The Territory

The Territory
Directed by Raúl Ruiz
Produced by Paulo Branco
Roger Corman
Written by Raúl Ruiz
Gilbert Adair
Starring Isabelle Weingarten
Rebecca Pauly
Geoffrey Carey
Jeffrey Kime
Paul Getty Jr.
Music by Jorge Arriagada
Cinematography Henri Alekan
Acácio de Almeida
Edited by Claudio Martinez
Valeria Sarmiento
Distributed by International Film Circuit (United States)
Release date
  • September 15, 1981 (1981-09-15) (Portugal)
Running time
 100 minutes
Country Portugal
Language English
French

The Territory (Portuguese: O Território) is a 1981 Portuguese dramatic horror film directed by Raúl Ruiz and starring Isabelle Weingarten.[1][2]

The film is about the cannibalistic and animalistic nature of humans when they disregard their “civilized” instincts. Two American families vacationing in Europe begin as tourists and turn into cannibals, after getting lost on a camping trip in the South of France.[3]

Cast

  • Isabelle Weingarten as Françoise, Jim's partner
  • Rebecca Pauly as Barbara, Peter's partner
  • Geoffrey Carey as Peter, Barbara's partner
  • Jeffrey Kime as Jim, Françoise's partner
  • Paul Getty Jr. as Guide, uncle to Linda's daughter
  • Shila Turna as Linda
  • Artur Semedo as Indefinite man
  • Camila Mora as Young girl
  • Ethan Stone as Young boy, Françoise's son
  • José Nascimento (actor)|José Nascimento as Prawler
  • Duarte de Almeida as Indefinite man's friend, found in the territory as a man lost for much longer than them
  • Rita Nascimento as Linda's daughter

Production

Though set in France, the film was filmed in Portugal.[3] Co-written by Gilbert Adair and Raúl Ruiz, the film utilizes themes of “exile and crossing boundaries: of language, nation and morality”.[3]

The circumstances in which the film was produced have been questioned, with no real answers brought forth. Gilbert Adair, himself, is known to have claimed that the film was made under, “‘hair-rasing’ conditions".[4] “The film seems to be shrouded in a kind of mystery concerning its production, for example, concerning the involvement of Roger Corman.”[4]

Reception

Stephen Holden from The New York Times called it "an odd little art film that has the feel of a European version of an episode of The Twilight Zone."[5] Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews awarded the film a grade B+, calling it "Deliciously subversive".[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Le Cinéma de Raoul Ruiz: Territory". lecinemaderaoulruiz.com. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  2. ↑ "NY Times: Territory". NY Times.com. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "Movie Review - - Review/Film; Having Mother For Dinner - NYTimes.com". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  4. 1 2 Goddard, Michael (2013). The Cinema of Raúl Ruiz: Impossible Cartogrophies. Wallflower Press. p. 65.
  5. ↑ Holden, Stephen. "Review/Film; Having Mother For Dinner - The New York Times". New York Times.com. Stephen Holden. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  6. ↑ Schwartz, Dennis. "territory". Sover.net. Dennis Schwartz. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
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