Unter dem Vulkan (1984)

Unter dem Vulkan: Directed by John Huston. With Albert Finney, Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Andrews, Ignacio López Tarso. A day in the life of a self-destructive British consul in Mexico on the eve of World War II.

“This is a fairly forgotten gem from the mid-80s, based on the classic and tragic novel of the same name. The film is also the legendary John Hustonu0026#39;s third last movie as a director. Taking place in Mexico during the festival known as the Day of the Dead, the film also works against a backdrop of the early days of WWII, and explores the fragmented love triangle between a former British diplomat (Albert Finney), his estranged wife (Jacqueline Bisset), and his adventurous journalist brother (Anthony Andrews).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUnder the Volcano starts out slowly, following the corpse-like wandering of retired diplomat Geoffrey Firmin as he explores the Day of the Dead and seeks out booze to feed his alcoholism. Weu0026#39;re given various clues as to what has left him in such a sodden and rambling state, and we learn that his wife divorced him from abroad. Geoffrey proceeds to drink himself into oblivion, and into the fray enters his erstwhile wife Yvonne… testing the waters as it were for a possible reconciliation. Geoffreyu0026#39;s brother Hugh, recently returned from the Spanish civil war, is at a loss as to where he fits in with regards to their relationship, and also in regards to the world itself. The three decide to take a day trip out of town, with Yvonne and Hugh unsure of where Geoffreyu0026#39;s health and state of mind will literally lead them.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film is a rambling, elegaic swansong to suntouched dreams fortified by alcohol. These three people try to outrun their demons and replace their mistakes with hollow new plans – Yvonne hopes to start her life anew, but Geoffreyu0026#39;s disgracefully drunken state makes him an unpredictable quantity to bank on, especially in regards to whether he can forgive her for the adultery that left him in such a state. Geoffrey tells a story at one point about a colonial named Blackstone, a man who turned native and disliked the puritans who tried to save him so much that he simply just disappeared into the wilderness. Thereu0026#39;s obviously something about this story that appeals to Geoffrey as he seems to identify with Blackstone so much that he later tells strangers that itu0026#39;s his name, and you canu0026#39;t help but feel that this is the only solution to the problems at hand that he can truly grasp at. Bubbling underneath the surface of the film all this time is a slowly building sense of doom highlighted by the coming of WWII, the ominous woodwind score, and the filmu0026#39;s title itself. Geoffrey alludes to a horrific war story at several points, drawing comparisons with the 30s horror film Mad Love (referred to here as The Hands of Orlac) with his belief that u0026quot;Some things you canu0026#39;t apologise foru0026quot;, and this quote echoes throughout the film whenever the main characters are forced to come face to face with each otheru0026#39;s mistakes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis wonu0026#39;t be a film to everyoneu0026#39;s taste, it starts out as something approaching a travel-drama but kind of mutates into outright tragedy in itu0026#39;s second half. At the core of Under the Volcano is a staggering performance from Albert Finney as the drunken diplomat. Finney was more than rightfully nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for his realistic depiction of the life of a hopeless drunk… full of whimsy and cheer and rambling anecdotes, treading a fine line between absolute tankdom and lucidness, and tapping into all kinds of ambivalent emotions that would be far too challenging to a less complex and accomplished actor. Too often the drunk in film is shown as either a figure for comedy, fear or tragedy, but never are they shown as realistically as Finneyu0026#39;s characterisation here. I could see shades of every pathetic and hilarious drunk Iu0026#39;ve ever met at a pub or a party in Under the Volcanou0026#39;s Geoffrey Firmin, and the film makes no compromises whatsoever in showing this for what it is. One of the best performances in film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHIGHLIGHTS: Thereu0026#39;s nothing quite like a sinister Mexican dwarf grinning while he makes obscene gestures with his hands. I found this bit to be quite offputting and creepy.”