In the Country
Robert Kramer, US 1967Screenplay: Robert Kramer; Cinematography, Editing: Robert Machover; Cast: Catherine Merrill, William Devane, Henry Heifetz, Jane Kramer, Tom Neumann, Gerard Long. 16mm, b/w, 62 min. English
Kramer's first three films make up a trilogy about the radical left in the United States around 1968. In the Country is a chamber drama. A man (William Devane) and a woman (Catherine Merrill) have secluded themselves in a country house, stopping for moment after a period of political activism in the metropolis. Gestures, faces and conversations all sound out the opportunities and risks related to political action. How to reconcile revolutionary action and personal relationships? Kramer's first feature film was shot in 1966 and didn't receive a particularly warm reception in the United States. As Kramer put it, "we screened it once and people laughed. It was awful. The only thing was that Jonas Mekas took it with him to Pesaro." The screening at the Italian festival is an early indication of Kramer's affinity with Europe, where his films continue to receive greater acclaim and attention than in his home country. In the words of film critic James Stoller: "In the Country is probably the first and last feature film of the New Left." (V.P.)
Courtesy Cinémathèque française
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