The Dead takes place in early twentieth century Dublin at a vibrant holiday feast. Couple Gretta (Angelica Huston) and Gabiel (Donal McCann) seem to share a comfortable life. But that night, a familiar voice recalls poignant memories and Gabriel learns of his wife’s unforgotten love.

Beware: John Huston’s (Key Largo, The Maltese Falcon, Annie) precious last film, The Dead, hovered around 83 minutes theatrically, so perhaps the greatest disappointment for fans and newcomers like me will be this DVD’s 73 minute run time. What’s up with that? Perhaps this is the televised version to accommodate commercials. But it is a disappointment.

Anyway….

Based on the short story The Dead from the Dubliners collection by James Joyce, Huston chose this story to pay homage to his Ireland heritage, love of the author, and to work with his daughter Angelica and his son Tony who wrote the Oscar-nominated script. The film was released to strong reviews at the time. But does it hold up?

The dinner party includes some dancing, political sparring at dinner, and few musical numbers by the guests. Each of these events are ordinary without any high drama; people are simply getting together for a nice time. The film’s nature is quaint and sweet - certain to bore particular target audiences. The final act of Gretta’s affecting memory from a song is a nice touch but nothing too significant.

The drama is much like a play with few scene changes and frequent dialogue. And indeed a New York friend of mine, who saw both film and the stage play, said the play was superior. The film is amiable and I like it fine, but it’s hard to get excited about the waning character development or lack of revelations. While I wished Huston had chosen more vibrant material, at least the film looks respectable.

Huston’s film is very confident and seems relatively well-realized. The Oscar-nominated wardrobe by costume designer Dorothy Jeakins looks very nice though far from amazing. The camera movements around the actions of people coming and going around the house have a nice feel. Roberto Silvi’s editing matches the acting beats well. Cinematographer Fred Murphy captures traditional compositions that are fine but frequently uninspired. Each of the actors are relatively distinct and play their respective roles well. Angelica Huston has some of the best moments near the end, and her giraffe-like stature adds an operatic feel to her moments.

John Huston’s The Dead has some loving touches, sprinkles of comedy, and wise talent. But it’s hard to deny that the material choice is a bland final bow from a Hollywood legend.