St. Ives (1998)

Director:

Harry Hook

Writers:

Allan Cubitt (writer)
Robert Louis Stevenson (short story "St. Ives")

Release Date:

22 October 1998 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

In 1813, Capitaine Jacques St. Ives, a Hussar in the Napoleonic wars, is captured and sent to a Scottish prison camp...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Escape | Napoleonic Wars | British Army | French Army

Cast

Jean-Marc Barr	...	Captain Jacques de Keroual de Saint-Yves
Miranda Richardson	...	Susan Gilchrist
Richard E. Grant	...	Major Farquhar Chevening
Anna Friel	...	Flora Gilchrist
Michael Gough	...	Comte de Saint-Yves
Cécile Pallas	...	Mathilde
Jason Isaacs	...	Alain de Keroual de Saint-Yves
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Bonnefoy
Tim Dutton	...	François
Barney Craig	...	Linlithgow
Desmond Barrit	...	Biggerstaff
Patrice Melennec	...	Couperin
Adrian Scarborough	...	Le Bon
Chris McHallem	...	Gautier (as Christopher McHallem)
Enda Oates	...	Duelling Office
Eileen McCloskey	...	Prostitute
Noel O'Donovan	...	Sim
Ger Carey	...	Captaine
Mario Rosenstock	...	Captaine
Donncha Crowley	...	Captaine
Jonathan Cavendish	...	Johnny Elfinstone
Nathaniel Duncan	...	British Soldier
Mal Whyte	...	Minister
Fraser Cains	...	Batman
Alistair Findlay	...	Officer
Joe Gallagher	...	Scots Guard
Leann Gordan	...	Young Flower Girl
David Heap	...	Clausel
Jimmy Keogh	...	Jean
Brian de Salvo	...	Attendant
Daniel André Pageon	...	Theatre Manager
Oliver Byles	...	Young St. Ives
Charlie Byles	...	Young Alain
Anna-Marie Bisset	...	St. Ives' Mother
Dominic Harvey	...	St. Ives' Father
Louis Roden
Ken Rice
Tom Kane		(as Tommy Kane)
John O'Kane
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wesley Murphy	...	Byfield (uncredited)
Gerry O'Brien	...	Coachman (uncredited)

Directed by
Harry Hook

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Allan Cubitt		writer
Robert Louis Stevenson		short story "St. Ives"

Produced by
Jonathan Cavendish	....	producer
T. Celal	....	co-producer
Ralph Kamp	....	executive producer
Jean Labib	....	co-producer
James Mitchell	....	producer
Martha O'Neill	....	co-producer
Christine Ruppert	....	co-producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer: BBC
Paul Tucker	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John E. Keane		(as John Keane)

Cinematography by
Robert Alazraki

Film Editing by
John MacDonnell

Casting by
Michelle Guish

Production Design by
Rob Harris

Art Direction by
Anna Rackard

Set Decoration by
Tina Jones

Costume Design by
Susannah Buxton

Makeup Department
Anja Dehn	....	assistant hair stylist: Germany
Anja Dehn	....	assistant makeup artist: Germany
Carole Dunne	....	hair stylist
Manuela Franke	....	assistant hair stylist: Germany
Manuela Franke	....	assistant makeup artist: Germany
Sandra Kelly	....	assistant hair stylist
Ailbhe Lemass	....	makeup artist
Sarah Monzani	....	hair designer
Sarah Monzani	....	makeup designer
Louise Myler	....	makeup artist
Christina Paul	....	hair stylist: Germany
Christina Paul	....	makeup artist: Germany
Isolde Pisot	....	assistant hair stylist: Germany
Isolde Pisot	....	assistant makeup artist: Germany
Uschi Schmalenbach	....	assistant hair stylist: Germany
Uschi Schmalenbach	....	assistant makeup artist: Germany
Kelly Tuohy	....	assistant makeup artist: UK

Production Management
Stephen Barker	....	post-production supervisor
Phil Brown	....	post-production supervisor
Howard Gibbins	....	production manager
Bernd Huckenbeck	....	production manager: Germany

