When
Wed 10 May 2023
Although not well received on release, this adaptation of a 1964 short story by John Cheever has gone on to become a cult favourite as well as provide a fascinating portrait of cultural and personal malaise in the well-heeled suburbia of late 1960s America. Lancaster fearlessly incarnates a subtly delusional middle-aged man swimming home via a 'river' of backyard swimming pools. As he encounters an array of couples, families, gatherings and former acquaintances, it becomes evident that things are not quite what they seem. With Janice Rule, Kim Hunter and Joan Rivers.
Also screening on Wed 10 May
Program
Soft and Hard: The high-wire career of Burt Lancaster
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) – Wed 3 May, 7pm
The Crimson Pirate (1952) – Wed 3 May, 8.55pm
The Swimmer (1968) – Wed 10 May, 7pm
Conversation Piece (1974) – Wed 10 May, 8.50pm
Criss Cross (1949) – Wed 17 May, 7pm
The Train (1964) – Wed 17 May, 8.40pm
About the program
Burt Lancaster (1913–94) didn’t appear in his first film until he was in her early thirties. Prior to his breakthrough role alongside Ava Gardner in The Killers (1946), he had a highly successful career as a circus acrobat and as an entertainer in the Special Forces during World War II...
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About Melbourne Cinémathèque
Australia's longest-running film society, Melbourne Cinémathèque screens significant works of international cinema in the medium they were created, the way they would have originally screened.
Melbourne Cinémathèque is self-administered, volunteer-run, not-for-profit and membership-driven.
