The appearance of innocence. The heat of desire...

A story of passionate obsession.


In this erotic thriller, a young English couple on vacation in Venice find themselves seduced by a mysterious older couple. Mary (Natasha Richardson) and Colin (Rupert Everett) have come to Italy to chart the future of their troubled relationship. They soon meet Robert (Christopher Walken), the enigmatic owner of a picturesque watering hole. He entertains them with copious vino and colorful stories of a childhood spent with a brutal, domineering father. Later, drunk and lost in the maze-like city, the couple once again encounter Robert, who puts them up at his gorgeous villa. They also meet his wife, Caroline (Helen Mirren), who suffers from crippling back pain and obvious emotional instability. Fascinated by the glamorous older couple but disturbed by their dysfunctions, Colin and Mary find themselves slowly drawn into sexual and emotional games that culminate in sudden violence. Directed by Paul Schrader, The Comfort of Strangers was adapted by playwright Harold Pinter from the novel by Ian McEwan. Richardson previously starred in Patty Hearst, Schrader's portrait of the newspaper heiress-turned-terrorist.

It is a movie about relationships between two distinct and very different couples. Colin (Rupert Everett) and Mary (Natasha Richardson) are a British couple vacationing in Venice for the second time. They are not married, but Mary has two children, who have been left at home with her mother. We are shown glimpses of a tall man dressed in white, who seems to be observing them from afar. Late one night, they become lost as they search for a restaurant. As they wander around, they meet Robert (Christopher Walken), the British-Italian owner of a local bar. He is the very elegant-looking man in all white. Over several bottles of wine, he tells them stories about his sadistic father who was an Italian diplomat. Robert also talks of the cruel tricks his younger sisters played upon him.
After this late evening, Colin and Mary try to walk back to their hotel through the labyrinthine streets of Venice. However, they lose their way and are forced to sleep in the streets. In the morning, hung-over and hungry, they make their way to an outdoor restaurant in the square at St Mark's Basilica. There they see Robert, and after realizing his thoughtlessness at not guiding them back to where they stay, he insists they come back to his home and dine there. They discover he and his wife Caroline (Helen Mirren) live in a spacious Moorish-styled apartment which is like a museum.
The purpose of Colin’s and Mary’s trip is also to revitalize their relationship, and they decide to marry upon their return to England. However, Robert and Caroline are a very mysterious couple who attract and repulse the other pair. Robert is clearly obsessed with his past. He also seems suspect of women’s power over men. Gradually, he draws them further into his influence much as a spider entraps his prey.

Release Date: March 29, 1991


Distrib: Skouras

Boxoffice: $1,244,381 2014: $2,468,100