Bolero (1984 film)
| Bolero | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Derek |
| Written by | John Derek |
| Produced by | Bo Derek |
| Starring | Bo Derek George Kennedy Andrea Occhipinti Ana Obregón Olivia d'Abo |
| Cinematography | John Derek |
| Edited by | Sophie Bhaud Hughes Damois |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein (love scenes) Peter Bernstein |
| Distributed by | Cannon Film Distributors |
Release dates | August 31, 1984 (U.S. release) |
Running time | 105 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Bolero is a 1984 film starring Bo Derek, and written and directed by her husband John Derek. The film centers on the protagonist's sexual awakening and her journey around the world to pursue an ideal first lover who will take her virginity.
Bo Derek's 1979 film 10 had made her a sudden superstar; the film had prominently used Ravel's Boléro music piece as a lovemaking theme. It was said that the title of the Bolero film was an attempt to leverage audience recognition of this, five years later.
Bolero was released with no MPAA rating; its nudity and sexual content—including nude scenes of Olivia d'Abo, who was 14 or 15 at the time of filming—disqualified it from a "R" rating. At the time of release the NC-17 rating had not yet been established and the only higher rating being X, John Derek decided to released the film unrated. The film's tagline is "An adventure in eXtasy."
The film was thrashed by the critics; it was nominated for nine Golden Raspberry Awards and won six, including "Worst Picture", "Worst Actress", "Worst Director", and "Worst Screenplay".
This critical judgment against the film appears to have stood the test of time: in 1990, the film was nominated for (but lost) the Razzies' "Worst Picture of the Decade" award; and Bo Derek won the "Worst Actress of the Decade" award, for her performances in Bolero and in Tarzan, the Ape Man. And in 1999, the Razzies nominated Bo Derek for "Worst Actress of the Century". She lost, to Madonna.
The film earned about $8.9 million in American ticket sales.
Plot summary
Lida McGillvary (Bo Derek), a virginal young woman, on graduating from an exclusive British boarding school, is determined to find the right man for her first sexual encounter wherever he might be in the world. Rich enough not to venture forth alone, she brings along her friend Catalina and the family chauffeur Cotton. Lida first travels to an Arab country where she meets an ideal lover, a sheik who offers to deflower her but falls asleep almost immediately, Giving up on the sheik, Lida goes on to Spain, where she meets the toreador Angel who is even better than the sheik because he manages to stay awake. Unfortunately, after she has succeeded in her quest, the perils of Angel's profession are brought home where he is gored while bull-fighting.
The injury leaves Angel unable to perform in the bedroom, and so Lida makes it her mission in life to see to his recovery. Along the way, she learns to fight a bull herself as a way of getting her despondent lover motivated to stop lying about. Eventually she is successful in aiding Angel to full recovery, and the film ends with their wedding.
Cast
- Bo Derek as Lida McGillvary
- George Kennedy as Cotton
- Andrea Occhipinti as Angel
- Ana Obregon as Catalina
- Olivia d'Abo as Paloma
- Greg Bensen as Sheik
- Ian Cochrane as Robert
- Marta Miller as Evita
- Mickey Knox as Sleazy Moroccan Guide
- Paul Stacey as Young Valentino #1
- James Stacy as Young Valentino #2
External links
- Bolero at IMDb
- Bolero at Rotten Tomatoes
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