Dead Again (1991)

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writer (WGA):

Scott Frank (written by)

Release Date:

23 August 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

A Mystery About True Love...And Certain Death.

Plot:

Mike Church is a Los Angeles private detective who specialises in finding missing persons. He takes on the case of a mystery woman who he calls Grace...

Plot Keywords:

Church | Murder | Hypnosis | Strauss | Private

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Kenneth Branagh	...	Roman Strauss / Mike Church
Andy Garcia	...	Gray Baker
Derek Jacobi	...	Franklyn Madson
Wayne Knight	...	'Piccolo' Pete Dugan
Hanna Schygulla	...	Inga
Campbell Scott	...	Doug
Emma Thompson	...	Grace / Margaret Strauss
Jo Anderson	...	Sister Madeleine / Starlet
Christine Ebersole	...	Lydia Larsen
Lois Hall	...	Sister Constance
Richard Easton	...	Father Timothy
Patrick Montes	...	Pickup Driver
Raymond Cruz	...	Clerk
Robin Williams	...	Doctor Cozy Carlisle
Patrick Doyle	...	Policeman in lift

Also Known As:

Schatten der Vergangenheit (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Död på nytt (Sweden) [sv]
Dead Again (France) [fr]
L'altro delitto (Italy) [it]
Le passé revient (Canada: French title) [fr]
Morir todavía (Spain) [es]
Murha menneisyydestä (Finland) [fi]
Nekroi xana (Greece) [el]
Umrzec ponownie (Poland) [pl]
Voltar a Morrer (Brazil) [pt]
Volver a morir (Argentina) [es]

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

380 South San Rafael Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Mirage

Trivia:

When we first meet Mike Church, he's parked on the wrong side of the street. Most people thought this was because Kenneth Branagh was parked up the way he would if he were in Britain. The real reason is because Branagh wanted a number of LA skyscrapers visible in the background.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The address on the driver's license Pete gives "Grace" has one street number on Hightower, then later, when Mike Church kicks in her door, the *real* address of the actual Hightower residence is on the exterior wall beside the door.

Quotes:

Pete: [jokingly talking about Grace who's outside the door] Oh, and you don't have to worry about forgetting her name... she's already forgotten it for you!
Mike Church: [unamused] Right.

Movie Connections:

References The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Soundtrack:

Tangerine

An unusual mix that really works

Dead Again is categorized as Mystery / Romance / Thriller and it does very well in all three categories. It begins as a mystery, develops into a romance and ends up very thrilling. It is also Gothic, film noir, sometimes melodramatic and often humorous: an unusual mix that really works. The opening credits show 1948 news stories about symphony conductor, Roman Strauss (Kenneth Branagh), who was executed for murdering his wife, Margaret (Emma Thompson). The film was in Black and White. Then the film switches to the present and to colour and we find Emma Thompson in a Catholics boys' home, mute and suffering from nightmares and amnesia. The priest in charge elicits free help from Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh), a private detective who specializes in missing persons and was brought up in that home. "Grace" (a name that she and Mike use because she does not know her real name) ends up staying with Mike while he tries to sort things out. An advertisement brings Franklyn Madson (Derek Jacobi), who offers to discover her past through hypnotic regression. He ends up regressing her into a past life. At this point, if one does not believe in reincarnation, as Mike Church did not, then one can add Fantasy to the list of the film's categories; it does very well in that category also.

As fate would have it, Mike and Grace grow closer and fall in love, an event that is undoubtedly made more convincing by the fact that Branagh and Watson were happily married at the time that the film was made. The style of the modern romance contrasts with the melodrama of the 1940's marriage, in which Roman gives Margaret an anklet and says, "The man I bought it from explained to me that when a husband gives this to his wife, they become two halves of the same person. Nothing can separate them, not even death." That idea helped to clarify the most surprising plot twist of all, one that is disclosed visually. The plot is one of the cleverest mystery plots that I have witnessed. One is never sure of what to think. Did Roman kill Margaret? If not then who did? Many look suspicious. What is the relationship between the past lovers, Roman and Margaret, and the present lovers, Mike and Grace? The plot has many twists and turns, all of which appear to be realistic. Clues drop like rain. There are many strong roles and the acting is excellent throughout. Many actors have roles in both stories.