Review

In the 19th century a great landowner departs to partake in a feast while his daughter, Miss Julie, stays on the estate. The young woman gets drunk, joins the servants and engages in a perilous game of seduction with Jean, the distinguished footman who has been coveting her for years…

For his eleventh film, Mike Figgis chose to go back to England and theatre for an adaptation of Strindberg's Bergman-like play. The very mobile, video style camerawork might seem a dubious director's choice at first, but this diversion from the conventions of theatre proves useful in the constant emphasis placed on faces, expressions and the outward displays of inner turmoil.

Saffron Burrows and Maria Doyle Kennedy yield intense, spotless performances while Peter Mullan's slightest twitch carries the day.

Mike Figgis's own string quartet composition adds the final touch to a staggering achievement.

Yannis Polinacci