Tempest DVD

In director Paul Mazursky's very loose adaptation of Shakespeare's great tragedy, John Cassavetes stars as Phillip, a famous New York city architect on the verge of a midlife crisis. Frustrated by his failing relationship with his wife, Antonia (Gena Rowlands), and riddled with guilt for all the personal and professional compromises he has made, he deserts Antonia and flees with his daughter, Miranda (Molly Ringwald, in her feature film debut), to Greece. Upon their arrival, Phillip and Miranda meet Aretha (Susan Sarandon), a seductive expatriate who becomes Phillip's mistress and helps them escape to a desolate Greek island where they set up a home in remote isolation. In the solitude of nature, Phillip flourishes, attempting to piece together his battered sense of morals and to find his dignity. However, their island becomes like a prison for Miranda and Aretha, who have nothing or no one to spend time with except for the batty servant, Kalibanos (Raul Julia), who slithers about the island making lewd sexual advances. One day, Phillip spies a yacht offshore and recognizes Antonia, her new lover (Vittorio Gassman), and his entourage. Fearful that they have come to take Miranda away, he conjures up a violent storm that washes the passengers to shore with magical results. Under the starry skies of the remote Grecian paradise, old lovers are reunited and new lovers are found in this bewitching and dreamlike locale. This nonlinear exploration of Shakespeare's universal themes combines the intimacy of an almost theatrical improvisational setting, including song and dance, with vivid visuals and powerful performances from its all-star cast.

Tempest Reviews:

"...A joyful though seriously rooted comedy....[The score] is a standout, conjuring romance, dramatic turmoil and magic in one swoop, and technical credits, including the storm's eerie special effects are top-drawer throughout..." -- Step., Variety

"[T]he screenplay is ingeniously structured, and Mazursky hits on a light, congenial tone, theatrical in the sense of larger than life, not stagey."-- Tom Charity, Sight and Sound

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