Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (novel)
Stephen Geller (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 March 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | War

Tagline:

A Man Becomes Unstuck In Time In The Film That Became A Classic.

Plot:

A man tells his story of how he became unstuck in time and abducted by aliens.

Plot Keywords:

Pilgrim | Alien | Optometrist | Future | Planet

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Michael Sacks	...	Billy Pilgrim
Ron Leibman	...	Paul Lazzaro
Eugene Roche	...	Edgar Derby
Sharon Gans	...	Valencia Merble Pilgrim
Valerie Perrine	...	Montana Wildhack
Holly Near	...	Barbara Pilgrim
Perry King	...	Robert Pilgrim
Kevin Conway	...	Roland Weary
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	German Leader (as Friedrich Ledebur)
Ekkehardt Belle	...	Young German Guard (as Nick Belle)
Sorrell Booke	...	Lionel Merble
Roberts Blossom	...	Wild Bob Cody
John Dehner	...	Prof. Rumfoord
Gary Waynesmith	...	Stanley
Richard Schaal	...	Howard W. Campbell Jr.

Runtime:

104 min | Canada:93 min (Ontario - edited version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:PA (Ontario - edited version) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (1988)

Filming Locations:

Downtown Airport - 2700 Airport Road, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Sharon Gans was only six years older than Perry King, who played her son, and seven years older than Holly Near, who played her daughter.

Quotes:

Billy Pilgrim: [giving speech] You see in Tralfamador, where I presently dwell, life has no beginning, no middle, and no end. For example, many years ago a certain man promised to have me killed. He's an old man now, living not far from here. He's read all of the publicity associated with my appearance. He's insane. And tonight he'll keep his promise.
[murmurs throughout the crowd]
Billy Pilgrim: If you protest, if you think that death is a terrible thing, then you've not understood what I have said.
[Lazzaro appears in balcony]
Billy Pilgrim: You see it's time for you to go home - to your lives and your children. It's time for me to be dead for a little while. And then live again. I give you the Tralfamadorian greeting: Hello. Farewell. Hello. Farewell. Eternally connected, eternally embracing. Hello. Farewell.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Supernatural: The Monster at the End of This Book (#4.18)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Concerto No 3 for Harpsichord in D major, BWV 1054 - 3rd movement 'Allegro'

Pleasantly Surprised

Like most of those who have posted before me, I am an avid Vonnegut fan and went into this movie with a guarded optimism that it would just be decent.

But George Roy Hill did an excellent job conveying the overall feel of the book -- the time jumping was flawless and I didn't find it hard to follow at all. The actor who played Billy Pilgrim captured Billy's passive, calm and vaguely anti-social demeanor. Lazarro, Montana and Billy's wife are also well played.

George Roy Hill had a knack for directing movies made from great books -- e.g., "The World According to Garp" -- and in the end, I was pleasantly surprised how well this movie turned out.

As far as the Vonnegut adaptations go (I know of four -- this one, "Mother Night," "Breakfast of Champions" and the god-awful "Slapstick") this one is the best of the bunch.

I've always wanted to see a movie version of "Sirens of Titan," but it'll probably never happen -- so "Slaughterhouse Five" is my only chance to "see" Trafalmadore.

Recommended to any true Vonnegut fans. Other people probably won't appreciate it.