From the moment a strange shadow seems to be following the car lovely Evelyn Venable is riding in the mood for this beautiful and darkly romantic film is set. When death itself takes on physical form to understand better why humans fear him so, the stage is set for a rich and unusual film experience.
One of the great films of the 1930′s, it is not as well-remembered as it should be. There is a strange and almost haunting atmosphere to what in the end is realy a romantic look at love itself. Fredric March gives a solid performance as that which we most fear but do not understand. He is appropriately over the top and out of place on earth. Evelyn Veneable is memorable as the girl, Grazia, who Prince Sirki (March) comes to love, experiencing for the first time what it means to be human.
But the world becomes chaotic while Death is on his vacation and Sirki must return to his grim duties. The question is whether the lovely Grazia will still fear him or choose love, even if it means going with him to what lies beyond. It is talky but so full of its darkly romantic atmosphere that it is almost hypnotic. This is truly a masterpiece of mood, the perfect blend of subject matter and atmosphere.
March’s “Death” is the focal point but Henry Travers has some fine moments among a cast which includes Gail Patrick. It is Venable herself who carries this film, however, her beautiful eyes and face capturing with emotion and expression both fear and love. It is a true shame more films of this quality did not come her way in the 1930′s.
I have never forgotten the first time I saw this film and having seen it more than once since that time have still found beauty in its presentation of love which might live far beyond the shadow which follows us all. This is one of director Mitchell Leisen’s finest films. It is a lyrical and compelling look at death and love and an experience no film buff should miss. Highly recommended.
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YouTube :: Tag // french holidays
Videos tagged with french holidays
1750 Interlachen Bay
Author: results450to599
Keywords:
Added: August 30, 2010
Related External Links
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Posted in Travel.
Tagged with Beautiful Eyes, Emotion, Evelyn Venable, Film Buff, Film Experience, Focal Point, Fredric March, French Holidays, Gail Patrick, Great Films, Haunting Atmosphere, Henry Travers, Masterpiece, Mitchell Leisen, Perfect Blend, Place On Earth, Romantic Atmosphere, Romantic Film, Strange Shadow, Subject Matter.
By holiday_bookings
– April 30, 2010
![Mr. Hulot's Holiday [VHS]](http://www.holiday-bookings.ws/images/a/51E7C25SRKL._SL160_.jpg "Do not buy french holidays until you read this review")
Seguros Online – Perguntas frequentes
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loved it….much better than Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt. Andrew L Weber should make it a broadway play ala Phantom….Death Rocks ! especially on holiday !
From the moment a strange shadow seems to be following the car lovely Evelyn Venable is riding in the mood for this beautiful and darkly romantic film is set. When death itself takes on physical form to understand better why humans fear him so, the stage is set for a rich and unusual film experience.
One of the great films of the 1930′s, it is not as well-remembered as it should be. There is a strange and almost haunting atmosphere to what in the end is realy a romantic look at love itself. Fredric March gives a solid performance as that which we most fear but do not understand. He is appropriately over the top and out of place on earth. Evelyn Veneable is memorable as the girl, Grazia, who Prince Sirki (March) comes to love, experiencing for the first time what it means to be human.
But the world becomes chaotic while Death is on his vacation and Sirki must return to his grim duties. The question is whether the lovely Grazia will still fear him or choose love, even if it means going with him to what lies beyond. It is talky but so full of its darkly romantic atmosphere that it is almost hypnotic. This is truly a masterpiece of mood, the perfect blend of subject matter and atmosphere.
March’s “Death” is the focal point but Henry Travers has some fine moments among a cast which includes Gail Patrick. It is Venable herself who carries this film, however, her beautiful eyes and face capturing with emotion and expression both fear and love. It is a true shame more films of this quality did not come her way in the 1930′s.
I have never forgotten the first time I saw this film and having seen it more than once since that time have still found beauty in its presentation of love which might live far beyond the shadow which follows us all. This is one of director Mitchell Leisen’s finest films. It is a lyrical and compelling look at death and love and an experience no film buff should miss. Highly recommended.
