The Homecoming

Director: Peter Hall

Overview

"Part of the American Film Theatre series, Homecoming comes to DVD from Kino International. Originally written by Harold Pinter, this play has been adapted to film by director Peter Hall in 1973. Presented with a widescreen transfer enhanced for 16 x 9 te

Product Details

Release Date:	07/22/2003
UPC:	0738329028824
Original Release:	1973
Rating:	PG
Source:	Kino Video
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:54:00
Sales rank:	57,286

Special Features

An interview with cinematographer David Watkin ; Theatrical trailer; "Harold Pinter and The Homecoming," an essay by Michael Feingold, Chief Theatre Critic, The Village Voice; The AFT cinebill for The Homecoming; Stills gallery; An interview with Edie Landau, Executive in Charge, the American Film Theatre; Ely Landau: In Front of the Camera - AFT promotional reel, 1974; The American Film Theatre trailer gallery - includes a complete list of the AFT films ; The American Film Theatre scrapbook; Enhanced for 16x9 TVs

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Cyril Cusack	Sam
Ian Holm	Lenny
Michael Jayston	Teddy
Vivien Merchant	Ruth
Terence Rigby	Joey
Paul Rogers	Max

Technical Credits

Ely A. Landau	Producer
Otto Plaschkes	Executive Producer

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. A House in London [7:34]
2. "Hello, Uncle Sam!" [6:44]
3. A Late Arrival [13:15]
4. A Sleepless Night [7:19]
5. Proposals & Questions [11:19]
6. Good Morning? [9:11]
7. "The Whole Family Together" [9:00]
8. "Being and Not Being" [12:38]
9. Intellectual Equilibrium [10:07]
10. "She's a Tease" [8:58]
11. Sharing Ruth [6:52]
12. A Workable Arrangement [10:43]

Menu

Side #1 --
Play
Scenes
Special Features
An Interview With Cinematographer David Watkin
The Homecoming Theatrical Trailer
"Harold Pinter and The Homecoming," an Essay by Michael Feingold, Chief Theatre Critic, The Village Voice
The AFT Cinebill for The Homecoming
Pinter on Pinter
People on Pinter
Peter Hall on Pinter
The Homecoming Stills Gallery
An Interview With Edie Landau, Executive in Charge, the American Film Theatre (26 Min)
Play Interview
Ely Landau: In Front of the Camera - AFT Promotional Reel - 1974 (6 Min)
Trailer Gallery - Includes a Complete List of AFT Films
Butley: Play
A Delicate Balance: Play
The Homecoming: Play
The Iceman Cometh: Play
Lost in the Stars: Play
Luther: Play
Rhinoceros: Play
Three Sisters: Play
Galileo: Play
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris: Play
The Maids: Play
The Man in the Glass Booth: Play
Play All
The American Film Theatre Scrapbook - A Collection of Articles and Essays
A Letter From Ely Landau, Written in 1973, to Potential AFT Subscribers
"Ely Landau Presents the American Film Theatre," an Article by Larry Gross
An Interview With Ely Landau
Very Nice for Us All by Edward Albee

Editorial Reviews

Probably the finest of the American Film Theatre productions of the '70s, The Homecoming is a bleakly comic, brutal, and undeniably powerful adaptation of the Harold Pinter stage classic. Pinter, of course, is essentially known for two things -- his famous pauses and his ambiguity of meaning. Both are present in Homecoming, but it's important to point out that "ambiguity of meaning" does not mean "ambiguity of emotion." The viewer may have to guess a bit at meaning (as he does in life), but the emotions that these characters feel are crystal clear and presented in all their roaring power. The family in Homecoming are all prisoners -- of their feelings, their relationships, their resentments and their pasts. They wail, they flail, they tear, they argue, they scream, they laugh, they mock, they suppress -- all in a vain attempt to escape, not realizing that they lack the one thing that would allow them to escape -- the will and the courage to face the unknown. Director Peter Hall has masterfully captured all of the pain and humor in the text, creating a claustrophobic cinematic prison that forces the viewer to be not only in the same room as these people but practically sitting on their laps. Hall's work is incredibly assured, with hardly a false step throughout. The same can be said of the incredible cast, each one of which mines every last inch of their characters and creates unforgettable portraits that make the viewer flinch and laugh at the same time. Homecoming is a textbook lesson in how to bring Pinter to the screen without diluting his effectiveness -- and perhaps even heightening it.