简介：《死神假期》，豆瓣7.3分，，主演：弗雷德里克·马奇,伊夫琳·维纳布尔,盖伊·斯坦丁,凯瑟琳·亚历山大,吉尔·帕特里克,凯瑟琳·霍华德,肯特·泰勒,亨利·崔，BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath,hekindlystoppedforme;thecarriageheldbutjustourselvesandimmortality”–EmilyDickinsonIfDeathtookaholiday,thegunswouldgosilentinIraq,theslaughteronournation’shighwayswouldcease,andthenewsmediawouldbecompelledtocoverpositiveeventsinthehumanities,arts,andsciences.Unfortunately,Deathhasnothadavacationinrecordedhistory,butMitchellLeisen’s1934fantasy,DeathTakesaHoliday,allowsustoconsiderthepossibility.Co-writtenbyMaxwellAndersonandGladysLehmanandbasedontheplay"LaMorteinVacanza"byAlbertoCasella,DeathTakesaHolidaystarsFredericMarchastheGrimReaperwhotakesonhumanforminanattempttodiscoverwhymenfearhimsomuch.Whyhehaswaited5,000yearstosatisfythiscuriosityisnotexplained.[Spoiler]Afterabrieftryoutasashadowyfigurewhoscaresthedaylightsoutofthosethatcrosshispath,Deathshowsupat,ofallplaces,anupscalepartyatanItalianvilla,posingasthemysteriousPrinceSirki.Onlyonepersonknowswhohereallyis,thehostDukeLambert(GuyStanding),andheissworntosecrecy.Sirkiproceedstofascinatetheguests.Giventoburstsofwitandpoetry,hecanjustasquicklyturnsullenandthreatening,andsomesoonfindoutthatitisbetternottolooktoodeeplyintohiseyes.DuringthethreedaysinwhichthePrinceisatthevilla,however,peopleallovertheworldmiraculouslyescapedeathandpotentialsuicidesaredoomedtofrustration.Toseewhat’sbehindalltheconversationaboutlove,thesuavebutnaïvePrinceSirkifallsfortheirresistibleGrazia(EvelynVenable),thedaughterofoneofDuke’sfriends.GraziaknowswhoDeathisbutdoesnotfearhim,muchtothechagrinofherfiancé,Corrado(KentTaylor)whohasdevelopedastrongdisdainforPrinceCharming.MoresinisterthanBradPittinthe1998remakeMeetJoeBlack,Marchturnsinaveryconvincingperformanceasthecreepyyetstrangelyappealingguest.Althoughtheendingismelodramatic,theemotionsareveryrealandthesuggestionthatDeathmayinrealitybeafrienddisguisedasafoeisquitetouching.(HowardSchumann,talkingpix.co.uk)Inthiswearisomeandpredictableplotline,Deathfallsinloveandboresustodeathtalkingaboutit.(DennisSchwartz,homepages.sover.net)I'veheardDRACULAwasadvertisedwiththetagline"TheWeirdestLoveStoryevertold!"(thisisprobablyaparaphrase),butatheart,I'veneverfeltthatyoucouldhonestlycallthatmoviealovestory.Thetaglinewouldbemuchmoreappropriateforthisone,sinceitultimatelyboilsdowntowhatamountstoalovestory.Thismovieisverygoodindeed,particularlyifyouconsiderthatitisbuiltaroundaconceptthatcouldhaveeasilybeenhandledinacuteorfacilemanner.Instead,itishandledasseriouslyaspossible,withsomerealthoughtputintohowdeathwouldtrytocometotermswithalifeandanoutlookthatwastothatpointtotallyunfamiliartohim;muchofthecreditdoesgotoFredricMarchinthetitlerole.It'squitescarywhenitneedstobe,particularlyduringthefirsttwentyminutes.Fromthenon,itdealswithitsthemeswithsubtlety,aquietwit,anenduringsadness,andaneverpresenttensiononhowDeathmightreactifcrossed.It'snotperfect;someofthedialogueisself-consciousandartificial,asifthewritersknewtheyweredealingwithweightyissuesandweretryingtobeprofound.ButIamcertainlygladtheydidn'ttrytoturnitintoamusicalcomedyofsorts.(DaveSindelar,scifilm.org)Seealsotheremake:DeathTakesAHoliday(1971)

解说：