Nostromo

Corruption, revolution and violence! But also passion, loyalty and solid love are the main ingredients in the adventurous film Nostromo.It is awfully expensive and built on, what some claims to be the best novel written in the English language during this century. This is how they promote the movie in one of our biggest morning papers! I came to think of Aunt Phillips and her exclaims of gambling debts, seductions and other evil things. In the trailers they show only one pic of Colin, in a hat and with a full beard, rather becoming I think. And the eyes are the same! more later...

Pray, Pray, Pretty please, may we have a full review... We'll have to and can't wait until January for it.

Did they dye his hair red? Gould is supposed to have red hair.

No, He's a bleached blonde. Wild! uh! FOF have a pic. http://www.iupui.edu/~rogersc/firth.html

Yuk! A blonde?! I'm sorry but I cannot imagine CF as anything but dark haired Darcy.

"I cannot imagine CF as anything but dark haired Darcy." I felt the same way cat, but I was pleasantly surprised, oh yes, pleasantly surprised...

] I felt the same way cat, but I was pleasantly surprised, oh yes, pleasantly surprised.. Pray tell, Cheryl, just how pleasant was this surprise? Did you incorporate into your fantasies/Christmas wishes? Do enlighten us!

"I cannot imagine CF as anything but dark haired Darcy." the man himself pointed out that a smoulder on the dark haired is merely a sulk on a blond....

"Pray tell, Cheryl, just how pleasant was this surprise? Did you incorporate into your fantasies/Christmas wishes? Do enlighten us! " Kathleen, modesty forbids an explicit explanation (yeah right! I hear you say) but suffice it to say that I am able to fantasize about a blond Colin with the same ease as I can about a dark Darcy. I see no conflict, no division of loyalties, only a more rewarding and diverse fantasy life. Yes, indeed.

Donna Oh Yum! Thank you for the link to the photo. Carol

]"suffice it to say that I am able to fantasize about a blond Colin with the same ease as I can about a dark Darcy." I suspected as much, Cheryl, as I have learned hold your creative abilities in high regard. Pleasant dreams, indeed!

You are all on the wrong tack..it's the eyes, not the color of his hair. Colin Firth appears to be one of those actors so in love with his job that he is willing to do whatever is required to be effective in his current role. Got to admire that.

DARCY IN THE JUNGLE... Now I have watched the first part and though he is not on stage so very much, I can assure you that you get enough to feed your imaginatory life. He is often rather silent, sort of staring far away... his clothes have been oatmeal shade and his hair and beard and moustache are not so very blond, I would say reddish brown (if such a colour is to be had).I agree with Cheryl that it does not ruin his appeal, merely alters it...He gets some thighexercise too, as he is on horseback quite a lot. No black clothes so far and no actual window sulking. But...! HE IS WET in one scene. It is night and pouring rain and his wife wakes up in their tent and finds his bed empty... Shall I continue? Well it starts out a bit sad as he is standing by the grave of his father..but they continue to the mine and ....Here? she asks and Yes! he answers...in his wet shirt!!! Then there are bribes and snakes and opression and poor people and wuthering heights (The Andes) as it is all taking place in a faked country in Latin America, and flowers and a wise old doctor.

Oh well, if he is WET count me in! Candace did you hear that? Colin Firth is WET in Nostromo!!

Not sure whether this is the place to put a newspaper article??? The Swedish paper called Aftonbladet= the evening leaf.Hasty translation: Colin Firth,36, made the ladies fall for him as Mr Darcy (They hit the head of the nail there did they not?)in P&P last Christmas. Now he is the cruel Charles Gould in the big Tv series Nostromo for six Fridays. (they portion him out so that we wont be overwhelmed eyh?) In private Colin is if possible even more gorgeous than on screen.Tall, slender, boyish, strikingly brigth and with a high factor of"Comfort and well-being". (Ooh, say no more...) We met him when the BBC brought the Nostromo stars to MIP-TV-fair in Cannes. Colin was besieged by female journalists. They wanted to know more about his love affair with Serena Scott Thomas who plays his wife Emilia Gould.(Now really Mr Firth, is this the truth? You seem almost to devoted to the parts you play. Can it be that your heart is easily touched?) - The film could not be made strictly from Joseph Conrad's book from 1904. It is considered the best novel written in English this century. But we are as faithful as we were able to, Colin says. The book is prophetic, it is about the world of today. The silver mine ruined my father's life. As his son I wish to revenge myself for his death. Charles starts as a humanist with high ideals, but becomes obsessed by the riches of the silver.The filming in Cartagena di Indias, the most dangerous part of the most dangerous country in the world, Colombia, was a warm business. - It was extremely hot and we were dressed in the tweed costumes of the time and the ladies wore corsettes. - We were guarded by the army, but still met with misfortune: one murder and one kidnapping, Colin Firth concludes. BBC has made a coproduction with 3 other noncommercial stations, WGBH in Boston, the Spanish TVE and RAI from Italy. 15.000 walkers-on and an international casting.... K.G.Bj�rkman

