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More (1969 film)
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Wikipedia article
'More' is an English-language German-French production drama-romance film written and directed by Barbet Schroeder. His theatrical feature film directorial debut, it was released in 1969. Starring Mimsy Farmer and Klaus Grnberg, it deals with heroin addiction as drug fascination on the island of Ibiza, Spain. Made in the political fallout of the 1960s counterculture,
the film features drug use, "free love", and other references to contemporary European youth culture.
The film screenplay was written by Paul Ggauff and Barbet Schroeder with the original story by Schroeder. Art directed by Fran Lewis and Nestor Almendros. It features soundtracks written and performed by the English rock band Pink Floyd (credited as The Pink Floyd), released as the album 'More'. Schroeder's inspiration for the film came from the counterculture tradition of the 1960s with themes of drugs, addiction, sexual freedom and the beauty of life often in New Wave films. Real drugs were used in scenes showing the use of marijuana, heroin, and LSD. Production began in 1968, and the film was partially funded by Jet Films and executive produced by Les Films du Losange with a low budget.
Upon its release on August 4, 1969, 'More' garnered mostly negative reviews from critics. It was selected to be screened in the Cannes Classics section of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. On April 5, 2005, a DVD version of 'More', was released by Home Vision Entertainment.
Plot
In West Germany in the late 1960s, Stefan has finished his mathematics studies and decides to experience life. Hitch-hiking to Paris, he is befriended by a petty criminal called Charlie, who takes him to a party where he is fascinated by an American girl called Estelle. Though Charlie warns him that she is a drug user and dangerous, he goes to her hotel room, where she introduces him to marijuana and they make love.
She is leaving for Ibiza and invites Stefan to follow her there. When he arrives, he finds she is involved with a wealthy ex-Nazi called Wolf. Stefan persuades her to join him in an isolated villa and she secretly brings both money and a huge quantity of heroin she has stolen from Wolf. After an idyllic time swimming, sunbathing and making love, she is itching for the heroin and introduces him to it as well.
Soon the two are on a downward spiral of addiction. Wolf demands return of the rest of the heroin and money and, as payment for what they have used, Stefan has to work in his bar while Estelle has to share his bed. Charlie comes looking for Stefan and urges him to return to Paris. Stefan begs two packets of heroin from a dealer and overdoses. As a suicide, he is buried in open country.
Cast
* Mimsy Farmer as Estelle Miller
* Klaus Grnberg as Stefan Brckner
* Heinz Engelmann as Dr. Ernesto Wolf
* Michel Chanderli as Charlie
* Henry Wolf as Henry
* Louise Wink as Cathy
Production
The French film censorship board in 1969 insisted that some of the dialogue be censored around the 81-minute mark before the film could be released. In the film, as the couple mixes up a hallucinogenic concoction in the kitchen, the ingredients "benzedrine" and "banana peel" are deleted from the audio track. On the DVD the words have been re-added as subtitles.
Most of the movie was shot on the island of Ibiza. The castle of Ibiza, which dominates the harbour and the town, is the scene for the final act. A tunnel near the castle was also used. In Paris, the movie was shot at Hotel La Louisiane in real room 36.
Post-production
Music and soundtrack
The soundtrack from the film 'More' has some typical instrumental jams. "The Nile Song" which, quite out of character for Pink Floyd, borders on the Stooges-like heavy rock, and a ballad featuring bongos called "Cymbaline"; written by Roger Waters but performed by David Gilmour. In the film, when Estelle gets out of bed in her apartment in Paris, she puts on a record and changes her clothes, shouts "Groovy!"
Release
Critical reception
Upon its release, 'More' garnered mainly negative reviews from film critics, and was controversially reviewed by audiences and scholars, who commented on the drug use and impacts. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has 4 reviews, 3 are negative. At AlloCin, which assigns a weighted mean rating to reviews, the film has a score of 3.7 based on 37 critics.
With regard to the film's overall design, Roger Ebert stated, "'More' is a weird, freaky movie about two hedonistic kids who destroy themselves with drugs. More precisely, it's about a kinky American girl who destroys her German boyfriend and in the process destroys herself ... The message seems to be: Sure, speed kills, but what a way to go."
Home media
The film was released by The Criterion Collection under Home Vision Entertainment section on April 5, 2005; and a Blu-ray as a single disc variant with a single DVD disc version was released on September 19, 2011, from the British Film Institute.See also
* List of French films of 1969
* French New Wave
* Counterculture of the 1960s
References
Further reading
*
*Dawson, Jan (1970). Review of More in Monthly Film Bulletin, April 1970.
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