MovieChat Forums > Shadowlands (1994) Discussion > Am I missing something?

Am I missing something?

posted 15 years ago by hbotis
3 replies | jump to latest

I saw this in the cinema when it came out on its release.

In theory I should like it, but I don't, and it has turned me off Richard Attenborough's films for life.

As I was watching Winger dying on her death bed, I was thinking this has to be the LONGEST DEATH SCENE IN CINEMA HISTORY. I don't dislike Winger at all but she was very grinding in this film. So I was wandering please die because it's very boring and as a piece of filmmaking it makes no sense whatsoever to hold it this LONG! I'm sorry but this film has nothing to do with the greatness of the many period British movies like that produced by Merchant/Ivory or Burgess.

I was very angry as I stepped out of the cinema. This rates as one of the worst films I've ever seen (along with Jurrasic Park) and I'm being totally honest.

Attenborough is a very preachy actor and director and it shows. This & his appearance in Jurrasic Park tells me to avoid his films at all costs.

[–] Mixalidis 15 years ago

Wow, what took you so long to write in here? Have you seen it only once, in cinema, or later again?

For me, this is totally Mercant/Ivory productions:

Period piece, 19th or 20th century, great (mostly British) actors, beautiful scenery and colors, deep thoughts and very often boring. Well, there are some exceptions like Surviving Picasso and Jefferson in Paris. I haven't seen all, but I plan to, mostly because of Anthony Hopkins.

This was just like it. Some parts bored me to tears, and then it would have great dialogues, and these two things were replacing each other until the end of the movie. I'd rate it 7.

About Attenborough - why would avoid every movie that he was working on as an actor or director just because of 2 misses? Try with Gandhi for example, and then decide.

Are you missing something? I don't think so. There was nothing unclear about this movie. You just didn't like it.

[–] thewickermanuk 12 years ago

Longest death-bed scene in cinema history is probably Lord Marchmain's in 'Brideshead Revisited'.

[–] Titanium_Man10 12 years ago

If you have a need for excitement.