Gosford Park
Short description
Gosford Park is set in November 1932 at the English country estate of Sir William McCordle, where he and his wife, Lady Sylvia, host a weekend shooting party. Relatives, aristocrats and celebrities gather upstairs for the rituals of upper-class leisure, while below stairs the hosts' servants and the guests' own attendants keep the household running. The killing of Sir William turns the visit into a police investigation, and suspicion settles on everyone connected to the house. Julian Fellowes wrote the screenplay, and Robert Altman directed.
The film sits nineteenth among the twenty-one features Altman directed, arriving between Dr. T & the Women and The Company. Maggie Smith plays Constance Trentham, with Michael Gambon as William McCordle and Kristin Scott Thomas as Sylvia McCordle. Camilla Rutherford, Charles Dance and Geraldine Somerville are among the principal players, and the production credits fifty-one crew members and sixty cast members. Altman produced alongside David Levy and Bob Balaban, and the film was made by Medusa Film, Sandcastle 5 and Chicagofilms.
Costing about 20 million dollars, it returned roughly 88 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.2 out of 10 from around 102,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.8 from about 1,285 votes. A critics' rating of 7.9 from 163 reviews places it above both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- During the filming of group scenes, director Robert Altman consistently used not one, but two cameras moving in opposite directions. This was done to encourage the actors to behave more naturally and not focus all their attention on the camera filming them.
- Most of the film was shot at the classic British estate of Rotham Park in Hertfordshire, whose main house was built in 1754. Separate scenes in the upper bedrooms were filmed at Syon House in West London, traditionally belonging to the Dukes of Northumberland.
- Filming of the movie began in England on March 19, 2001.
- The wallpaper in Constance Trentham’s room was handmade and brought from France. Even for such a small room, it cost around $18,000, but the manufacturers provided it for filming completely free of charge.
- Ryan Phillippe received the role at 11 PM after the previously cast actor unexpectedly backed out.
- The film features a number of songs written between 1910 and 1930 by Ivor Novello, who is one of the secondary characters in the film. The songs were performed by Jeremy Northam, who played Novello in the film, and his brother Christopher.
- The jewelry worn by the aristocratic ladies in the film was genuine and worth a considerable sum. Each day, it was delivered to the set accompanied by a security detail.
- Someone from the household staff is present in every scene of the film.
- In commentary on the DVD, director Robert Altman stated that he intentionally introduced several profanities into the script solely to ensure the film received an R rating. He did not want children to be admitted to screenings, as he believed they would not enjoy the film and simply wouldn't understand it.
- None of the actors playing the numerous servants wore any makeup.
- The name “Gosford Park” is never spoken throughout the entire film.
- Screenwriter Julian Fellowes decided to develop the successful idea of equally portraying the lives of the aristocracy and the servants, and realized it in the television series "Downton Abbey".
- When Jeremy Northam's character plays the piano, the actor plays himself in some moments, and in others, his brother, who has been playing the piano since childhood.
- The camera is in motion in every shot of the film. This was an integral requirement of the director.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
