The Saint (1997 film): Difference between revisions

* [[William J. MacDonaldMacdonald (writer and producerfilmmaker)|William J. MacDonaldMacdonald]]

| released = {{Film date|1997|044|044}}

| language = English<br>Russian

| budget = $68{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}-$90 million<ref name="the-numbers1997" />

| gross = $169.4 million<ref name="the-numbers1997" />

'''''The Saint''''' is a 1997 American [[romance film|romantic]] [[espionage film|spy]] [[action film|action]] [[thriller film]] directed by [[Phillip Noyce]], written by [[Jonathan Hensleigh]] and [[Wesley Strick]], and starring [[Val Kilmer]] in the title role, with [[Elisabeth Shue]] and [[Rade Šerbedžija]]. The plot of the filmsfilm revolves around the title character who is a [[high -tech]] thief and master of disguise, who becomes the anti-hero while using the moniker of various saints. He paradoxically lives in the underworld of international industrial theft and espionage. The film was a modest financial success with a worldwide box office of $169.4 million, rentals of $28.2 million, and continuous [[DVD-Video|DVD]] sales.<ref name="imdb.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120053/business|title=The Saint|date=April 4, 1997|via=IMDb}}</ref><ref name="the-numbers1997">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1997/SAINT.php |title=The Saint - Box Office Data, DVD Sales, Movie News, Cast Information |publisher=The Numbers |access-date=September 24, 2012}}</ref>

It is loosely based on the character of [[The Saint (Simon Templar)|Simon Templar]] created by [[Leslie Charteris]] in 1928 for a series of books published as "The Saint", which ran until 1983. The Saint character has also featured in a [[The Saint (film series)|series]] of [[HollywoodCinema (filmof industry)the United States|Hollywood]] films made between 1938 and 1954, a 1940s [[The Saint (radio program)|radio series]] starring [[Vincent Price]] (and others) as Templar, a popular [[United Kingdom|British]] [[The Saint (TV series)|television series]] of the 1960s starring [[Roger Moore]], and a 1970s series starring [[Ian Ogilvy]].

At the [[Ignatius of Loyola|Saint Ignatius]] Orphanage, a rebellious boy named [[Giovanni Battista de' Rossi|John Rossi]] refers to himself as "Simon Templar" and leads a group of fellow orphans asin theyan attempt to run away to escape their harsh treatment. JustHe astries Simonto isbid caughtfarewell byto thea headgirl priest,named heAgnes witnesses the tragic death ofwith a girlkiss, tobut whomthey heare hadcaught taken a liking, whenand she accidentally falls from a balcony to her death.

As an adult, Simon ([[Val Kilmer]]), nowSimon—now a professional thief dubbed "The Saint" for using the names of [[Catholic saint]]s as aliases, stealsaliases—steals a valuable microchip belonging tofrom a Russian oil company. Simon stages the burglary during a political rally held for the company's owner, Ivan Tretiak, ([[Radea Šerbedžija]]).billionaire Tretiakoligarch is aand former [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] boss and a billionaire oil and gas oligarch who is rallying support against the [[President of the Russian Federation|Russian presidentPresident]] Karpov. Simon is caught in the act by Tretiak's son Ilya ([[Valery Nikolaev]]) but escapes with the microchip., Afterand learningis ofhired the heist,by Tretiak contacts Simon and hires him to steal a revolutionary [[Coldcold fusion|cold-fusion]] formula discovered by U.S.Emma Russell, an American [[Electrochemistry|electrochemist]] Emmaworking Russellat ([[ElisabethUniversity Shueof Oxford|Oxford]]).; HeTretiak wishesplans to acquireuse Emma's formula—whichformula createsfor clean, inexpensive energy—soenergy he canto monopolize the energy market during a severe oil shortage in Russia, but Tretiak secretly plans to murder Simon for stealing his microchip.

Using the alias "[[Thomas More]]", Simon poses as a [[Boer]] traveller to seduce Emma, and steals the formula, afterbut when Simon develops romantic feelings for her, he decides to give up on stealing the formula, and when Tretiak threatens to kidnap her, havingSimon finally steals the formula after a [[one-night stand]] with Emma. Tretiak learnsrealizes Emma'sthe formula is incomplete and orderssends Ilya and his henchmen, ledto bykill IlyaSimon, towho killnarrowly escapes. Simon andreturns kidnapto EmmaRussia into orderdemand tohis obtainpayment thefrom remainingTretiak while disguised as Tretiak informationhimself. Heartbroken,A heartbroken Emma reports the theft of her formula to Inspectors [[Claud Eustace Teal|Inspector Teal]] ([[Alun Armstrong]]) and Inspector Rabineau ([[Charlotte Cornwell]]) of [[Scotland Yard]], who inform her Simon is a wanted international thief. Emma tracks down Simon to a hotel in Moscow and confronts him about the theft and his betrayal. The Russian police, loyal to Tretiak, arrest Simon and Emma. However, they manage to escape from the police van as they are being brought to Tretiak's mansion.

