"Oscar and Lucinda," made in 1997 by Gillian Armstrong, stars Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett in the title roles. The film starts out one way and becomes something else, and then something else again - it's quite a saga, and very beautiful to look at.
Fiennes plays an Anglican minister, Oscar, who is a compulsive gambler. On a ship to Australia, which he took explicitly to get over his problem, he meets Lucinda (Blanchett), a free-thinking businesswoman who owns a glassworks factory. She, too, is a compulsive gambler. The two get together and start gambling, Fiennes justifying it by stating that faith is a gamble as well. After all, one stakes everything on the fact that there is a God.
The two arrive in Sydney, and Oscar finds himself down and out before he even starts. When he and Lucinda are caught playing cards, his ministry goes out the window. If Lucinda weren't so wealthy, she'd probably have to leave town, but she's tolerated. Upon arriving in Sydney, Oscar promptly wrecks his ministry before it even gets started when he's caught playing cards with his new friend. Oscar then makes a bet with Lucinda that he can deliver a church - made of glass - to her minister friend Hinds, which means it has to travel across the continent. If he can do it, it will be proof that he loves Lucinda.
The vision of the glass church going down the river alone makes this movie worthwhile - truly stunning.
Blanchett gives a beautiful performance, very organic. Fiennes is very good, just not quite as impressive as Blanchett. The narration is given by a great-grandchild of one of them - I won't say which one.
I found this an odd story, full of symbolism, and what a credit to the director that she was able to pull of the elements together. The very last scene in the film pulls it out of what could have been a real downer.
I can't say I loved it, but there are some wonderful elements in this movie. If you have a big screen TV, it is a glorious watch.
Fiennes plays an Anglican minister, Oscar, who is a compulsive gambler. On a ship to Australia, which he took explicitly to get over his problem, he meets Lucinda (Blanchett), a free-thinking businesswoman who owns a glassworks factory. She, too, is a compulsive gambler. The two get together and start gambling, Fiennes justifying it by stating that faith is a gamble as well. After all, one stakes everything on the fact that there is a God.
The two arrive in Sydney, and Oscar finds himself down and out before he even starts. When he and Lucinda are caught playing cards, his ministry goes out the window. If Lucinda weren't so wealthy, she'd probably have to leave town, but she's tolerated. Upon arriving in Sydney, Oscar promptly wrecks his ministry before it even gets started when he's caught playing cards with his new friend. Oscar then makes a bet with Lucinda that he can deliver a church - made of glass - to her minister friend Hinds, which means it has to travel across the continent. If he can do it, it will be proof that he loves Lucinda.
The vision of the glass church going down the river alone makes this movie worthwhile - truly stunning.
Blanchett gives a beautiful performance, very organic. Fiennes is very good, just not quite as impressive as Blanchett. The narration is given by a great-grandchild of one of them - I won't say which one.
I found this an odd story, full of symbolism, and what a credit to the director that she was able to pull of the elements together. The very last scene in the film pulls it out of what could have been a real downer.
I can't say I loved it, but there are some wonderful elements in this movie. If you have a big screen TV, it is a glorious watch.