User reviews

It was perfect to compare what I have felt while reading the book and how the movie shows it...Readers will not be dissappointed.

"Cronica de una Muerte Anunciada" (Chronicle of a Death Foretold) is based on the novel of the same name by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Garcia Marquez, together with Jorge Luis Borges, is the most recognized name in Latin American literature and one of the exponents of what is usually called magic realism. If you are an American reader and are familiar with the works of Isabel Allende, you should definitively read Garcia Marquez, who is her original inspiration. Most of his stories occur in a fictional world that resembles provincial Colombia at a time right where the traditional values of Spanish colonialism are slowly beginning to clash with the new laws and customs of modern society.

Garcia Marquez writing is dense and, as a good story teller of old, he slowly gives us pieces of the plot, while vividly describing the surroundings and, most importantly, his characters' state of mind. Nowhere is this more true than in this novella, which, as the title implies, will retell the story of one single death.

This film adaptation is one of those rare cases where the spirit of the book has been kept intact, and, in my opinion, by changing the order of two incidents in the conclusion, the film has even improved upon the book. This is a compliment not only to Garcia Marquez but to the talent of Tonino Guerra, one of Fellini's long standing collaborators. Right away we are told that Santiago Nasar has been murdered and we already know who the killers are. What we are not completely sure is how and why. And what is not understood is how it was possible for this to happen in the center of the plaza, in front of the whole town.

These are the mysteries that propels the narration. And, just as with 'Citizen Kane' or 'Rashomon', we listen to the different testimonies of the witnesses to the incident -- each one holding just a small piece of the truth.

The non-linear story and slow peeling of layers of truth will confuse and maybe bore some viewers, but those paying attention will enjoy one of the most satisfying films in a long time.

While many of the actors will seem unknown to American audiences, this film has a stellar cast of international European stars, and is a display of the talent of the veterans Irene Papas and Gian Maria Volonte. But where the casting shines is also in that of the main protagonists of the drama: Ornella Muti, as the beautiful and mysterious Angela Vicario who motivates the drama, Anthony Delon (son of the great Alain Delon) as the man she falls for and the yet unknown Rupert Everett.

This period piece is recreated authentically, in both the costumes and the surroundings.

this film is impossible to find...which is too bad because I would absolutely love to see it again. I saw it when I was 13 years old and it made such an impression that I read Marques's book and here I am 17 years later still trying to find it! It is romantic, dreamy and a real pleasure to watch. Anthony Delon, Rupert Everett and Ornella Muti deliver a truly unforgettable story.

If anyone know where I can get a copy- see it first and then PLEASE let me know where I can get one!

My favorite book, brief, suspenseful, and frighteningly real in scope and character. Having recently lived through Katrina as a physician at various aid stations, rescue squads into the city, etc. it brought me back to this book and a film I saw when I was in my early teens. It speaks of the tragedy of modern life, where apathy can settle like dust and no one is responsible for their neighbor. The riverside town in the heart of Colombia, trapped in an absurd past where an unspoken code of conduct is barbarously enforced (against even the enforcers' wishes, I might add), is fleshed out masterfully. This is one remake I am desperately hoping I live to see, and one movie I wish I could see again.

I saw this movie when I was a little boy, just 10 years old. I'm almost 21 now and I will remember this one forever. This is one of those movies you once see, and love so much, but are afraid of not getting another chance to see it again. I have forgotten some parts of the film, and i would do anything to see it again, just to remember it to see if it still would be one of my favourites. So i hope someone reads this and maybe can help me? I liked it so much I sudently got interested of reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez' tales and books, so I told my father to read some of them for me. I now am a big fan of Garcia Marquez. I'm a movie lover and my favourite movies are such as The Usual Supects, The Shawshank Redemption, Memento, Schindler's List, Life is Beautiful + many, many more. Good movie. Please forgive me for my bad english... Peace y'all

I saw this movie in Denmark upon its worldwide release most likely in 1987 or could it have been early 1988. The movie has stayed with me forever. Through the years, through the decades, scenes and moods have kept popping up in my mind. I feel wrapped in a tropic heatwave of emotions so many years after. Ornella Muti shines along with a multifaceted and utterly fascinating cast and so does Gabriel Garcia Marquez' hypnotising plot which is so heartbreakingly foreboding. Lush, atmospheric, wonderful and sad. A grand romance. I wish I could witness this movie's splendours just one more time. The movie poster is iconic, by the way.