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The Orchid House

The Orchid House

THE ORCHID HOUSE  

“British made films or serials rarely explore social relations and conditions in the Caribbean. The Orchid House is a powerful addition to this limited catalogue. Its focus on the declining power of the white plantocracy on the island of Dominica between the war years, handled through the prism of an intimate family drama, has great depth while remaining accessible.

The white Master's return from the great European war, shell-shocked and drug-addicted, unleashes massive changes in his household, reflecting broader societal transformations. Symbolically, roles become reversed, as Master becomes a slave to his dealer, the Haitian Mr Lilipoulala. He retreats into himself, and a complex gulf opens up with Madam, his Creole wife. His household is unravelling around him, as daughters Stella, Joan and Natalie flee abroad to escape their limited horizons.

Their return, twenty years later, shows just how much things have moved on. Master remains broken and enslaved, formerly subservient Creole friends are economically in the ascendant, symbolically nursing the ailing whites, while the black peasants are in revolt. The return of the girls offers a meditation on the role of whites in the rapidly changing society, the possibility of redemption for past sins, and actions that might lead to renewal.

The gorgeous Caribbean setting and high production values of The Orchid House are a direct result of the biggest budget director Horace Ové has ever had. Always wonderful to look at.”

(Screen Online)

 
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