AsEmma theytracks fleedown throughSimon theto suburbs,a SimonMoscow andhotel Emmawhere areTretiak helpedhas bythem aarrested, prostitutebut they escape and herflee familythrough whothe sheltersuburbs. themThey inare asheltered hiddenby rooma inprostitute theirand home.her Later,family theyand meet "Frankie" ([[Irina Apeksimova]]), a fence/black marketeer or [[Spivspiv]] who sells them the directions through anthe underground sewer system that leadsewers to the U.S. embassy. Simon and Emma exit the sewer tunnel only to findFinding Ilya and his men waiting for them, amongSimon alets gatheringhimself ofbe protestorscaught outsideto theallow embassy'sEmma front gates. Emmato safely makes it toreach the embassy for political asylum, while Simon allows himself to be caught by Ilya as a distraction. Hethen escapes after riggingigniting a car's bombgas thattank severelyand burnsleaving Ilya severely burned.

Simon plantsPlanting a listening device in Tretiak's office, andSimon learns he plans to stage a ''coup d'état'' by sellingsell the cold-fusionincomplete formula to Russian President Karpov toand frame him for wasting billions on useless technology. Tretiak, then plans to use the political fallout to install himself as Presidentpresident. Emma finishes the equations to complete the formula, andwhich Simon delivers the information to Tretiak's well-meaning physicist, Dr. Lev Botvin ([[Henry Goodman]]), who builds an apparatus that proves the formula works. Simon infiltrates the President's [[Kremlin]] residence and informs himKarpov of Tretiak's conspiracy, justbut beforethey are captured by Tretiak loyalists detain him. In front ofAt a massive gathering in [[Red Square]], Tretiak makes publichis accusations against President [[Anatoly Karpov|Karpov]], but whenBotvin's the [[Coldcold fusion|cold-fusion]] reactor is successfully initiated, exposing Tretiak is exposed as a fraud. He and arrested.Ilya Heare isarrested, alsoand revealed to have caused the heating-oil shortage in Moscow by illegally stockpiling vast amounts of heating oil underneath histheir mansion.

SometimeReuniting laterwith Emma, Simon and Emma reunite at a cottage somewhere in England where he gives backreturns her formula and they start a secret relationship. At a news conference at the [[University of Oxford]], EmmaShe presents her cold fusion formula to the world. Simonat attendsa thenews conference, which Simon attends in disguise and once again avoids being captured by Inspectorsescapes Teal and Rabineau when they spot him in the crowd. As he drivesDriving away, he listens tohears a news radio broadcast (voiced by [[Roger Moore]]) reporting that $3 billion was recently donated to the [[Red Cross]], [[Salvation Army]], and the [[United Nations Children's Fund]].; Itit is implied that Simon, who had access to Tretiak's accounts, donatedgave the money anonymously. Furthermore,and established a non-profit foundation led by Dr. Botvin is being established to develop the cold-fusion technology.

Film adaptations of Leslie Charteris's anti-hero Simon Templar (The Saint) date back to the late 1930s when [[RKO Radio Pictures]] launched a popular series of [[B-movies movie]]s with a succession of different actors playing the lead role. After that, save for two unsuccessful French attempts at launching new film series, the character was confined to television: ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'', a 1960s series starring [[Roger Moore]]; ''[[Return of the Saint]]'', a 1970s updating starring [[Ian Ogilvy]]; a failed 1987 pilot for American TV, ''The Saint in Manhattan'' starring [[Andrew Clarke (actor)|Andrew Clarke]]; and a set of feature-length made-for-television adventures co-produced in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[Germany|West Germany]], and [[Australia]] in 1989 starring [[Simon Dutton]]. Of these, the Moore series remained the definitive television adaptation.

