aquastar36 The 1992 independent movie Orlando is directed by Sally Potter. The main character, the omni-sexual hero-heroine of the story, Orlando, is played by Tilda Swinton. Orlando is based on Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel about an Elizabethan nobleman who remains youthful and changes sex as he lives through four centuries. The story begins in 1603 when Queen Elizabeth I tells Orlando to never grow old before awarding him with a grand estate. He starts his journey of love, poetry, finding his place in society, and searches for a meaning in life. The story follows Orlando's life experiences of love, life, and gender issues.In this film, there are some important aspects to reflect upon. Orlando includes the audience in the story as he/she speaks to us during a significant point or gives us a telling look. I thought that it was unnecessary to address the audience because when she slowly turns her head and gives us the deadpan expression, it seems strange and creepy. The film offers no explanation as to why Orlando suddenly changes from man to woman overnight. The intertitles over the course of the movie helped because it announces or labels the main focus and century during that time period that Orlando is living in. ***Spoiler*** The ending in the film leaves the audience questioning what would happen next as well as wondering why there were signing baby angels in the sky.The audience can identify the sexual roles during the different centuries. Orlando is a man in the beginning and exhibits feminine qualities and traits like poetry and love. It becomes a reversal as Orlando changes into a woman. She is independent, strong, and more masculine in some ways. We see that when Orlando was a man, he had the legal right to own property but when he returned as a woman from his ambassador trip in the Far East, she lost it all. This reinforced the belief that women are the second sex. In the late 20th century, we see that Orlando is driving a motorcycle and returning to the mansion that was once hers with her child in tow. Women and gender have changed throughout the centuries. It was also interesting to see Orlando as a man being disappointed in love and opening up to love again as a women.I really liked the settings in the movie. They really helped enhance the story. I was impressed by the historical detail and some of the notable moments, for example, Queen Elizabeth's entrance, the royal party on the lake, and the gardens. The background music and the costumes were a very important aspect during throughout the film. We can see that in the beginning of the movie, men's fashion and vanities exceeded the women during Queen Elizabeth's reign. The music helps create a dreamy atmosphere throughout the whole movie as Orlando drifts from century to century.I thought that this film was alright but very interesting at the same time and I would still be willing to watch it a second time because the story was confusing at first. I would like to read the novel by Virginia Woolf someday because I like to compare and contrast the movie and book. Overall, the movie is filled with beautiful scenes, great actors and actresses, and a good representation of how gender is viewed throughout the centuries. It is an interesting movie and If you like fantasy and gender-benders then I recommend it!

Danneq The first time I saw this movie, I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Not having read the book it is based on, I couldn't understand things such as why the Orlando character kept changing from womens to mens clothes. Now I have seen it 4-5 times in total and I've got it on DVD. On repeated viewings I have managed to catch the story and I find it to have a profound depth.Orlando is at the same time the main character and not really a part of this world. He/she goes through the centuries trying to connect to people but at the same time being different and separated from them, as if caught in a glass bubble. Not until Orlando becomes a mother, he/she truly becomes a part of this world.It is not a movie for everyone. If you want a "good film", i.e. something easily digestible, you might not like it or even hate it. If you are prepared to be open and let the movie "sink into you", you might like it very much.I would give the movie itself an 8. The uniqueness of the movie and how it lingers in my mind after watching it, and how it improves on each viewing makes me give it a 10.

Alex Radcliff This movie is about an hour and a half of staring at Tilda Swinton as she stares back at you. Saying that Orlando turned into a woman because he couldn't handle killing another human being is retarded. Women kill people too. They have been doing it as long as men have.I love the book, love it, and I am usually quite open to loose adaptation, but this is one case where the director was in love with showing the different time periods and had skewed ideas about gender.I understand that the book is odd, that it isn't the most cinematic, but maybe that's why the director/writer should have let this project alone. Having Tilda Swinton stare at the camera every five minutes did not add to any themes or ideas, nor did it enhance the plot. It was just creepy and slow moving.Also, what was with the weird singing angel at the end? I mean, what could that have possibly meant? P.S. I wanted a Fly Loo scene.

Gloede_The_Saint What in the world do we gather from this film. Tilda Swinton plays the never aging male/female lord/lady Orlando. Queen Elizabeth I is also played by the "wrong" sex.When the young lord Orlando inherits the queens estate it's on the promise that he will always stay young and he does. What follows is a biography covering about 400 years and a sex change.This is indeed a fun look at the roles held by the two sexes during the course of these centuries. Though it does play more or less as a drama it has large shades of comedy as well. For one we have Orlando often throwing a few comments to the viewers about the plot + the ridiculousness of the whole set-up.Swinton is most certainly up for the challenge here. Portraying the ever changing lord/lady through this most strange journey. With wits and elegance this film comes off as one of the kind and something which should be experienced.