- Actors: Claudio Amendola, Paul Brooke, Lothaire Bluteau, Claudia Cardinale, Joaquim de Almeida
- Directors: Alastair Reid
- Writers: John Hale, Joseph Conrad
- Producers: Fernando Ghia, James Ordonez, Maurizio Mattei, Michael Wearing
- Format: Colour, Full Screen, HiFi Sound, PAL
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Classification: 12
- Studio: BBC
- VHS Release Date: 24 Jan 2000
- Run Time: 321 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CTIP
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,441 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
From the Back Cover
This epic production of Joseph Conrad's classic novel weaves a story of romance and intrigue to create a world in miniature in which the nature of honour, greed and colonialism are explored, especially in their effects on one individual, Nostromo, 'our man', Claudio Amendola.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Joseph Conrad's epic tale of greed, politics and war comes alive in this BBC adaptation of Charles Gould's struggle to revive his father's silvermine. This is a very long and difficult book to adapt for video, and in places this shows, but praise must go to the director Alastair Reid who manages to keep our attention throughout the convoluted plot until the final satisfactory conclusion to the story. The large cast of characters, led by Colin Firth, ideally cast as the indefatigable English owner of the mine, and Claudio Amendola, as the fallen hero "Nostromo", produce great performances, bringing the South American politics of business, corruption and conspiracy to life. Filmed entirely on location in Columbia, the dramatic scenery provides a stunning backdrop to this impressive and at times violent tale. This film includes fine performances from Serena Scott-Thomas as Mrs Emilia Gould, and Albert Finney as the drunken but honorable doctor who twice survives a firing squad in order to save the mine and its silver. I recommend this film to anyone interested in the effects of honour, greed and colonialism on the individual striving to be "Nostromo" - "Our Man".
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
There's a point in the recent version of King Kong (Yes, this review is about Nostromo) where one of the characters, reading 'Heart of Darkness'- also written by Joseph Conrad, finally glimpses the dark underlying themes and says doubtfully "it's not an adventure story, is it....?". I suspect some are destined to feel the same about this series, straplined as 'The Epic Adventure' - an uneasy but obvious attempt to make hard-to-target material find a marketable audience. Seen as 'period' drama - notoriously a female-audience thing (personally I'm saddened-and not a little scared(!)- that every other customer who buys this is apparently chasing Colin Firth!) but the themes are all rather 'masculine' - and just to narrow things further you have to be carrying a brain to appreciate them. All this means a well-recognised 'core audience lack' problem and it's a shame, because Nostromo did quite well at being what it was meant to be - and I suspect there are plenty of people out there who did, like me, enjoy it a lot.
Plus I must add what has to be the crowning recommendation for any tv adaptation of a classic: I watched this back when it was first on in 1997, then read Nostromo and lots more of Conrad's books.
Extremely difficult to dramatize, this has to go down as a very credit-worthy attempt. Beautifully shot, atmospheric music from Morricone, some class performances from Finney and Firth and others - with, however, a few notable drops - some of the other acting is variable, even wooden, the script is so-so (in an epic scope, director seems much more at home with his Victorian English than with his 18th century South Americans) and there are a few too many spelled-out unsubtle dialogues that are obviously there to make the plot easier for the audience to follow. But even with all that, it's both compelling drama and easy on the eye.
If you can look past the period-drama hood, the intended underlying themes of the novel are still there to be seen, along with the sweeping feel of a world in miniature.
A last footnote on politics - the story has been rendered much as-was in the novel - much of which is, typical-Conrad, notoriously equivocal. It's easy to nitpick the themes and point out incipient racism or Eurocentrism, but that's totally missing the point. It's part of Conrad's appeal that he could paint his characters and situations, explore 'ideal values' - but still not (rant-like) take sides.
Plus I must add what has to be the crowning recommendation for any tv adaptation of a classic: I watched this back when it was first on in 1997, then read Nostromo and lots more of Conrad's books.
Extremely difficult to dramatize, this has to go down as a very credit-worthy attempt. Beautifully shot, atmospheric music from Morricone, some class performances from Finney and Firth and others - with, however, a few notable drops - some of the other acting is variable, even wooden, the script is so-so (in an epic scope, director seems much more at home with his Victorian English than with his 18th century South Americans) and there are a few too many spelled-out unsubtle dialogues that are obviously there to make the plot easier for the audience to follow. But even with all that, it's both compelling drama and easy on the eye.
If you can look past the period-drama hood, the intended underlying themes of the novel are still there to be seen, along with the sweeping feel of a world in miniature.
A last footnote on politics - the story has been rendered much as-was in the novel - much of which is, typical-Conrad, notoriously equivocal. It's easy to nitpick the themes and point out incipient racism or Eurocentrism, but that's totally missing the point. It's part of Conrad's appeal that he could paint his characters and situations, explore 'ideal values' - but still not (rant-like) take sides.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Wonderful movie - it was nice seeing the sister of Kristen Scott- Thomas she is beautiful and a really good actress. I don't understand why we don't see her in more movies. The whole story line was unique and well done. This is the movie Colin Firth was making when he met his wife Livia. She was the assistant to the producer.
I think the only negative on this movie was the size of the horses. They looked so small under most of the actors. But I guess that is the size of the horses in Columbia. Colin Firth seems to ride so well - I really enjoy watching him ride - but on these horses he looked too big for them.
I have this movie on DVD and watch it quite often - it is a really well done movie.
I think the only negative on this movie was the size of the horses. They looked so small under most of the actors. But I guess that is the size of the horses in Columbia. Colin Firth seems to ride so well - I really enjoy watching him ride - but on these horses he looked too big for them.
I have this movie on DVD and watch it quite often - it is a really well done movie.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent Drama, with Superb Music
It is so sad that this, the only filmed version of 'Nostromo', has never been transferred to DVD and is generally not easy to obtain. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Thriller Connoisseur London
A rant
NOSTROMO is the BBC production of Joseph Conrad's novel of the same title. Set in the second half of the 1800s in the fictional South American backwater of Costaguana, the... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2006 by Joseph Haschka
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