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Katja Anclam	....	dga trainee: Germany Unit
Marian Barlow	....	second assistant director
Patrick Conroy	....	dga trainee
Konrad Jay	....	first assistant director
Denise Lyons	....	dga trainee
Barbara Mulcahy	....	third assistant director
Gail Munnelly	....	dga trainee
Jochen Nitsch	....	third assistant director: Germany
Dermot Whelan	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Tommy Bassett	....	construction manager
Graeme Bird	....	art department trainee
Colman Corish	....	assistant art director
Cathy Cosgrove	....	production buyer
Derek Drew	....	stand-by carpenter
Gerry Drew	....	supervising carpenter
John Fitzgerald	....	stagehand
Ulrike Gojowczyk	....	set dresser: Germany
Wolfgang Gosberg	....	carpenter: Germany
Martin Gray	....	stagehand
Paul Hedges	....	property master
Eamonn Hill	....	carpenter (as Eamon Hill)
Katherine Hooker	....	art director: UK
Jimmy Irwin	....	plasterer (as James Irwin)
Jason Kelly	....	stand-by stagehand
Martin Kelly	....	dressing props
Seamus Kelly	....	dressing props
Rolf Köhler	....	props buyer: Germany
Tom Lundy	....	stand-by painter (as Tom Lundy Jr.)
Eva Müller	....	props: Germany
John Nelligan	....	stand-by props trainee
Tony Nicholson	....	chargehand dressing props (as Anthony Nicholson)
Des O'Neill	....	plasterer
Irina Pawassar	....	stand-by props
Richard Phelan	....	carpenter
John Rawsthorn	....	painter: Germany
Philip Richardson	....	dressing props (as Phillip Richardson)
Alexander Scherer	....	art director: Germany
Nick Walker	....	prop man: UK
Boris Bartholomäus	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Mario Matic	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Britta Sassmannshausen	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Nick Berry	....	additional sound editor
Paul Conway	....	adr editor
Tony Curran	....	sound transfer
Anthony Faust	....	additional sound editor
Michael Feinberg	....	foley editor (as Mike Feinberg)
Richard Fettes	....	sound effects editor
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator
David Harris	....	sound trainee
Stefan Henrix	....	supervising sound editor
Maurice Hillier	....	sound recordist: UK
Hector Rogers	....	sound transfer
Liam Ryan	....	boom operator: UK
Peter Slater	....	boom operator
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer
Simon J. Willis	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Brendan Byrne	....	special effects supervisor: Team FX Ltd.

Visual Effects by
Peter Govey	....	opticals

Stunts
Terry Walsh	....	fight coordinator
Steve Whyment	....	fight coordinator
Philippe Zone	....	stunt coordinator
Donal O'Farrell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Amedeo Balestrieri	....	electrician: Germany unit
Oliver Bungert	....	additional electrician: Germany unit
Dion M. Casey	....	Steadicam operator: United Kingdom unit
Sean Creagh	....	generator operator
Con Dempsey	....	gaffer
Adrienne Dollard	....	clapper loader: United Kingdom unit
Nina Erfle	....	clapper loader trainee: Germany unit
Nicholas Fitzgerald	....	electrician
Eric Greenberg	....	clapper loader
Rossi Handsley	....	grip: Germany unit
Rossi Handsley	....	rigger: Germany unit
Udo Heinz	....	electrician: Germany unit
Jonathan Hession	....	still photographer
Pascal Jones	....	rigger
Richard Lang	....	rigger
Wayne Leach	....	gaffer: United Kingdom unit
Ian Madden	....	best boy
Andres Marder	....	additional electrician: Germany unit
Graham Mathews	....	grip: United Kingdom unit
Ivan Meagher	....	focus puller
Jens Meiners	....	best boy: Germany unit
James Merrigan	....	rigger
Philip Murphy	....	grip
Sven Ortel	....	additional electrician: Germany unit
Eugene O'Sullivan	....	electrician
Tommy O'Sullivan	....	electrician: United Kingdom unit
Paul Tracey	....	stand-by rigger
Markus Wiebecke	....	electrician: Germany unit

