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 = $90 million<ref name="the-numbers1997" />

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

'''''The Saint''''' is a 1997 American [[romance film|romantic]] [[spy 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]].

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 title |first= The Saint (novelization)Burl | author -link= [[Burl Barer]] | publisher title=The [[PocketSaint Books]](novelization) | date = 1997 | type publisher= [[PaperbackPocket Books]] | isbn = 0-671-00951-6 |type=[[Paperback]] |oclc= 36527456 }}</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 |title=Review: 'The Saint'McCarthy |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]

[[Category:TechnoAmerican techno-thriller films]]

[[Category:Films basedshot onin television seriesEngland]]

[[Category:Films1990s aboutAmerican coups d'étatfilms]]