We, as human beings, search for the meaning in bad things which happen to us, and we may find our belief systems just don’t hold up anymore. Finding meaning is not the same as finding rewards. “During a lenghty illness, we have a chance to make life changes while the person is still alive — and we may be much readier to ‘move on’ that those dealing with a sudden death. We have to consider the unexpectedness of an auto accident which takes the life of a young person, which brings anguish due to the circumstances. We could not say goodbye or tell the loved one how much we love them. It’s an overwhelming reality which leads to extreme sadness.
Those who are having trouble finding direction “may have hidden anger, which can masquerade as depression.” One widow divulged, “I have this hangover of a depression and have been diagnosed with post-traumatic disorder…have flashbacks and nightmares.” Certain areas of one’s life take longer to heal than others. “A lot of time goes toward digging deep in the wound and getting out the infection.” One mother admitted, “Every year for Christmas, I still get a game for my kids” even though they are past the age for such games. The main thing is to stay active and creative; see yourself as someone with something to offer the world. Staying connected with others, which those in bad relationships sometimes forfeit for the sake of peace is critical for mental health.” Don’t take anything for granted. We have to help ourselves to ‘let go’ and ‘move on’ to pursue our own lives. Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be fulfilling. “Letting go of my desires, of believing I knew best, and just spreading my wings, was my spiritual awakening.” Spirituality forged during desperate times “is uniquely meaningful.” Although our culture generally sees death and bereavement in negative terms, “there is a richness to the grief process that is seldom acknowledged.”
Sometimes we grow not by learning lessons from the dead but by dealing with the aftermath of a death.” The more you think about others in terms of a higher power as practiced in the principles of Al-Anon, the more peace you have. “It helped me forgive myself for not being able to help her more.”
Here is a good metaphor for the year following a loved one’s death: “When you plant winter wheat, you look around, everything is bleak. You plant it, and nothing happens…but, when you least expect it, the following spring — there it is!” Ofttimes, a sign appears to ease the pain such as a “glorious shooting star as it cross the dark, winter sky.” After seeing the star, “I began to think that there was something beyond myself…the possibility that our spirits and the spirits of human beings everywhere remain connected even after death.”
Some lingering slow deaths bring a sense of relief to the person left behind: such losses can sometimes transform our lives in dramatic and positive ways. Barbara Wood, in her book GOOD GRIEF, wrote: “The realisation can not only be liberating but also prevents long-term feeling of alienation, especially in situations like the loss of a parent.” My dad’s death, though I was no part of it, enabled me to return to a place I loved where life was good for me, growing up with a fierce independence and determination. After some hardships, I met the right people to set me on a path to make a public service poor folks in particular need to survive a little better. God had a mission for me in my hometown, and the unsettled life prepared me for the task of speaking up for others. God does indeed work in mysterious ways.
This movie is the original “Death Takes a Holiday”. It has good acting and realistic sets. A great “popcorn” and date movie. Enjoyable for men and women. OK for younger viewers too – no sex or violence in this old movie.
This movie has been a favorite of mine since the first time I watched it. Mostly, it is because of the dialogue and exploration of death. The copy I received was in good condition, though I wish they would make this movie on DVDs. This is a worthy film, examining the powers of love and life.
If Ensemble Unicorn is great, Unicorn combined with the Middle-Eastern-inspired Ensemble Oni Wytars is even better! Actually, the two groups seem to share many of the same members, along with Ensemble Accentus (which focuses on Spanish and Sephardic music), but with different directors for each: Michael Posch for Unicorn, Marcos Ambrosini for Oni Wytars, and Thomas Wimmer for Accentus. This CD brings the musicians together to offer a stimulating combination of western and eastern-influenced music that might have been heard or played by medieval Pilgrims making the journey eastward. The European tunes focus on the Christmas season, while the Balkan and Near Eastern selections are traditional, handed down orally through the centuries and interpreted here with a zeal that should be as appealing to belly dancers as to early music enthusiasts (and I know many people who fall into both categories!). Instruments used include chalumeau, cheremia, cornemuse bechonnet, darbukka, davul, def, gayda, gittern, kaval, nyckelharpa, sackpipa, tamburello, tombak, vihuela d’arco, and a number of others that you actually might have heard of before–bagpipe, rebec, recorder, rebec, shawm, ud and the like. Ellen Santaniello also contributes vocals. I was surprised and delighted when I played this CD for the first time, and I continue to be each time I hear it again. If you like this recording, be sure to check out the other collaboration between Ensemble Unicorn and Ensemble Oni Wytars, “Music of the Troubadours”, also from Naxos.
