Land of the Blind

{{for|the EP by Information Society|Land of the Blind (EP)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Land of the Blind | image = Land of the Blind Poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical film poster | writer = Robert Edwards | starring = [[Donald Sutherland]] [[Ralph Fiennes]] [[Tom Hollander]] [[Marc Warren]] [[Lara Flynn Boyle]] | director = Robert Edwards | producer = [[Philippe Martinez]] [[Jon Avnet]] Alan Latham Cerise Hallam Larkin Stanley Roup | cinematography = Emmanuel Kadosh | music = [[Guy Farley]] [[Doug Edwards (musician)|Doug Edwards]] | editing = [[Ferne Pearlstein]] | studio = Avnet-Kerner Productions Bauer Martinez Studios Brooklyn Films Defender Film Fund II Defender Production Lucky 7 Productions LLC Studio Eight Productions Templar Films | distributor = Bauer Martinez Entertainment | country = United Kingdom United States | released = {{Film date|2006|06|16}} | runtime = 101 minutes | language = English | budget = $18 million (est)<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433405/business Business for ''Land of the Blind''] [[IMDb]]</ref> | gross = $15,180 (Worldwide)<ref name="mojo">{{cite web | url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=landoftheblind.htm | title = Land of the Blind | work = [[Box Office Mojo]] | publisher = | accessdate = 2015-06-19}}</ref> }} '''''Land of the Blind''''' is a 2006 British-American [[political satire]] drama film starring [[Ralph Fiennes]], [[Donald Sutherland]], [[Tom Hollander]] and [[Lara Flynn Boyle]].

''Land of the Blind'' is a dark [[political satire]], based on several incidents throughout history in which tyrannical rulers were overthrown by new leaders who proved to be just as bad, if not worse, and several such cases are alluded to. The title is taken from the saying, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/30584.html|author=Desiderius Erasmus|title=In regione caecorum rex est luscus.|publisher=The Quotations Page}}</ref>

''Land of the Blind'' had its world premiere in competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and was the Opening Night Gala film at the 2006 [[Human Rights Watch]] Film Festival in London. Its U.S. premiere was in competition at the 2006 [[Tribeca Film Festival]]. It received negative reviews from critics, citing a poor scenario while praising Fiennes performance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weissberg |first=Jay |date=2006-02-14 |title=Land of the Blind |url=https://variety.com/2006/film/markets-festivals/land-of-the-blind-1200518425/ |access-date=2026-03-17 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Travers |first=Peter |date=2006-06-09 |title=Land of the Blind |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/land-of-the-blind-250496/ |access-date=2026-03-17 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-06-16 |title=RECIPE FOR A REVOLTING MESS {{!}} New York Post |url=https://nypost.com/2006/06/16/recipe-for-a-revolting-mess/ |access-date=2026-03-17 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=2006-06-16 |title=Meet the New Boss, Once Again, in 'Land of the Blind' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/16/movies/meet-the-new-boss-once-again-in-land-of-the-blind.html |access-date=2026-03-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Plot== An unnamed country is ruled by a petulant tyrant named Maximilian II (often called Junior) whose primary interests include selfish pleasure, micromanaging the country’s schlocky film industry, and enjoying sexual games with his beautiful, yet cruel, wife Josephine. His regime is barely tolerated due to the violence dealt by anti-government terrorists.

One such subversive revolutionary, a dissident philosopher and playwright named John Thorne, is held in a state prison, where he is guarded by a man named Joe. Joe comes to learn from Thorne and respect him for his bearing and intellect, if not his message. Junior, trying to quash spiraling dissent, takes the risk of letting Thorne out of jail, hoping to have him become not a great folk hero but another greedy, dishonest politician. Joe, too, is soon promoted to one of the guards at the palace and a position in the country's elite military unit, where he becomes so disgusted by the excesses of Junior and Josephine that he allows Thorne and his followers to enter the palace and kill them. Thorne becomes the new ruler, with an even more totalitarian regime. His government encourages separating children from their parents, imposes [[veganism]], bans action movies, oppresses women, and eliminates imported medicine all while sending the country's professional classes to grim re-education camps.

For his assistance in assassinating the dictator, Joe is hailed as a hero by Thorne. Nevertheless, as Joe realizes that his one-time friend is just as bad as, if not worse than, his predecessor, he refuses to ally with the new regime. For this, Thorne sends Joe to a re-education camp. Subjected to numerous beatings and isolation, he continually refuses to sign his loyalty oath. His psyche begins to dramatically deteriorate as he is interrogated and tortured, seemingly discovering layers of bizarre hidden conspiracy within the camp and the broader regime of his former friend.

