, notices that one of the men on the crew is the man from Silver's house who claimed he was his father. He deceives him by bringing up this sensitive father-son topic, and the group is able to flee above deck.
They land on Skeleton Beach, giving space between themselves and Silver. They decide to attack after lunch. The battle scene looks similar to the opening show. Jon comments that it is a “funny sort of battle,” as there are no bullets: it is all fake.
The voice of the narrator switches from Jon to someone else. The narrator comments that he has been speaking as Jonathan in the first person, because he feels that he is a witness and so he can accurately share what has happened. He then makes it clear that now he will speak as himself. Jonathan then reappears, and takes control of the ship. He runs into his ersatz father,
Israel Hands
Israel Hands, also known as Basilica Hands, was an 18th-century pirate best known for being second in command to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. His name serves as the basis for the name of the villainous sidekick in Robert Louis Stev ...
(Jean Francois Stévenin), on board, who when trying to overtake Jon loses his hands.
Back on land, Jon is captured and brought to Silver, and asks him if he actually knows Treasure Island. A man appears and begins to explain Treasure Island. He explains that there is a book, and a game. The game was invented by Silver, who is a professor. And then Silver introduces the man as an expert in limited
game theory
Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interactions among rational agents. Myerson, Roger B. (1991). ''Game Theory: Analysis of Conflict,'' Harvard University Press, p.&nbs1 Chapter-preview links, ppvii–xi It has appli ...
. Silver goes on to explain that the whole world is playing a game that abides by sacred rules. And whoever discovers these rules can control the world.
Then Helen and the doctor appear, and the expert is shot. Jon then doesn't want to play anymore. Near by, the millionaire and a strange man sit and talk about the diamonds of the island.
Silver, still distraught that his colleague was killed, comments that he was his "best Silver" ever with this man. He rants that this man was also the best Jim Hawkins ever. Jon than asks if the man was him (meaning Jim), and Silver comments that he was better than Jonathan. Helen then shoots Silver.
It is then shared that the narrator is Ben Gunn (Tony Jessen), who is the strange man with the diamonds. He explains that this game was a failure, and they will play again. But, he comments that the game is always interesting when it ends in Silver's death. Jon then realizes that all of these people have played before. Ben then asks Jon if he will play again. He responds yes, but asks Ben to guess who he will be. Ben tells him that he would make a great Silver, and comments that he himself has never played Jim Hawkins, but that he must report on how Jim Hawkins feels in the cyclical adventures of Treasure Island. The film ends with Jonathan running on the beach while the dead are being buried. Ben then kills Jon on the beach, because he doesn't want him to play again, for he is the only Jim Hawkins.
Cast
*
Melvil Poupaud
Melvil Poupaud (born 26 January 1973) is a French actor, author and filmmaker.
Career
Poupaud's first appearance was, as a child, in Raúl Ruiz (director), Raúl Ruiz's 1983 film ''City of Pirates''. He met Ruiz through his mother, Chantal Poupau ...
as
Jim Hawkins / Jonathan
*
Martin Landau
Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...
as Old Captain
*
Vic Tayback
Victor E. Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990) was an American actor. He is known for his role as Mel Sharples in the film ''Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974) and the television series ''Alice'' (1976–1985). The latter earned him t ...
as
Long John Silver
Long John Silver is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the novel ''Treasure Island'' (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture. His missing l ...
*
Lou Castel
Lou Castel (born Ulv Quarzell; 28 May 1943) is a Swedish actor who became known through his work in Italian films.
Life and career
The son of a Swedish father and an Irish mother, Castel was born Ulv Quarzell in Bogotá, Colombia, where his fat ...
as Doctor / Father
* Jeffrey Kime as Timothy (The Squire)
*
Anna Karina
Anna Karina (born Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer; September 22, 1940 – December 14, 2019) as Mother
*
Sheila
Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...
as Aunt
*
Jean-François Stévenin
Jean-François Stévenin (; 23 April 194427 July 2021) was a French actor and filmmaker. He appeared in 150 films and television shows since 1968. He starred in the film ''Cold Moon (1991 film), Cold Moon'', which was entered into the 1991 Canne ...
as
Israel Hands
Israel Hands, also known as Basilica Hands, was an 18th-century pirate best known for being second in command to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. His name serves as the basis for the name of the villainous sidekick in Robert Louis Stev ...
(The Rat)
* Charles Schmidt as The blind man
*
Jean-Pierre Léaud
Jean-Pierre Léaud, ComM (; born 28 May 1944) is a French actor, known for playing Antoine Doinel in François Truffaut's series of films about that character, beginning with ''The 400 Blows'' (1959). He also worked several times with Jean-Luc ...
as Midas
*
Yves Afonso
Yves Afonso (13 February 1944 – 21 January 2018) was a French actor. He was born in Saulieu in the Côte-d'Or ''département''. Since his uncredited debut in the movie '' Masculin, féminin'' in 1966, he had many roles, both in movies and o ...
as French captain
*
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
Pedro Armendáriz Bohr (April 6, 1940 – December 26, 2011), better known by his stage name Pedro Armendáriz Jr., was a Mexican actor.
Life and career
Pedro Armendáriz Bohr was born in Mexico City to Mexican-American actor Pedro Armendáriz ...
as Mendoza
Reception
The film was shown at the
1991 Cannes Film Festival but did not win any awards. Although it was more popular in Europe, it was not the hit that its American investors were hoping for.
Themes
Ruiz is renowned for making complex stories, without following the traditional narrative structure. Unlike his other films, ''Treasure Island'' uses the structure and characters of the novel. When re-reading the book he found that the structure was stronger than the material.
Ruiz found that life is made up of these types of stories:
“We play amidst these stories, sometimes being involved in two or three of them at once. In one you’re a hero, in another a secondary character. These scripts are the society in which we live-…” ~Raúl Ruiz
These ideas are obvious towards the end of the film, when the game is introduced. Jonathan/Jim is actually asked which character he will play next. This philosophy of Ruiz' foreshadows role-playing gaming, which began to take off shortly after this film was made. The idea that we are all playing a game, and are all different characters at points in our stories is one of the main themes of the movie.
Cartography is also an important theme in ''Treasure Island'', as well as many of Ruiz's other films. The entire film is based on the idea that the book is a map to the treasure. The importance of cartography for Ruiz is not only his complex background as a Chilean
exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
, but in his reinvention of the way stories are told.
In this film much time is spent developing the idea that even a familiar story can be told in many different ways
Further reading
* Translated into English as: Translated from the French by Paul Buck and Catherine Petit.
References
External links
*
The Black Spot: Raoul Ruiz and ''Treasure Island''review by JW McCormack at ''n+1 Magazine'' (2011)
À la recherche de L'Île perdueMaster's thesis by Edmund Stenson (2015)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treasure Island
1986 films
1980s adventure films
Chilean drama films
Films directed by Raúl Ruiz
Films produced by Paulo Branco
Treasure Island (1985)
French adventure films
Golan-Globus films
1980s English-language films
Chilean coming-of-age films
1980s French films
Chilean adventure films