Some early music is academically interesting but not very compelling listening. This album definitely does NOT fit into that category. It will have you taping your foot and shaking your, well, whatever shakes. Actually, I’m putting it onto my mp3 player to take to the gym for my cardio workout. Even the slower pieces have enough real energy to keep me moving right along. I leave it to the others to give a more technical review. I can just say that I love it. Puts a smile on my face. Makes me want to practice drumming, learn bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy and whatever a shawm is. I want to share it with all my early music friends.
This album captures the influences of all the places that a pilgrim from Europe might encounter on the way to the Holy Land (Israel). The first track (Dinaresade) opens with a very lively and catchy Syrian traditional tune. While this track has a very Arabic feel to it, the next song employs bagpipes in a traditional 14th century English tune.
The third track provides another lively woodwind tune with a Hellenistic mood. “Mari stanko” (traditional Bulgarian), the 5th track, is particularily interesting with long, slow female melodies that are interspersed with very rapid dance-like interludes. “Sei willekommen Herre Christ” provides a peaceful breather for the next track.
The next several tracks are short traditional Croation songs, ranging from chanting, chant-response, to renaissance-style dance music. The traditional Sufi track (Mevlana) makes a fitting close to the disc.
All in all, the middle-eastern influence is more prominent than the western-European influence (which may be why I like it so much). If you like early music, especially with the mystic sounds that Mediterranean music provides, then pick this disc up. (You can’t beat the price either!)
I love this cd–all the tracks are great, especially “On the way to Bethlehem”!
Medieval music is a bit esoteric, so even though I find this to be a great album, many people just won’t like it. This however is quickly becoming the favorite of my growing medieval collection.
The Mari Stanko track with it’s changing tempos and vocal ululations is unusually haunting, even by medieval standards. It is the haunting quality of the genre which I’m finding simultaneously stimulating and soothing. Music from the period is inherently mysterious, not only because of its typically spiritual themes and lyrics (after all, how much medieval Latin can I really pick-out), but also because we’re really not sure what it originally sounded like. This gives a certain amount of license to the artists to interpret, as well as to perform. Medieval music performance is therefore as much reenactment as it is replaying.
Just rented this movie and really enjoyed it. It’s a fun little romantic comedy that will certainly get you in the holiday spirit. Jack Black is funny, as always. He also shows a more sensitive side, that you don’t always see in his movies. That was a highlight for me.
The story, in general, is one we can all relate to. Most of us are working way too hard and bypassing the little things that make life so great. That was my big takeaway from this. It was a nice (and sometimes hilarious) reminder to stop and smell the roses.
This movie is very cute. A bit on the cleche side, as all romantic comedies are, but it is a lot of fun.
Cameron Diaz and Jude Law have total chemistry, unfortunately Jack Black and Kate Winslet don’t. Cameron and Jude’s characters save the day though and carry the whole movie. Kate’s friendship with her neighbor does your heart good. In spite of the lack of chemistry between one of the two couples in the movie, I’ve probably watched it at least 50 times. Makes me feel like love is still possible. And who wouldn’t want to watch Jude Law?
I think I need another copy of this movie. I just love it. I watch it every time I am on the road and get a DVD player to myself. Yes, I am quite aware of how pathetic I am…
I have moved this movie to the top of my all-time favorites list. Kate Winslett was superb, but so were all the principal characters. The chemistry between Eli Wallach and Kate was fantastic. Any time I’m feeling down this movie makes me happy and when I’m not down I still love it! Yes, it’s a chick flick, but in my opinion Nancy Meyers is a great writer/director, who allowed Jack Black to improvise with excellent results. My significant other has watched it with me at least 5 times, so it’s a chick flick that guys enjoy too!