Victory (1996 film)

Victory
File:Victory 1995.jpg DVD cover
Directed by	Mark Peploe
Produced by	Bob Weinstein Harvey Weinstein
Screenplay by	Mark Peploe
Based on	The Novel by Joseph Conrad
Starring	Willem Dafoe Sam Neill Rufus Sewell
Music by	Richard Hartley
Cinematography	Bruno de Keyzer
Edited by	Michael Bradsell Tony Lawson
Distributed by	Miramax Films
Running time	99 minutes
Country	France Germany United Kingdom
Language	English

Victory is a 1996 film written and directed by Mark Peploe based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Conrad.

The novel had been adapted into film on multiple previous occasions, including a 1919 silent version directed by Maurice Tourneur featuring Jack Holt, Seena Owen, Lon Chaney, Sr., and Wallace Beery; the 1930 William Wellman directed Dangerous Paradise, starring Nancy Carroll, Richard Arlen and Warner Oland; and the 1940 version, featuring Fredric March, Betty Field, and Sir Cedric Hardwicke.

Plot

Through a business misadventure, the European Axel Heyst (Willem Dafoe) ends up living on an island in what is now Indonesia with a Chinese assistant Wang (Ho Li). Heyst visits a nearby island where a female band is playing at a hotel owned by Mr. Schomberg. Schomberg attempts to force himself sexually on one of the band members, Alma (Irène Jacob). Alma is about to be sold to Schomberg by the corrupt leader/director of the band who has enslaved the women for prostitution. She begs Heyst to help her. Having sworn off close relationships because of his past, he is challenged by her request, but agrees to help her. He escapes from the island with Alma, and they go back to his island and eventually become lovers. Schomberg seeks revenge by attempting to frame Heyst for the "murder" of a man who had died of natural causes and later by sending three desperadoes Pedro, Martin Ricardo (Rufus Sewell), and Mr. Jones (Sam Neill) to Heyst's island with a lie about treasure hidden on the island. Upon their arrival at the island, much intrigue ensues. In a climactic scene, Jones kills Pedro and then Ricardo; Alma is also shot and dies in the arms of Axel. After burning his compound and burying Alma, Axel disappears from the island but is rumored to have later been seen as a drifter in San Francisco and other ports of call. Alma's victory, in death, is having saved Axel's life in that he has again made connections with others.

Cast

• Willem Dafoe as Axel Heyst
• Sam Neill as Mr. Jones
• Irène Jacob as Alma
• Rufus Sewell as Martin Ricardo
• Jean Yanne as Mr. Schomberg
• Ho Yi as Wang
• Bill Paterson - Capt. Davidson
• Irm Hermann - Mrs. Schomberg
• Graziano Marcelli - Pedro
• Hansi Jochmann - Mrs. Zangiacomo
• Simon Callow - Zangiacomo
• Michael Lee - Chinese Gentleman
• Leonard Maguire - Old Trader McNab

Production

The principal photography of the movie were done at Situbondo and Asembagus regency in East Java, Indonesia. Some depiction of old Surabaya were also done in the same place.

External links

• Victory at IMDb
• Victory at AllMovie