U, 83 mins
Rereleased as part of the John Huston season at the National Film Theatre, The Dead was the director’s swansong, completed in 1987, the year of his death. Adapted from a novella by James Joyce (a story in Dubliners), the film relishes its literary legacy. The fluency of Joyce’s writing makes the dialogue sing. Spirited performances — including a charismatic turn from Huston’s daughter Anjelica — do it justice.
The film takes place in Dublin a couple of years after the turn of the 20th century; the story — a gentle ebb and flow of wit, banter and reflection — unfolds over the course of one evening almost entirely set during an annual post-Christmas party. It’s terrifically played by a cast made up predominantly of Irish stage actors. In this snapshot we catch glimpses not only of the characters’ pasts but also their futures, and that of their country. The combination of merriment and melancholy is impossibly poignant.
WENDY IDE