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The film “Grand Tour,” produced by MUBI, has been selected as Portugal’s official entry for the Best International Feature category at the Oscars in 2025. This marks the third time that director Miguel Gomes has had a film chosen for this prestigious honor; his prior nominations were for “Our Beloved Month of August” in 2008 and “Arabian Nights: Volume 2 — The Desolate One” in 2015. However, Gomes is adopting a different approach this time by actively engaging in the Oscar campaign.
“Grand Tour” tells the story of Edward, a civil servant who, on his wedding day in Rangoon in 1918, unexpectedly abandons his fiancée, Molly. His journey is marked by a transition from panic to a sense of melancholy, while Molly, determined to marry Edward, follows him across Asia. Gomes noted that the inspiration for this film partly stemmed from his own wedding day, though he humorously downplayed its accuracy, stating, “That’s a more romantic version of the story, so I kind of like it, but it didn’t happen.”
The narrative was influenced by Somerset Maugham’s book “The Gentleman in the Parlour,” which describes a journey through Southeast Asia. Gomes recounted a particular story from the book where a man flees his wedding, only to be pursued by his fiancée. The tale’s elements of humor, particularly regarding cowardice and the determination of women, resonated with Gomes as he reflected on the themes of his film.
He further elucidated, “We checked the authenticity of this story… but there are no records of this marriage,” suggesting that it might have been more of a jest about human relationships than a historical fact.
In terms of production, Gomes undertook a personal journey through Southeast Asia, capturing modern landscapes he intended to juxtapose with the narrative. He sought to highlight a sense of continuity across time, yet he acknowledged that the innocence of discovery has shifted in today’s world, where countless travelers have documented their experiences online, often reducing the sense of novelty in exploration.
“I imagine that being a traveler 100 years ago would be much more adventurous than today,” Gomes explained, underscoring the challenge filmmakers face in capturing genuine amazement in a world inundated with visuals. His criteria for filming locations were based on what inspired awe or laughter, reflecting the emotional spectrum he wanted to convey.
Creating studio environments for the film presented its challenges as well. Gomes expressed frustration with the artistic team at times over their fidelity to the original aesthetics, highlighting a balance between budget constraints and artistic vision. He drew parallels to classic films like “The Wizard of Oz,” asserting that both reality and fantasy play critical roles in cinema. For Gomes, his filmmaking seeks to blend the ordinary with the extraordinary, offering viewers a reflection of life that extends beyond mere reality.
This deliberate interplay between contemporary settings and fantastical elements aims to engage audiences and evoke a sense of nostalgia combined with wonder, positioning “Grand Tour” as a unique cinematic experience reflecting both the past and the present.
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Source
www.goldderby.com