Simon Magus (1999) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

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In a Central European shtetl in the nineteenth century, times are getting hard, as the community has lost many of its men to emigration and is facing a crisis of modernization. Dovid, a handsome, poor young Jew plans to build a railway station to put the town back on the map, and meanwhile is wooing

Cast & Crew

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Ben Hopkins

Noah Taylor

Stuart Townsend

Sean Mcginley

Maximilian Hase

Embeth Davidtz

Amanda Ryan

Film Details

Also Known As

Simon le magicien

MPAA Rating

Genre

Adventure

Drama

Fantasy

Period

Romance

Release Date

1999

Production Company

Arp; Arts Council Of England National Lottery; Arts Council of England; British Screen Finance; Corbett & Keene; Creative Europe; Film4 Productions; Filmfour; Hollywood Partners Medien Ag (Hp); Lucky Red; MIRAMAX; Ngp Film Services

Distribution Company

Independent Distribution Partnership (IDP); Arp; Film4 Productions; Filmfour; Independent Distribution Partnership (Idp)

Location

Wales, United Kingdom; London, England, United Kingdom; Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 46m

Synopsis

In a Central European shtetl in the nineteenth century, times are getting hard, as the community has lost many of its men to emigration and is facing a crisis of modernization. Dovid, a handsome, poor young Jew plans to build a railway station to put the town back on the map, and meanwhile is wooing widow Leah. Simon is the town outcast, living on the fringes and often blamed for crop failures. He is easy prey for anti-Semitic aristocrat Maximilian Hase, who persuades Simon to spy on the villagers and help him foil Dovid's railway plan.

Director

Ben Hopkins

Cast

Noah Taylor

Stuart Townsend

Sean Mcginley

Maximilian Hase

Embeth Davidtz

Amanda Ryan

Rutger Hauer

Count Albrecht--The Squire

Ian Holm

The Devil (Sirius--The Soul Merchant/ Boris--The Bohemian)

Terence Rigby

Bratislav--The Barber

David De Keyser

Toby Jones

Jim Dunk

Ursula Jones

Cyril Shaps

David De Keyser

Ken Dury

Thomas Fisher

Walter Sparrow

Jean Andeson

Katharine Schlesinger

Valerie Edmond

Kathryn Hunter

Maggie Steed

Mimi Potworowska

Barry Davis

Samuel The Cook

Frank Chersky

Feyder The Forester

Lawrence Werber

Zeidel The Carter

Hayley Carmichael

Phil Mckee

Brendan Charleson

Nitzan Sharron

Hoseph England

Joel Freeeman

Natahn Grower

Joey Buckman

Camilla Mars

Sam Davies

Joshua Morris

Jacob Morris

Lexi Rose

Elizabeth Margitta Miller

Thomas Ingram

James Lewys Cox

Linden Watts

Isla Graham

Railway Man'S Daughter

Crew

Robin Aherne

Local Props Maker

Steve Allett

Clotilde Aubury

Costume Assistant

Lawrie Ayres

Beverly Binda

Chinna Boapeah

Michael Boleyn

Construction Manager

David Brice

Kate Bryden

Casting Assistant

Ian Buchan

Matthew Carver

3rd Assistant Director

Michele Clapton

Costume Designer

Alan Clifford

Standby Carpenter

Alan Coster

Generator Operator

Laura Cresswell

Clive Curtis

Stunt Coordinator

Angela Davies

Production Designer

Paul Edwards

Steadicam Operator

Glyn Fielding

Susie Figgis

Casting Director

Dan Fontaine

Paul Franklin

Digital Special Effects Supervisor

Rebecca Gillies

Rose Goodhart

Wardrobe Supervisor

Lee Gordon

Andrew Griffin

Stewart Hadley

Jim Hajicosta

Production Accountant

Russell Hanson

Property Master

James Heywood

Alistair Hopkins

Post-Production Supervisor

Ben Hopkins

David Horrill

Property Master

Stuart Hurst

Paul Inglis

Standby Art Department

Paul Inglis

Emily Jenkins

Art Department Assistant

Martyn John

Robert Jones

Nic Knowland

Director Of Photography

Tom Knowland

Tom Knowland

Hugo Lawrence

Assistant Editor

Joshua Lee

Alan Levy

Ann Lynch

Production Coordinator

Deborah Mollison

Luke Morris

Assistant (To Producer)

Stuart Murdoch

Special Effects

Commander K. D. Iain Murray

Alex Newman

Alex Newman

Production Runner

Elaine Nicholas

Bill Nixon

Standby Props Driver

Anya Noakes

Caroline O'reilly

Script Supervisor

Anita Overland

Simon Padfield

Camera Truck Driver

Arabella Page-croft

Production Runner (Wales)

John Pinkerton

Sam Renton

Adam Richards

Location Manager

George S Richardson

Roseann Samuel

Chief Make-Up & Hair Designer

Joth Sharkerly

Stills Photographer

John W. Simmons

Camera Operator

Anna Taborska

Assistant (To Director)

Chyna Thomson

Claire Tovey

Assistant Location Manager

Beni Turkson

2nd Assistant Director

Nicky Varney

Tim Watkins

Richard Wood

Assistant Accountant

Stephen Woolfenden

1st Assistant Director

Stephanie Woroniak

Accounts Assistant

Film Details

Also Known As

Simon le magicien

MPAA Rating

Genre

Adventure

Drama

Fantasy

Period

Romance

Release Date

1999

Production Company

Arp; Arts Council Of England National Lottery; Arts Council of England; British Screen Finance; Corbett & Keene; Creative Europe; Film4 Productions; Filmfour; Hollywood Partners Medien Ag (Hp); Lucky Red; MIRAMAX; Ngp Film Services

Distribution Company

Independent Distribution Partnership (IDP); Arp; Film4 Productions; Filmfour; Independent Distribution Partnership (Idp)

Location

Wales, United Kingdom; London, England, United Kingdom; Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 46m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Spring March 9, 2001

Released in United States March 30, 2001

Released in United States February 1999

Released in United States January 2000

Shown at Berlin Film Festival (in competition) February 10-21, 1999.

Feature directorial debut for British writer-director Ben Hopkins.

Completed shooting June 27, 1998.

Began shooting May 4, 1998.

United Artists International is the new name for G2 Films.

aspect ratio 2.35:1

Released in United States Spring March 9, 2001

Released in United States March 30, 2001 (Quad Cinema; New York City)

Released in United States February 1999 (Shown at Berlin Film Festival (in competition) February 10-21, 1999.)

Released in United States January 2000 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema) January 20-30, 2000.)

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