A new film, a new amour, a little more dinero and "Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go!"

I never thought of Charles Gould as "cruel", He may be obsessive and out of touch with everything around him, but he isn't cruel.

I just thought I would light this topic back up in prepreation for the PBS broadcast of Nostromo. The broadcast date and time may differ from place to place, but it will be showing in most places on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. Bon Apetit!

Moi, I've had no trouble at all enjoying CF in NOSTROMO so far, possibly due to some marvelous screen-filling close-ups! Who was it of us, many threads ago, who knew how to get an image/voice off the VCR and onto our computers?? :-) Encore, anyone?

He isn't Darcy - but it is interesting seeing him in a completely different role! Two more nights....and the costuming is great!

Here!Here! **sigh**

I like the beard.

Yes, Amy, I like the beard too---I think CF needs some facial hair (e.g., Darcy sideburns) to give his face some shape. I am still waiting for CF to take a dip in a tropical ponds, or the ocean----I kept thinking about it as I watched last night, and hoped he would do so (for Cheryl and Candace, of course). Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to swim in. Jane Jane

Jane, I have been contemplating the shape of CF's face for some time now, and I find that I have come to the same conclusion; much improved with facial hair to add dimension.

I know we're not supposed to talk about Nostromo uintil Wednesday, but I just have to say: Candace! Did you see? He was WET! And WET in a LOVE SCENE! I know that it sounds odd to say that when I see CF WET I think of Candace, but it is true nonetheless! ;-)

I loved the first night - and two more to go. Yes, Cheryl, wet and in a love scene fulfills my dreams of what a good show is all about!! Most of all, I again noticed his eyes. Did you see how he looked at his wife while all wet in the mine, and then later that Darcyish "look of love" as he looked at the first shipment of silver. In just those two looks you could see how Charles Gould's priorities had shifted from his wife to the lure of the silver. Amazing acting. I liked it very well indeed!

Inko, yes, those fine eyes!

FYI - There's a long review of Nostromo and interview with Colin on the Friends of Firth site. It's from the Jan. 2 Orange County Register and really explains the motivation behind Charles Gould's character. Go to FoF, then click on Nostromo just above his picture as Gould. Worth a read.

Part Two of Nostromo was tonight, and I am soooo disappointed! There was talk of taking a "bahth" but alas, we were not privy to the "bahth" itself! :-( Of what were the writer and director thinking? Anyone who looks as good WET as CF does, should be shown WET as often as possible! And my disappointment was increased by the knowledge of Candace sitting at home, eyes lighting up at the word "bahth" only to have her hopes dashed! Poor Candace! It was cruel blow, indeed! ;-)

Cheryl, I knew I was not the only viewer who perked up at Gould's mention of a bath! I practically jumped off the sofa---my husband just laughed. At least CF looked nice and clean in the following scene, so we know the Bath occurred, even if we were not privy to it. Jane

Someone in Austen-L reported the following Colin Firth comments regarding to Nostromo and Jane Austen. It's from "Firth class" article in " The Toronto Star"'s TV guide. "Somehow we made it", report Firth. "We didn't know what we were it for. And it will be very interesting to see if television viewers take to Conrad the way they take to Austen. I rather guess Austen is more their cup of tea". (...) "Jane Austen was not the high point of my acting career. It was a very nice production but what can you say about an author whose chief worry is how many servants her characters can afford? I would not like to spend all my time in period drama". "What Firth would like in the future is parts such as the ravaged Falklands Island veteran in the British TV movie "Tumbledown". What he would not like is a regular diet of heroes in period attire reaching for their snuff boxes." What do you all think of it ? To be honest I'm a little bit put off by his comments on Jane Austen. Zimei

One cannot expect much more from a man who does not read even P&P until he is so far along in life. JA is not about how many servants one can afford. She is about survival. But perhaps Darcy did not realize that his story was about survival - like playing monoply with little money and no property against one player who holds it all.

