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Madame Sousatzka is a 1988 drama film directed by John Schlesinger, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. It is based upon the 1962 novel of the same name by Bernice Rubens.
| Madame Sousatzka | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Schlesinger |
| Written by | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala |
| Based on | Madame Sousatzka by Bernice Rubens |
| Produced by | Robin Dalton |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Nat Crosby |
| Edited by | Peter Honess |
| Music by | Gerald Gouriet |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 122 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9 million |
| Box office | $3,548,238 |
Plot
editIndian immigrant Sushila Sen (Shabana Azmi) lives in London with her son Manek (Navin Chowdhry), who is musically gifted. She supports them both as a caterer of Indian food, while Manek studies the piano with Madame Sousatzka (Shirley MacLaine), who is a Russian-American immigrant. Madame Sousatzka, while highly talented, never succeeded as a pianist and thus lives through her students, particularly talented ones such as Manek. Manek is soon forced to choose between Madame Sousatzka and his mother, who both compete for his attention.
The Russian pianist and teacher Madame Maria Levinskaya (died 1960) inspired the character of Madame Sousatzka.[1] The plot is based on the experiences of Harold Rubens, a child prodigy pianist who began lessons with Levinskaya from the age of seven (in 1925) and became her star pupil.[2]
Cast
edit- Shirley MacLaine as Madame Sousatzka
- Navin Chowdhry as Manek
- Shabana Azmi as Sushila
- Peggy Ashcroft as Lady Emily
- Robert Rietty as Leo Milev
- Twiggy as Jenny
- Leigh Lawson as Ronnie
- Lee Montague as Vincent Pick
Accolades
edit| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Film Awards[3] | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Peggy Ashcroft | Nominated |
| David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Actress | Shirley MacLaine | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards[4] | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Won[a] | |
| Best Original Score – Motion Picture | Gerald Gouriet | Nominated | |
| Retirement Research Foundation Awards | Television and Theatrical Film Fiction | Robin Dalton | Nominated |
| USC Scripter Awards[5] | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenwriter); Bernice Rubens (author) |
Nominated | |
| Venice Film Festival[6] | Golden Lion | John Schlesinger | Nominated |
| Best Actress | Shirley MacLaine | Won[b] | |
Availability
editThe film was released in U.S. theaters on 14 October 1988. Some time after its theatrical run, the movie was released on videocassette by MCA Home Video in 1989. The movie was released on DVD in the U.S. by Universal Studios Home Entertainment under their Vault Series banner on 28 August 2014.
A region 2 DVD was released by Network in 2007 (catalogue nr. 7952723). The extras are a trailer and some production stills.
Notes
edit- ^ Tied with Jodie Foster for The Accused and Sigourney Weaver for Gorillas in the Mist.
- ^ Tied with Isabelle Huppert for Story of Women.
References
edit- ^ Allis, Michael. Temporaries and Eternals: The Music Criticism of Aldous Huxley (2013), p. 56
- ^ Bernice Rubens. Madame Sousatzka (1960), new edition Bloomsbury Press, September 2011
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1990". BAFTA. 1990. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Madame Sousatzka – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Past Scripter Awards". USC Scripter Award. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "VENICE 1988 – THE 45TH VENICE FILM FESTIVAL". Retrieved 6 October 2013.