Thorne is killed in his bath by one of his once loyal followers. The revolutionary government is quickly overthrown. Junior's in-laws and nephew are revealed to have escaped during Thorne's revolution and, having lived in exile, have returned to re-establish the old government, and former collaborators and torturers return to civilian life. Joe’s legal case remains in limbo for having destroyed the old government, but also never having 'played ball' with the new one, so he remains in prison indefinitely. Twelve years later, he writes his memoirs while under house arrest, his sanity possibly still shattered.

==Cast== *[[Ralph Fiennes]] as Joe *[[Donald Sutherland]] as John Thorne (later Chairman Thorne) *[[Tom Hollander]] as President Maximilian II (a.k.a. "Junior") *[[Lara Flynn Boyle]] as First Lady Josephine *[[Marc Warren]] as Pool *[[Ron Cook]] as Doc *[[Robert Daws]] as Jones *[[Laura Fraser]] as Madeleine *[[Jonathan Hyde]] as Smith *[[Camilla Rutherford]] as Tania *[[Don Warrington]] as First Sergeant *[[Miranda Raison]] as Daisy, Joe's Daughter *[[Mackenzie Crook]] as Editor *[[Michael Smiley]] as Thorne’s Lieutenant *[[Nitin Ganatra]] as Prison Official *[[Jodhi May]] as Joe’s Mother (uncredited)

== Historical references == {{unreferenced section|date=February 2018}} Historical references in the film include [[Jean-Paul Marat]] (from the [[French Revolution]]), [[Kim Jong-Il]], [[Joseph Stalin]], [[Benito Mussolini]], [[Augusto Pinochet]], [[Anastasio Somoza Debayle]], [[François Duvalier]], [[Rudolf Hess]], [[Jean-Claude Duvalier]], [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], [[Julius Caesar]] (from [[William Shakespeare]]'s play), [[Robert Mugabe]], [[Ngo Dinh Diem]], [[Idi Amin]], the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|PIRA]] [[Maze prison]] [[1981 Irish hunger strike|protests]], U.S. [[POW]]s in [[Vietnam]], the [[Weatherman (organization)|Weathermen]] terrorist group, the [[Khmer Rouge]], the [[Iranian Revolution|1979 Revolution in Iran]], and the subsequent [[Iranian Cultural Revolution of 1980-1987|Cultural Revolution]] in that country.

==Critical reception== The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports that 17% out of 18 professional film critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 4.1/10.<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1162685-land_of_the_blind/ Land of the Blind]. ''Rotten Tomatoes''. [[Flixster]]. Retrieved 14 October 2012.</ref>

==References== {{More citations needed|date=December 2007}} {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=0433405|title=Land of the Blind}} * [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7943-2076056,00.html "Sitting in the dock of the Bay: Ralph Fiennes talks about movies of conscience"]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''Times'' Online, 9 March 2006 * [http://www.newstatesman.com/200603200039 "Rights and Wrongs," New Statesman] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090226234716/http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/film/6259/land-of-the-blind Time Out New York, "Land of the Blind"] * [http://efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2043 "Pretty shocking stuff. A very provocative film," Jeffrey Lyons] * Holden, Stephen. [http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/06/16/movies/16blin.html "Meet the New Boss, Once Again, in 'Land of the Blind'"], ''The New York Times'', 16 June 2006 * Schwarzbaum, Lisa. [https://ew.com/article/2006/06/14/land-blind/ Review] in ''Entertainment Weekly'' * {{rotten-tomatoes|id=1162685_land_of_the_blind|title=Land of the Blind}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070814055525/http://movies.monstersandcritics.com/archive/moviearchive.php/Land_of_the_Blind/7345 Monsters and Critics Interview: Director Robert Edwards] * [http://www.mcnblogs.com/reeler/archives/2006/06/fiennes_edwards_lead_the_blind.html "Fiennes, Edwards Lead the 'Blind' Once More in Tribeca," The Reeler] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090227051519/http://www.greencine.com/central/node/225?page=0%2C2 "Laughing in the Dark with Robert Edwards," GreenCine]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Land Of The Blind}} [[Category:2006 films]] [[Category:2006 drama films]] [[Category:American satirical films]] [[Category:2006 English-language films]] [[Category:2006 American films]] [[Category:British satirical films]] [[Category:2006 British films]] [[Category:British dystopian films]]