Created by: Le Dieu du carnage by Yasmina Reza
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Written by: Yasmina Reza, Roman Polanski
Produced by: Saïd Ben Saïd
Other cast: Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly
Release date: September 1, 2011
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Running time: 80 minutes
In New York's Brooklyn Bridge park, eleven-year-old Zachary strikes his eleven-year-old classmate Ethan. The boy's parents learn of the fight and meet to deal with the incident. Although the meeting starts civilized, it quickly degenerates after an unfortunate incident, and soon, their meeting is not only about their boys' fight, but also the couple's fitness as parents,
Taglines:
Trivia:
This film was shot in real time, without breaks and, with the exception of the park scenes, in a single location.
This film was shot near Paris, France on account of Roman Polanski’s fugitive status in the United States.
Almost all of the character names are changed from the original play. Alan and Michael are simply the Anglicized versions of their French named, Alain and Michel. The couples were originally named Alain and Anette Reille, and Michael and Veronique Vallon. Their children were Ferdinand and Bruno, the client to whom Alain is speaking is Maurice. In the English translation, Alan and Anette’s last name is Reilly, while the Vallons become the Novaks. Their children are not Benjamin and Henry, and Maurice becomes Murray.
This film was chosen to be the opening night feature at the New York Film Festival in September 2011.
Character Quotes:
Nancy Cowan : [reaching for the scotch bottle] Let’s get out of here, Alan. These people are monsters.
Alan Cowan : Stop it, Nancy.
Nancy Cowan : No, no, no. I want to drink some more. I- I wanna get drunk off my ass! This- this bitch throws my bag against the ceiling, nobody lifts a finger. I wanna be blind drunk.
Alan Cowan : You’re drunk enough.
Nancy Cowan : How can you let her call our son a criminal? We come over here to work things out with them and they, they insult us, they browbeat us, they lecture us about being good citizens of the world! I am glad our son kicked the shit out of your son and I wipe my ass with your human rights!
“Here! Here’s what I think of your stupid tulips! Your hideous flowers! This is the worst day of my life too.”
“I’ve got a John Wayne idea of manhood, too. What is it he had? A Colt .45. Something that empties a room. Any man that doesn’t have those loner vibes just doesn’t come off as having any substance.”
