• At Work on Under the Volcano

    Never has a Hollywood filmmaker been less fazed by the prospect of tackling adaptations of major books than the journeyman director John Huston. By the time he dug his nails into Malcolm Lowry’s 1947 Under the Volcano (ranked the eleventh greatest English-language novel of the twentieth century by the Modern Library) in 1984, Huston had already brought to the screen Moby Dick, The Red Badge of Courage, Reflections in a Golden Eye, Wise Blood, and, um, the Bible. The film, which vividly depicts the surreal final days of a persistently soused, self-destructive British diplomat in Mexico, is a triumph for Huston and for the always fiery Albert Finney, who received an Oscar nomination for his role. In the following clips, watch a scene that highlights Finney’s adeptness at finding the humor in his ultimately tragic character, and then footage of Huston directing that scene.

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7 comments

  • By Criteriophile
    August 11, 2012
    12:13 AM

    What an extraordinary film! Most directors have at least one film that would be considered a "stinker" but I cannot think of a poorly-directed John Huston film.
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  • By Mark
    August 11, 2012
    02:53 PM

    Will this get a BD upgrade?
    Reply

  • By ER
    August 13, 2012
    01:46 PM

    The Consul, Geoffrey Firmin, is British, not American.
    Reply

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    • By Michael Koresky
      August 13, 2012
      01:54 PM

      Thank you, ER. This has been fixed.

  • By Charles Deckert
    August 14, 2012
    11:02 AM

    My favorite from Huston. :)
    Reply

  • By Michael Brakemeyer
    August 15, 2012
    01:54 AM

    Huston was a director of such unique power and honesty. I rue the day that I did not see this or "The Dead" on the big screen.
    Reply

  • By Criteriophile
    August 15, 2012
    11:43 PM

    I had the opportunity to see a screening of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre a few years back. It was absolutely spectacular. It is my favorite Huston film.
    Reply

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