He is probably sick of the association with P&P. Maybe he doesn't really mean it, Pollyanna/Jane hoped.

So am I ,Zimei. He has not read any of her novels I think but -perhaps- P&P ( or did he stick to the manuscript? ) No. I cant think so ill of him. He must have collected all hints he could get on Darcy. But it appears he does not understand that women wanted a home, some clothes and their daily bread and to escape the fate of an unwelcome relative, living at the mercy of fathers or brothers. The number of servants, indeed!

My thoughts exactly, Cheryl and Jane, about the bahth!! But he did look nice and clean afterwards. Zimei, I don't think he was disparaging JA in that article, because in the Orange County article he said "So I developed a healthy respect for Jane Austen doing 'Pride and Prejudice', but I don't want her to represent England because it's not like that." I have to agree with him - England is not and never was like that. The late 1700s and early 1800s were actually much tougher and rougher for the majority of the population. As for not continually doing period costume drama - after playing Gould in tweeds in the heat of Cartegena, who can blame him?

I hope someone from the Austen Society responds directly to Colin for calling her "an author whose chief worry is how many servants her characters can afford." Indeed he knows better! Firth is an unusually honest and intelligent actor, sometimes I think a little bit too frank -- he may indeed not want to do another period piece but I don't think he should share these feelings with his adoring fans, and after all, the role did make him a star.

Idea: A reprise of the Patty Duke Show with Albert Finney as Willam Shatner's English Cousin.

Amy: "A reprise of the Patty Duke Show with Albert Finney as Willam Shatner's English Cousin." Oh Amy, you are wicked!! ;-)

Cheryl, come on over to the drawing room. You are the wicked one. I thought about declaiming whilst twisting one's tail today. A bright spot.

I don't think we should take Firth's remarks about Austen all that much to heart. It sounded like a throwaway comment to me, and we know from other interviews that he's read P&P and thinks it's a great novel. In this case I think he was just contrasting her view of the world--which she herself always said was limited to 3 or 4 families in a country village--with that of Conrad, who thought globally. And I can't think badly of him for not having read Austen until he had to--there are great authors I've ever read (Conrad, for one), and I have a B.A. in English.

I finally found the website and read the Orange County article. A curious report...We almost lost CF altogether because he didn't know how to say,"I'm being strangled," in Spanish! (Wouldn't hasta luego suffice?) And what's the jibberish about putting your hands around your neck to experience strangling? Is that CF speaking or the reporter day dreaming? Additionally, why the metal band and not the American way by rope? And more importantly, where are the thighs of steel able to grasp meddlesome mare like denture fixative? Really, thrown by a horse? It's moot if CF's smoking as intensely as the reporter indicated. CF needs some fast lessons in both appropriate Austen reverence and taking better care of Mr. Darcy.

Speaking of horses, why are the horses in Nostromo so short?

ROFLOL ...

Another quote that exonorates Colin from perceived disparaging JA remarks: "'Darcy is very much a product of his time and his class...He's severely emotionally disabled because he's never had to fight for anything. As the richest man in England, he's never had any trouble appealing to women. A woman's survival at that time depended on marrying well'...[About the audience's nostalgic affection for JA's elegant world] 'there's a real ugly side that is overlooked...When we were filming P&P somebody said to me "What a shame that we've lost all this graciousness" and I thought, "Well, yes, but we've lost the kind of slavery women were put into". There was rampant social injustice in England then. Austen convinces us to despise Lydia Bennet fro choosing who she wants to marry and running away to have an adventure. Now we're expected to have Lydia's values. We marry who we damn well choose.'" (from A&E Dec 1996--that wonderful cover picture) I've been recording Nostromo these past few nights, but I've caught some scenes with Colin...loved that mine scene. I absolutely love his beard!

