Terroir (film)

Terroir is a 2014 American-British-Italian mystery film written and directed by John Charles Jopson. It is based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado". The film stars Keith Carradine, who also served as Executive Producer. The film premiered at the Wine Country Film Festival in 2014.[1]

Terroir
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Charles Jopson
Produced by
Screenplay byJohn Charles Jopson
Based on"The Cask of Amontillado"
by Edgar Allan Poe
Starring
Music byChristian Henson
CinematographyJohn Charles Jopson
Edited byGrit Meyer
Production
company
Ealing Studios
Dirty Poet Films
Met Film
Release date
  • September 20, 2014 (2014-09-20) (US)
  • October 17, 2014 (2014-010-17) (Italy)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Italian

Plot

Wealthy wine maker Jonathan Bragg (Keith Carradine) hires Tuscan wine detective Victor Borgo (Gaetano Guarino) to find the source of a mysterious bottle of wine, the "Oroboros". As Borgo follows the twisted, perilous trail, he descends deeper into an arcane Tuscan underworld, encountering an earth-worshiping wine cult and the dark side of human nature.[2]

Jopson's screenplay brings Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado" into contemporary times and sets it the underworld of the Tuscan wine business. With references to Brunellopoli, the great Italian wine scandal of 2008 [3] and with cameo appearances from real-world winemakers such as Salvatore Ferragamo and Luca Sanjust, the film brings a level of authenticity when it comes to the wine business.

In a nod to Poe's short story, in addition to the wine theme, Terroir features Masonic references and symbols as well as a terrifying scene in a wine cellar.[4]

Terroir takes its name from the wine industry term terroir, which indicates that the natural environment in which a particular wine is produced affects the outcome, and thus the taste, including factors such as soil, topography, and climate. Together these elements determine the character of wine.[5]

Release

Premiere

"Terroir" had its world premiere on September 20, 2014 at the Wine Country Film Festival in Sonoma Valley, California. The film was presented "al fresco" at a specially built outdoor theater in the vineyards of Deerfield Ranch with a 33-foot Cinemascope screen and a Dolby 5.1 sound system.[6] The festivities included a tribute to Keith Carradine and a screening of his 1977 film The Duellists. As part of his personal appearance Carradine performed his Academy Award winning song "I'm Easy" from the movie Nashville.[7]

Video on demand

"Terroir" was released on Amazon.com in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan on August 16, 2017.

Critical response

Poe scholar John Gruesser, in his review of Terroir wrote, "Stunningly beautiful in several places, with gorgeous shots of its Tuscan setting, Terroir evokes "The Cask of Amontillado" both explicitly and subtly, which should delight Poe fans. Speaking in voice-over at times, Bragg, the Montresor character (played by a terrific Keith Carradine), succeeds in leading Borgo, the Fortunato character, to his doom. He accomplishes this by exploiting his victim’s weak point (wine connoisseurship), even mentioning Luchesi at times to do so. Like Poe’s story, the film deftly uses masonic symbols, Latin phrases, a coat of arms, and a family motto."[8] Stephen Ashton, in his review for the Wine Country Film Festival wrote, "Filmed in some of Tuscany’s most scenic wine estates Terroir features authentic wine-making traditions, sensual cinematography, and occult rituals derived from the secret rites of real-life erotic cults. The film is laced with authentic wine lore thanks to some of Tuscany’s finest winemakers including Salvatore Ferragamo who are in this luscious drama."[9]

References
  1. "US Cinema: Terroir". Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  2. "Terroir". Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  3. Elisabetta Povoledo (April 23, 2008). "'Bolt From the Blue' on a Tuscan Red". The New York Times.
  4. "Salute to Keith Carradine in Person". Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  5. Tanzer, Stephen. "What is terroir?". Stephen Tanzer's Winophilia. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  6. "Deerfield Ranch Winery Al Fresco Outdoor". Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  7. "Wine Country Film Festival - Evening with Keith Carradine". Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  8. "Thoughts on the Startlingly Original TERROIR". Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  9. "Terroir: Earth Air Water Fire". Retrieved August 2, 2014.
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