Robinson in Ruins

‘When a man called Robinson was released from Edgcott open prison, he made his way to the nearest city and looked for somewhere to haunt.’ After London (1993) and Robinson in Space (Tiger Award winner in 1997), British director Patrick Keiller is presenting his third film essay about the eccentric, mysterious Robinson.
His character never appears on screen, but is repeatedly evoked in the interplay of images and sound. Keiller filmed landscapes in the south of England, in the year when the bank bubble burst. Many locations also refer to the rise of capitalism since the 16th century.
The ironic voice-over by Vanessa Redgrave, who took over the role from the late lamented Paul Scofield, mentions the deepening financial crisis, but also climate change, philosophy, architecture, art, science and politics. The result is a two-sided portrait: the English landscape has long been the backdrop for industries and infrastructure projects, but its inhabitants still regard it as picturesque countryside.

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