Casting Department
Françoise Menidrey	....	casting: France
Frank Moiselle	....	casting: Ireland

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Liza Bracey	....	wardrobe assistant
Alison Byrne	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Allison Byrne)
Jill Graves Power	....	wardrobe trainee (as Jill Graves Bower)
Henrike Luz	....	wardrobe supervisor: Germany
Andrea Metzger	....	wardrobe assistant: Germany
Tessa Murray	....	assistant costume designer
Almuth Wolf	....	wardrobe assistant: Germany

Editorial Department
Stuart Davies	....	second assistant editor
Adam Masters	....	first assistant editor
Mike Stainer	....	color grader
Adrian Trent	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Alastair Blayden	....	musician: cello, The London Pops Orchestra, United Kingdom unit
Carlos Bonell	....	musician: guitar, The London Pops Orchestra, United Kingdom unit
Roz Colls	....	music clearances: United Kingdom unit
Catherine Manson	....	musician: violin, The London Pops Orchestra, United Kingdom unit
Krysia Osostowicz	....	musician: violin, The London Pops Orchestra, United Kingdom unit
Steve Price	....	music mixer: UK

Transportation Department
Gerard Cunningham	....	unit driver
John Douglas	....	driver: camera car
Peadar Gaffney	....	transportation supervisor
Hermann Graf Hatzfeld	....	driver: props car, Germany
Willie Kelly	....	driver: makeup bus
Mark Laidlaw	....	driver: generator car, UK
David Lawlor	....	driver: honeywagon
Howard Lee	....	driver: camera car, UK
Denis Luby	....	facilities driver
Denis Minogue	....	driver: dining bus
Christian Neu	....	unit driver: Germany
Jörg Peter	....	unit driver: Germany
Hans-Werner Seehafer	....	driver: props car, Germany
Pat Smallwood	....	driver: wardrobe truck
Pat Tipper	....	driver: minibus
Holger Trappe	....	unit driver: Germany
Manuela Vogt	....	unit driver: Germany

Other crew
Jean Bourne	....	script supervisor
Mick Briggs	....	projectionist
Sandra Butterworth	....	dialogue coach
Michael R. Casey	....	location manager: Norther Ireland (as Michael Casey)
Gillian Clarke	....	production trainee
Dermot Cleary	....	assistant location manager
Dougal Cousins	....	location manager
Ute Davies	....	provider: horses, Germany unit
Peter Diamond	....	sword master
Eleanor Fazan	....	choreographer
Sarah Francis	....	trainee clapper loader
Andrea Fröhle	....	crowd marshall: Germany unit
Gabriele Goiczyk	....	production coordinator: Germany unit
Peter Govey	....	title designer
Phil Guy	....	unit nurse
Claudia Hodel	....	production coordinator: Germany unit
Petra Junk	....	accountant: Germany unit
Rita Junk	....	cashier: Germany unit
Jonathan Kelly	....	production lawyer
Claire Keogh	....	assistant controller
Suzanne McAuley	....	accountant trainee
John McKenna	....	armorer: Team Fx. Ltd.
Margaret Moggan	....	assistant to producer
Carol Moorhead	....	production coordinator
Clive Noakes	....	laboratory contact
Dave O'Connor	....	stand-by construction truck
Tara O'Sullivan	....	catering supervisor
Lisa Petersen	....	production trainee
Maggie Pope	....	script consultant
Fedérec Pougnaud	....	provider: horses, Germany unit
Dr. Stefan Rüll	....	legal affairs: Germany unit
Shruti Shah	....	production accountant
Jim Shortall	....	assistant production accountant
Rachel Smith	....	assistant production coordinator
Annette Waldron	....	financial controller
Annie Wallbank	....	delivery supervisor
Joan Washington	....	dialogue coach
Guy-Michel Weiss	....	production coordinator: France, Germany unit
Philippe Zone	....	horse master

Production Companies

• Compagnie des Phares et Balises
• Icon Entertainment International
• Little Bird
• Tatfilm