Say, does Colin have chest hair in that scene, or is it wishful thinking on my part?

The mine scene when its been pooring down, with lovely making love scene (and for further comments I will refrain to the chat room). No, you're not fantasizing, it's there. Cannot believe I posted that!

Amy: "Speaking of horses, why are the horses in Nostromo so short?" I've been wondering the same thing! Tall, lanky Colin looks positively silly on that thing! His feet practically touch the ground! Johanne: "Cannot believe I posted that!" Good for you, Johanne! I'm proud to know you! Alas there was no wetness in part three tonight, except for the sweating up on the exectutioner's block! But memories of the mine scene will sustain me--as long as my tape holds out!

]loved that mine scene. I absolutely love his beard! I agree. The man is quite a turn on, (old slang for sexy) at times. Even just that intense, Darcyish look he had (right before pulling out the derringer and shooting the assistant prior to being taken to execution) was terrific. Sigh. His liaisons with Serena, Jennifer, and Meg can be taken a lot of ways, I know, but can you imagine how you'd respond if you were the actress opposite him in a film with love scenes?? Would be difficult to just walk away after those shoots and just have a cup of offee! And possibly he's still looking for the right woman to settle down with, so he's doing "field research." Any volunteers? ;-) Just kidding.

For the past 3 nights Nostromo has been part of the electronic wallpaper ever present in our house but this film never captured my attention to the extent of P&P. As expected, I walked quite easily in and out and by the wall where it was playing. That never happened with P&P. However, I thought CF gave a tolerable performance, at least the role had dignity, but his Charles Gould lacked credibility and fire. The love scene in the mine was tepid, needed to be cranked p a bit. I resented my preoccupation with the temperature and hardness of the stone walls. I wanted to be carried away but don't think that's what the director had in mind...maybe he used this as a point of reference for Nostromo's passion. The non-CF scenes were much more compelling with the exception of the garroting. I must admit that one scene did take my breath away...CF kicking helplessly, futilely while the willing indigents are grasping, gleefully stripping him of his boots. I was sincerely r lieved when Gould was spared and at that point did care what happened to him.

Elaine, I agree about with you entirely about Gould. I am rather baffled as to what the dirctor did have in mind, as I have tried to say with my usual flippancy on Laura's Thread.I found the whole thing very patchy. BUT Albert Finney, all the Italians were superb. So was Brian Dennehy.

I found "Nostromo" fascinating, but maybe that's because I'm 4/5ths through the book right now. I was hoping to finish it before last night, but have another 100 pages to go. Actually, the whole production stayed very close to the novel. In the beginning of the book, Gould meets Emilia in Italy and falls madly in love. That love lasts till he gets the mine going again, when his idealistic love of what the silver can do for the country takes over. The Gould character is meant to be inscrutable and very cold by the end of the book. Essentially, he is ruined by the silver and I think CF shows us that very well. Albert Finney is superb as the cynical doctor, as are Amendola as Nostromo and the actor who played Don Jose Avellanos (what a t rrific face he had!) It's a difficult story to tell, but I think they did as good a job as possible and the casting was really great. I read somewhere that they used local horses so as to make it look right. I guess the local horses are small because, I agree, CF does look silly with his legs hanging down like that. On the other hand, Conrad says that Gould is very tall, so it does give the feel of a tall Englishman out of place in a country like Costaguana. France, I don't think he had any romance with Serena Scott-Thomas. This was the production where he met his Italian girlfriend - Livia Gugioli who was listed as the Producer's assistant. By the way, I really liked Serena in the role of Emilia. She looked out-of-place enough--as an Englishwoman in South America--but showed all the sympathy and feeling of humanity in her eyes and face that her character had in the book. The silver doesn't contaminate her, it makes her a victim.

France, if CF is still looking for the right woman to settle down with, I hope she's thinking prenuptial contract. He should be required to wear "period" clothing and facial/chest hair a minimum of one day a week. Cheryl, perhaps it would have looked more humane if Colin had carried the horse.

