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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Proteus

EMAILPRINTStrand Releasing

Proteus reviews
47
8.6 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 11 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama  |  Foreign  |  Gay/Lesbian  |  Romance

Written by: John Greyson
Jack Lewis

Directed by: John Greyson
Jack Lewis

Release Date:
Theatrical: July 30, 2004

Running Time: 97 minutes, Color

Origin: Canada / South Africa

Language(s): English / Afrikaans / Nama (with English subtitles)

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Rouxnet Brown, Shaun Smyth, Kristen Thomson, Neil Sandilands, Brett Goldin, Tessa Jubber, Jeroen Kranenburg, and Dean Lotz

An exquisite, romantic period piece that skillfully explores the intersections of sex, race and politics. Set in South Africa in the eighteenth century and based on real events, the story concerns young livestock herder, Claas Blank, who is unjustly arrested and sentenced to hard labor, where he crosses paths with a Dutch sailor. Despite their vast cultural differences, Claas begins a tentative love affair with the sailor, setting in motion a course of events that brings tragic consequences for all. (Strand Releasing)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

80

Film Threat James Wegg

The story of lust, love and betrayal intriguingly bemoans racism and prejudice of bygone times while peppering the “history” with more modern references.

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70

TV Guide Ken Fox

This unusually rich film tackles not only the social structuring of criminality and sexuality but race as well, and explores the ways science has been used to justify the ruthless pursuit of market interests and, eventually, apartheid itself.

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70

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

Greyson does a terrifically empathetic job of putting viewers firmly in the moment, by making it irrelevant exactly when and where that moment takes place.

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63

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

John Greyson and Jack Lewis' experimental drama, about two prisoners who have a dangerous affair, is a challenging, flawed look at a little-known slice of history.

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50

The Hollywood Reporter Frank Scheck

Ultimately, the sex scenes seem of far more interest to the filmmakers than the narrative or characterizations, which are rendered in frustratingly vague and often deliberately confusing fashion.

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50

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

Proteus is involving and affecting even if it is not completely coherent or fully realized.

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50

Variety Dennis Harvey

Proteus has enough erotic and exotic content to win back some of the arthouse viewers previously beguiled by Greyson's "Lilies." But pic lacks that gem's lush aesthetics and impassioned complexity, ending up a tad remote.

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40

LA Weekly Chuck Wilson

Proteus carries an air of forced-wit experimentation that never quite gets its anachronisms in order -- this 18th-century tale features a Jeep, a radio, and female court reporters with typewriters and bouffant hairdos.

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38

New York Post Lou Lumenick

This Canadian-South African labor of love has its heart in the right place, even if the leads seem to have been cast more for their hunky looks than their stiff acting.

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30

The New York Times Dave Kehr

Tricked up with an elaborate flashback structure, subtitled dialogue in three languages and as many gratuitous aesthetic touches as the traffic will bear, Proteus emerges as a heavy, pretentious and derivative film.

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25

San Francisco Chronicle John McMurtrie

Takes its name from the king protea, the national flower of South Africa. The stunning, artichoke-like shrub may be fragrant, but the movie's pretty much a stinker.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Al J. gave it a10:
A revealing and thrilling historical narrative - reminds us of the hypocritical nature of justice towards homosexuals, which, sadly, still pervades our culture and society.

James T. gave it a 6:
Attractive leads, frustrating narrative that is suprisingly passionless.

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