Miss Julie ** (1999, Saffron Burrows, Peter Mullan, Maria Doyle Kennedy) – Classic Movie Review 7713

Writer-producer-director Mike Figgis’s 1999 British film Miss Julie is an interesting but stagey and sluggish rendition of August Strindberg’s world classic play, with actory performances, too many hand-held camera and too-large close-ups, in which the moneyed count’s daughter Miss Julie (Saffron Burrows) plays with her man-servant/ footman (Peter Mullan) for her own pleasure on Midsummer Night.

The essence of Strindberg’s classic drama about class and repression is captured effectively enough, while director Figgis claustrophobically films entirely on one vast 360-degree kitchen set, adding no cinematic touches of opening out the action.

Mullan is intense and compelling as footman Jean, though unfairly his Scottish accent and short stature count against him here, Burrows better than expected, and Maria Doyle Kennedy suitably glowering (and unsuitably Irish) as the maid Christine, who is engaged to Jean.

Miss Julie is directed by Mike Figgis, runs 103 minutes, is made by Moonstone Entertainment, Red Mullet Productions and MGM, is released by Optimum, is written by Helen Cooper and Mike Figgis, is shot by Benoît Delhomme, is produced by Harriet Cruickshank and is scored by Mike Figgis.

It follows director Alf Sjöberg’s 1951 Swedish classic Miss Julie [Fröken Julie].

It is followed by director Liv Ullmann’s Miss Julie (2014) with stars Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell.

Figgis planned to make Miss Julie with Nicolas Cage and Juliette Binoche. But Cage’s Leaving Las Vegas salary of $200,000 rocketed to $20 million a film after his Oscar win.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7713

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