An Enemy of the People

Film

User ratings:

<strong>Rating: </strong>3/5
Rate this  

Time Out says

The casting of Steve McQueen as the hero of Ibsen's play (a scientist determined to expose the pollution of a prosperous small town's water supply) threatens the worst. But his performance, together with Durning's as his brother the mayor (equally determined to put the lid on any scandal) make it fairly creditable. Sure, it's stagebound. But decent production values, and direction that preserves the suspense of Ibsen's exposition, make sure that it remains watchable until the play's own unsatisfactory last act. The only really offensive aspects are the denunciation scene, and the degeneration of the hero into an increasingly sentimentalised Christ-like martyrdom, as much the fault of the text as of McQueen's interpretation.

Author: RM

1

Comments

Add +

Release details

UK release:

1977

Duration:

107 mins

Cast and crew

Director:

George Schaefer

Cast:

Michael Cristofer, Richard A Dysart, Charles Durning, Bibi Andersson, Steve McQueen, Michael Higgins

Music:

Leonard Rosenman

Production Designer:

Eugène Lourié

Editor:

Sheldon Kahn

Cinematography:

Paul Lohmann

Screenwriter:

Alexander Jacobs

Producer:

George Schaefer

Share your thoughts
  4. * mandatory fields

Comments & ratings

Rated as: 3/5 (1 rating)

  • It was four years since The Towering Inferno, Steve chose to appear in a film that dumbfounded the industry, An Enemy Of The People. I can't think of any other reason that drove Steve to want to do An Enemy Of The People except to prove, maybe to himself to start with, and maybe to the public too, or to Hollywood, that he was more than just the physical type. The film was a critical disaster, and was withdrawn from distribution. However, some critics applauded the courage of Steve's effort.

    Andrew Cummins Mon Dec 13 2010
    Rated as: 3/5
    Report
  • Hotwise
  • Cool brands
  • Star