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Proteus

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 11 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
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)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
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...
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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
Proteus is involving and affecting even if it is not completely coherent or fully realized.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