I enjoyed Nostromo. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to read the book first. I think that would've helped because it was at times a bit confusing or not tied together too well. CF I think played his role very well and yes, I agree he looks great with the beard. However,the actor who played Nostromo was obviously the star and played the part wonderfully. Is anyone in this group from Latin America? If so, maybe you could answer a question for me. Did the actor who played General Sotillo (he's the one who wants the silver so bad and then his buddy puts a sword through him) act in a rather popular telenovela either from Mexico or Argentina? Mary

Elaine--not to mention a clause which states he must appear wet in all movies. Mary, I know I've seen that actor (Sotillo) somewhere before. I think he played the bad guy in a Hollywood movie a while back.

Inko, thank you for your input: "I found "Nostromo" fascinating, but maybe that's because I'm 4/5ths through the book right now. I was hoping to finish it before last night, but have another 100 pages to go. Actually, the whole production stayed very close to the novel." I have read and admired the depth of thought Conrad put into LORD JIM, HEART OF DARKNESS, "The Secret Sharer," etc., and though NOSTROMO is still to be read, I recognize the Conrad touch- one or more male characters in an exotic setting, searching for something to them most valued, whether wealth, power, love, willpower, etc.- and then facing horrifically difficult circumstances that test their moral fiber. A Conrad hero is not a perfect man, but a man with intelligence, complexity, and eventually the c urage to face his demons/weaknesses and make amends for them. At times there is more than one man in the story being "tested" by fate; often death and some sort of betrayal dog the life of the man. My personal favorite is still LORD JIM, a serious book and also a fine movie with Peter O'Toole, James Mason, Eli Wallach, Curt Jergens, etc. I agree, despite my "crush" on CF as Darcy and my enjoyment of "all things wise and Austen," that CF deserves the stretch that other authors & roles can give him as an actor. (ex., A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY)

I've seen the actor who played Sotillo in the movie "A Clear and Present Danger" a Tom Clancy novel with Harrison Ford. He played the Cuban mastermind/assisin working for the South American druglords.

Finally finished the book of Nostromo. You're right, Cecily, Conrad does like to test all his men and put his women up on a pedestal. In this story, however, Gould never faces his demon or makes amends for them - he goes on riding roughshod over all those loyal to him (including Nostromo) in order to keep his precious mine working and the new country intact. In some ways that might be thought a noble idea, but I find it very soulless. The only difference with the book at the end of the series was a line inserted for Emilia, when she says to Giselle "but when he left you for treasure, you would have made a life for yourself because you never loved him as much as you love yourself". I really like that line because it shows how much Emilia has suffered over the years. By the way, in the book the last two hours of the series actually take place over many years - ten to twenty at least, but like the series, the end of the book is a much q icker read than the early part. That's my literature lesson for today!!:-)

Cheryl, Thank you. Clear and Present Danger is probably where I saw that actor before. Mary

Re: article Zimei discussed - I have an article in the A&E monthly where Colin says, "It's nice to have recognition, but at the same time, I have to resist being associated with P&P forever" (not a chance!) then he goes on to say "There are tremendous stories written around that period in history; it would be silly to say they're out of bounds." He continues to say that he is more worried about getting into a trap of being so worried that he would never do it again...than doing another part like it again I don't think he understands that not only did we love him as Darcy....the guy who played Darcy ain't so bad either! In other words....he brought the life to Darcy...Darcy didn't bring the life of the part to him...does that make sense?

I have to agree with you there, Linda...I had not read JA nor was acquainted with Colin Firth until I saw P&P2 on A&E in January of last year. Inexplicably, I was mesmerized by the whole event. It was only until we got a new computer with Internet capability (I was seduced by the possibility of finding anything and everything on the Net) that I was spurred on to find anything with Colin Firth and was very exited to find this connection to P&P2! Yes, I became and am a hopeless addict to P&P2 and an ardent admirer of Colin Firth. During the Christmas break, I finally read *the* P&P and just loved it. I tend to think in Austenspeak now and was amazed to find how faithful the A&E/BBC production was to the book (and consequently the dialogue). Perhaps a specific thread of the book and the production???? I read the book book, though, with the actors reading the lines!!! I am an avowed JA fan and will, as a New Year's resolution, read the rest of JA's books. I just read "Pemberley" but was disappointed by Elizabeth and Darcy's characterizations of distrust of each other. Dutifully, though, I am now reading the next sequel, "An Unequal Marriage". I am introducing P&P to my young daughters through the video production. I explain to them the social mores of the time and what was expected of women at that time so that they get somewhat of a picture of what's going on...They probably wonder why I drop such comments such as "isnt he just gorgeous" when Darcy/Colin is on the screen. My oldest, though, understands my "addiction", just as I completely understand some of her "addictions". Yikes! I'm getting way off base with all of this prattle! Thank you so much sisters (and brothers out there) for keeping this site going!

