I was amazed how much of it was about Swinton's face. About half my screen grabs were close-ups of her face. Yet it's one of those movies that holds you at a distance, partly because Orlando is such a cipher. But I loved the ending; it was perfect. Don't remember the child from the book, which I just loved the one time I read it. I was also struck by how much the production design of this movie influenced later low-budget attempts at sumptuous decor, notably Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine (although maybe that's because Sandy Powell did the costumes for both) and Tarsem's The Fall. Also, Quentin Crisp as Queen Elizabeth was just brilliant stunt casting.
Well, I really need to watch it a second time, obviously. And I need to reread the book. Ah, to be retired!
I've just discovered Sally Potter's Notes on the Adaptation of the Book Orlando, which amongst other things implies that there's a child in the book, but a son rather than a daughter. I'd also forgotten that the novel is dedicated to Vita Sackville-West and is a spoof biography of her.
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Well, I really need to watch it a second time, obviously. And I need to reread the book. Ah, to be retired!
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