A few years later, [[Paramount Pictures]]' attempt to make a film of ''The Saint'' started with the powerhouse [[Above -the -line (filmmaking)|above-the-line]] team of [[Robert Evans (film producer)|Robert Evans]] as producer, [[Steven Zaillian]] as writer and [[Sydney Pollack]] as director. [[Ralph Fiennes]] - hot—hot from ''[[Schindler's List]]'' and ''[[Quiz Show (film)|Quiz Show]]'' - was—was offered $1 million for the lead, but eventually passed. In a 1994 interview for ''[[PremierePremière (magazine)|PremierePremière]]'' magazine, Fiennes said the [[screenplay]]—racing fast cars, and breaking into [[Swiss banks]] was—was nothing he hadn'thad not seen before.

Robert Evans left the project—although, contractually, his name remains on the final film's credits—and [[David Brown (producer)|David Brown]] (''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'', ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]'') took over. A new story was commissioned from [[Jonathan Hensleigh]] (''[[Die Hard with a Vengeance]]''), which cast Simon Templar as a mercenary hired by a billionaire Russian oil and gas tycoon to steal the secret of cold fusion from an eccentric but beautiful American scientist. The story would take place in [[Washington, D.C.]], [[The Hamptons|Upstate New York]], [[Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg]], and [[Moscow]]. [[SetpieceSet piece]]s included Dr. Russell skydiving while strapped into a wheelchair and a plane landing in [[Red Square]]. Darwin Mayflower described it as one of the top unproduced screenplays.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mayflower |first=Darwin |date=August 8, 2000 |title=Script Reviews: TOP TEN UNPRODUCED SCRIPTS |url=http://www.screenwritersutopia.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2667 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324230756/http://www.screenwritersutopia.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2667 |archive-date=March 24, 2006}}

In a 1997 interview with [[Des O'Connor]] for his [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] show, [[Hugh Grant]] says he passed on the role after a meeting with Noyce because he didn'tdid not like the director's approach to the character. [[HughAlong with Grant]], [[Kenneth Branagh]], [[Mel Gibson]], [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Christian Slater]], [[George Clooney]], [[Kevin Costner]], [[Johnny Depp]], and [[Daniel Day-Lewis]] all refused the role. [[Val Kilmer]] was cast after declining to reprise the role of [[Batman]]/[[Bruce Wayne]] in [[Joel Schumacher]]'s ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'' and the script was rewritten by [[Wesley Strick]] to suit his style.

Unusually for an action star of the time (as in heroes played by [[Steven Seagal]], [[Bruce Willis]] or [[Mel Gibson]]), this Saint refrained from killing and even the main villains live to stand trial. Charteris's version had no qualms about taking another life.

In the original version of the film—as in the original Jonathan Hensleigh script—Emma, having escaped Russia via the American embassy, collapses while giving a lecture and dies in Simon Templar's arms. Watching the videotape back, he sees Ilya Tretiak stabbing her in the leg with the tip of his cane. The final half-hour has Simon returning to Moscow to destroy the villains' plans and avenge her death. With Dr. Botvin's help, he switches the formulas around and humiliates Ivan Tretiak during his show trial of the Russian president. The Tretiaks shoot their way out of the crowd and escape back to their mansion, with Simon and the [[Russian Armed Forces|Russian Army]] in pursuit. Ivan shoots the treacherous Dr. Botvin, and in turn Ilya shoots and kills Ivan. Simon arrives and finds the bodies of Botvin and Ivan Tretiak. Simon battles Ilya on the stairwell as Russian tanks pound the mansion walls, exposing and setting fire to the vast stockpile of heating oil in the basement. With the stairwell disintegrating around them, the fight spills out on to the chandelier, suspended above the blazing oil. Simon teases Ilya with the disc containing the formula for cold fusion. As he reaches out for it, Simon cuts the rope and Ilya plummets to a fiery death. Returning to Emma's home, Simon finds a letter from her, a tear fills his eye and he vows to use his skills only for good.<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Hensleigh, Jonathan (screenwriter)|date=February 8, 1995|title=The Saint (original script)|medium=Motion picture|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]]}}</ref>

A novelization based upon the film script was written by [[Burl Barer]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Barer |first=Burl |author-link=Burl Barer |title=The Saint (novelization) |date=1997 |publisher=[[Pocket Books]] |isbn=0-671-00951-6 |type=[[Paperback]] |oclc=36527456}}</ref>

Critical response for the film was mixed. On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] the film has an approval rating of 30% based on 46 reviews. The websites consensus states: "''The Saint'' is watchable thanks to Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue, but the film's muddled screenplay stretches credulity".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/saint/ |title= The Saint |website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] the film has a score of 50 out of 100 based on 22 reviews, indicating "Mixed or average reviews".<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |title=Critic Reviews for The Saint |url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-saint/ |website= [[Metacritic]] |date=April 4, 1997 |access-date=September 24, 2012}}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>