Apparently, CF wants to be remembered for his versatility and not his magnetism. I imagine he feel more comfortable in this arena. I personally would like to see him uncomfortable just one more time.

Elaine: I personally would like to see him uncomfortable just one more time. Yes, as would I, in fact the more uncomfortable, clothing-wise, the better...(oups! better head on over to the Drooling Topic!)

Ah! To be CF's agent for one day. I could set him up with scripts for the next five years. It seems unconscionable that we the customers have no say in these matters, especially when Colin doesn't seem to be playing with a full deck.

Cheer up, ladies. Think of A Thousand Acres coming this spring. Colin's character is a sex magnet to all the women around him.

Anne3: Cheer up, ladies. Think of A Thousand Acres coming this spring. Colin's character is a sex magnet to all the women around him. COOL!

Or, put another way, it'll be PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES

]COOL! Or DROOL! maybe? ;-)

If I was his agent...........hmmmmmmm...... Maybe lots of films with WET SCENES!!!

]Maybe lots of films with WET SCENES!!! whatdya reckon Cheryl?

If Colin's character in A Thousand Acres replicates the character Jesse in the book, he'll be a sex magnate but not an admirable one...no romance or higher ideals, just an ordinary, immature man. Jesse is no Darcy. WET SCENES will, of course, be helpful but true drool requires an appropriate mental setting. In the book this character made my skin crawl, well-intentioned but not capable of decisive action. My guess is that CF will play him as rather sleezy and not gi e it much of a romantic spin. Seriously, someone needs to get to CF and help him choose some wimmin's stuff.

Rebecca: Maybe lots of films with WET SCENES!!! Anna: whatdya reckon Cheryl? I "reckon" I will like that very much indeed! (as will Candace--I believe I may vouch for her on this point!)

Elaine, I think we have to face up to the fact that Colin is never going to play Darcy again. So, we dedicated droolers have got to work out a game plan for watching his other movies. Imagination is the key here. What you've got to do is to take the raw material his performance offers [I need hardly say, the rawer the better ;-)] and filter it through the old mental process. I've tried this with a few of his old movies and, while it takes some getting used to, it does work. ------------------------------------ BTW, I don't think that Jess is sleazy or lacking in higher ideals. Quite the opposite, really . . . he's so caught up in his theories and principles that he doesn't know how to do real life.

Anne3, I agree that Jess is a dreamer and not a "doer". I just think there will be some gray areas in the movie where Firth will choose to give him a sleazy turn. I don't think Firth will romanticize him.

Regarding the horses in Nostromo, I think they're either Paso Fino's or Andulusians (not sure of that spelling). These are smaller horses with an allegedly unbelievably smooth gait. It's supposed to be like sitting in your rocking chair. The actors did look pretty comfortable, even though they appeared to be riding Shetland ponies!

While watching Nostromo with my husband, he made the comment that CF with a beard has a striking resemblance to the Crane brothers on "Frazer". We then came up with a hysterical plot for the TV show in which CF does a guest appearance as their very snoody English cousin. What say you?

Re: Frazer role Why not a soccer player in shorts, Candace?

LOL, Donna -- Soccer player in shorts -- In soccer, when the game is won, do they do as in football and dump the ice chest on someone? If so, this would work quite well -- CF in shorts AND wet!!

I actually realized while watching CF in Nostromo that, with the facial hair and the new coloring, he looked just like an ex-boyfriend. Now is THAT why I've been drooling overtime? Can't be all of it, though, 'cause I've loved him in every role. Aren't the Crane brothers a little too nancy for the likes of our masculine CF?