The seducer sends his regards

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Movie
German title The seducer sends his regards
Original title Alfie
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1966
length 114 minutes
Age rating FSK 18
Rod
Director Lewis Gilbert
script Bill Naughton
production John Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert
music Sonny Rollins
camera Otto Heller
cut Thelma Connell
occupation

The seducer sends greetings (original title: Alfie ) is a literary film adaptation directed by Lewis Gilbert based on the play Alfie by Bill Naughton . The main role is played by Michael Caine . 1975 followed the sequel Alfie, the maddening ladyboy , in which, however, Alan Price took the lead role.

action

Alfie Elkins loves the casual life in London in the Swinging Sixties . For him, having fun and avoiding emotional ties is paramount. When Gilda, with whom he only sleeps now and then, has a child, it is all the more surprising for him that he also enjoys his role as a father. Nevertheless, he does not want to enter into a steady relationship with Gilda, so that she marries another man.

Alfie's health is getting worse and worse. When he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, he was forced to spend six months in a sanatorium. After his release, Alfie sleeps with Lily, another patient's wife. He also begins relationships with other women. For one thing, there's Annie who cooks for him and keeps the apartment clean. On the other hand, he enjoys the company of the fun-loving American Ruby.

The relationship with Annie becomes a burden for Alfie, as he shies away from entering into a solid relationship with her. He leaves Annie. Lily is expecting a child from Alfie who forces her to have an illegal abortion performed by a quack . Ruby loses interest in Alfie and takes a younger lover.

In the end, Alfie is alone. Alone he looks back on his past actions and now has to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Reviews

“An unbalanced mixture of cynical wit and bitter seriousness, which revolves around the topics of love, adultery and abortion. Though entertaining and briskly staged, also played well and provided with attractive music, the film suffers from its clumsy dialogues and the morally sour ending. "

- Lexicon of international film

“There's hardly anything that is holding Alfie back. Michael Caine gives an impressively strong performance as the feminine antihero. With dialogues and situations that are humorous, biting, rude and ultimately often also poignant, the film can definitely shock. But behind his harsh philosophy, he hides sagacity, pointed remarks and pointed morals. One of the most skilful means that the film employs is the frequent use of direct addressing the audience. The effect is not always as successful as with Groucho in the Marx Brothers films. But that trick worked quite well in Bill Naughton's play, and it is here too. "

- Variety

“Based on the play by Bill Naughton, Lewis Gilbert's film breaks new ground by having his vicious antihero announce his sexual adventures, like an open and witty confession, directly into the camera. Caine is so casual in front of the camera that this fundamentally theatrical stylistic device works wonderfully on screen, especially when Alfie begins to question the value of his rootless and carefree existence. If you look at the film from the perspective of the post-AIDS era, Alfie's careless handling of the outrageous Millicent Martin, the mouse-gray Jane Asher and the vulgar Shelley Winters appears clearly tired of life. However, his casual sexual permissiveness is not without consequences, and the strongest scene in the film shows Alfie being forced to arrange an illegal abortion for one of his lovers. "

- Neil Smith

“Cheeky comedy about a London suburban Casanova with quite crude morals. Quickly staged strip with appealing acting performances, which, however, does not have too much depth. Only for adults with a penchant for frivolity. "

- Protestant film observer

Remarks

  • Most of the filming took place in and around London and at Twickenham Film Studios in Middlesex .
  • The Seducer Greetings was produced on a budget of around £ 350,000 and grossed around £ 10 million at the box office in the United States alone.
  • The day of the first performance was September 2, 1966 in the FRG.
  • In 1967 Michael Caine was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role .
  • In 2004 the remake Alfie starring Jude Law was released in theaters.

Awards (selection)

Soundtrack

  • Sonny Rollins : Alfie. Original Music from the Score. , Grp Records - Re-release of the film music, recorded with an eleven-piece band under the direction of conductor Oliver Nelson ( remastered ).
Soundtrack list
  1. "Alfie's Theme" - 9:41
  2. "He's Younger Than You Are" - 5:09
  3. "Street Runner with Child" - 3:59
  4. "Transition Theme for Minor Blues or Little Malcolm Loves His Dad" - 5:49
  5. "On Impulse" - 4:28
  6. "Alfie's Theme Differently" - 3:44
  • Recorded on January 26th, 1966 at the Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See David Bishop: Starring Michael Caine. London 2003, ISBN 1-903111-57-9 , pp. 18-23
  2. ^ Catholic Institute for Media Information (KIM) and Catholic Film Commission for Germany (ed.): Lexicon of international films. The complete range in cinema, television and on video. Volume VZ, Rowohlt, Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-499-16357-8 , p. 6100
  3. ↑ [1]  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (last accessed November 8, 2010)@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.variety.com  
  4. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/05/02/alfie_1966_review.shtml (last accessed: November 8, 2010)
  5. ↑ Evangelical Press Association Munich, Review No. 357/1966
  6. ↑ Locations (last accessed: November 8, 2010)
  7. ↑ Matthew Field: Michael Caine. You're a Big Man, London 2003, ISBN 0-7134-8876-X , p. 27
  8. ^ Lexicon of International Films. Volume VZ, Hamburg 1995, p. 6100
  9. ^ Matthew Field: Michael Caine, p. 27