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Buena Vista Home Video
• Capelight Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Manga Films (1999) (Spain) (all media)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Team FX

Other Companies

• Onkel Tuca FilmDecor  set construction
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services
• Sound Design Company, The  sound editing equipment

Also Known As:

All for Love (UK) (TV title)
St. Ives - Alles aus Liebe (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity and violence.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

France | Germany | Ireland | UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:R | Spain:T | Iceland:12

Company:

Compagnie des Phares et Balises

Quotes:

Francois: Beauty is only skin deep.
Jacques St. Ives: That's it. Our friendship is over. I cannot love a man who loves a cliche.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Secret of St. Ives (1949)

Soundtrack:

Overture from

This engagingly old-fashioned swashbuckler deserves to become a cult

First of all, 'St. Ives' the film is only fairly loosely based on the Robert Louis Stevenson story of the same name, but for once, this is not a criticism. The original novel was a work-in-progress, unfinished at the author's death, and in freely adapting it and giving it an ending, the film-makers have brought to life some endearing characters who, although different from Stevenson's originals, would, I am sure, have charmed and amused him.

It is 1813: Capitaine Jacques de Kéroual de Saint-Yves is a Breton aristocrat, orphaned by the Revolution's guillotine, now serving as a hussar in Napoleon's army. We meet him going out for the evening, claiming that since a hussar who is not dead by 30 is "a blackguard", he, at 34, is now "on borrowed time"! Certainly, as he faces a string of challenges to duels, our dashing hero seems in danger, but a surreal prank on his Colonel provides him a way out of the duels and into the bed of a beautiful courtesan/singer. Unfortunately, it also results in losing his commission... Further misadventures result in him being taken prisoner by the British, and sent to a POW camp in a Scottish castle.

While carving toys and boxes, Jacques catches the attention of Flora, the young niece of Miss Susan Gilchrist, a well-travelled woman of the world who lives at Swanston Cottage. They fall in love, and most of the story concerns Flora helping Jacques to escape and to find his emigré grandfather, the old Comte. Of course, there is a problem. Jacques' older brother, Alain, a dissolute alcoholic, is - perhaps understandably - far from pleased when Grandfather disinherits him in front of the whole household, the very instant that Jacques has appeared... Cue treachery! There is also an entertaining subplot of the romance between the awkward, naïf but good-hearted Major Farquhar Chevening and Aunt Susan, who has travelled through most of the Ottoman Empire and been a prisoner of the Turks.

Even allowing for a natural prejudice in favour of any film in which the heroines share my surname, 'St. Ives' is magic! It combines splendidly swashbuckling swordfights, a balloon-flight, comedy and romantic adventure. I would recommend it to anyone who loves 'the kind of film they don't make anymore' - Fairbanks, Colman, Flynn, & co. The acting is splendid. Anna Friel makes Flora a spirited and appealing heroine, and Jean-Marc Barr is delightful as Jacques, a genuinely lovable hero. Miranda Richardson and Richard E. Grant are already great favourites of mine, and have great fun as Susan and Farquhar, whose relationship runs as a comic counterpoint to that of the leads. As the rakish, scheming, but ultimately tragic Alain, Jason Isaacs shows, as he did more recently in 'The Patriot', that he has the classic swashbuckling style, besides the dashing good looks! Please, please will someone cast him as a *hero* in the genre?!!!

My main quibbles with the film concern settings and costumes. In the book, the castle in which Jacques is a prisoner is clearly Edinburgh, but the film, shot in Ireland, Germany and France has 'Highlandised' the setting, making the retention of place names such as Swanston, Inveresk and Queensferry decidedly incongruous. The costumes too are a real hotch-potch, from 1780s through to the period in which it is set. While this would not be implausible with more down-market characters "making do", it seems odd for well-to-do ladies such as the heroines to be wearing 1780s gowns in 1813. Clearly, the costuming decision was æsthetic: these earlier styles are visually far more appealing and elegant than Regency fashions, and they work in the idealised world of the film. As a whole, 'St. Ives' is 90 minutes of pure delight.