Edward Guthmann of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' notes Kilmer is the "master of disguises", as "Templar's genius, like Kilmer's, involves slipping in and out of skins rapidly and offering only the slightest hint at the person who hides beneath the charade... Kilmer dons 12 disguises in all, polishes them with impeccable accents and pliable postures", with Shue's character offering "the same sympathetic dignity she brought to ''[[Leaving Las Vegas]]''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Catch-Kilmer-If-You-Can-Crafty-actor-brings-2847155.php |title=Catch Kilmer If You Can / Crafty actor brings master of disguises, 'The Saint,' back to the big screen |publisher=SFGate |date=April 4, 1997 |access-date=September 24, 2012}}</ref> Liam Lacey of ''The Toronto Globe and Mail'' said ''The Saint'' is "More entertaining than ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]'' or the last [[James Bond|Bond]] film ''[[GoldenEye]]''. It brings back the humour and [[sangfroid]] that makes the genre work".<ref name="metacritic"/> [[Todd McCarthy]] of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it a "suspenser that doesn't taste bad at first bite but becomes increasingly hard to swallow".<ref name="variety">{{cite web |urllast=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117342345.html|title=Review:McCarthy 'The Saint'|first=Todd |lastauthor-link=Todd McCarthy |date=March 31, 1997 |publishertitle=Review: Variety'The Saint' |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117342345 |publisher=Variety}}</ref>

ParamountOn PicturesJune 17, 2016, it was announced that they[[Paramount wouldPictures]] was planning a reboot of the film, with [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] producing,and [[DexterRobert FletcherEvans]] willserving directas andproducers.<ref>{{cite [[Regé-Jeannews Page]]|last=Busch will|first=Anita be|date=June portraying17, Templar2016 and|title='The willSaint' alsoRises executiveAgain producingAt theParamount filmAs whilePossible [[KwameNew Kwei-Armah]]Franchise will write.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/the-saint-new-paramount-movie-1201769894/ |titleaccess-date=June 17, 2016 |publisher=Deadline}}</ref> [[Dexter Fletcher]] was announced as the film'Thes director in February 2020, after previously working with the studio on Saint''[[Rocketman Rises(film)|Rocketman]]'', Againwith At[[Seth ParamountGrahame-Smith]] Aswriting Possiblethe Newscreenplay.<ref>{{cite news Franchise|publisherlast=DeadlineKroll |datefirst=JuneJustin 17, 2016|access-date=JuneFebruary 1718, 20162020 |authortitle=Anita'Rocketman' Busch}}Fleming,Filmmaker Jr}}</ref><ref>{{citeDexter Fletcher to Direct 'The Saint' Reboot (EXCLUSIVE) news|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/paramount-rocketmans-dexter-fletcher-the-saint-reboot-1203505890 |access-date=July 29, 2024 |publisher=Variety}}</ref> In July 2021, [[Regé-Jean Page]] was cast in the film and would also serve as executive producer, with [[Kwame Kwei-Armah]] now writing the screenplay.<ref>{{cite news |titlelast1='Rocketman'Kit Filmmaker|first1=Borys Dexter|last2=Couch Fletcher|first2=Aaron |date=July 27, 2021 |title=Rege-Jean Page to DirectStar in Paramount's 'The Saint' Reboot (EXCLUSIVE) |publisherurl=Varietyhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rege-jean-page-the-saint-movie-1234988363 |access-date=FebruaryJuly 1829, 20202024 |authorpublisher=Justin[[The KrollHollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> In November 2023 it was reported that [[Doug Liman]] was now directing the film from a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.<ref>{{citeCite newsweb|last=Kroll|first=Justin|url=https://www.hollywoodreporterdeadline.com/movies2023/movie-news11/regedoug-jean-pageliman-the-saint-movie-1234988363rege-jean-page-1235630104/|titledate=Rege-JeanNovember Page20, to2023|title=Doug StarLiman inBoards Paramount's New Reimagining Of 'The Saint' RebootStarring (EXCLUSIVE)|publisher=TheRegé-Jean Hollywood ReporterPage|access-date=JulyNovember 2721, 20202023|author1website=Borys[[Deadline Kit|author2=Aaron CouchHollywood]]}}</ref>

* {{amgIMDb movietitle|id=1548110120053|The Saint}}

* {{tcmdbTCMDb title|id=154811}}

* {{AFI film|id=61460|title=The Saint}}

* [https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=saint.htm ''The Saint'' -– Box Office Mojo]

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