Orlando

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Orlando

PG-13

Released Jun 9, 1993

1h 33m

Fantasy

History

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

64 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In 1600, nobleman Orlando (Tilda Swinton) inherits his parents' house, thanks to Queen Elizabeth I (Quentin Crisp), who commands the young man to never change. After a disastrous affair with Russian princess Sasha (Charlotte Valandrey), Orlando looks for solace in the arts before being appointed ambassador to Constantinople in 1700, where war is raging. One morning, Orlando is shocked to wake up as a woman and returns home, struggling as a female to retain her property as the centuries roll by.

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Critics Consensus

Orlando can't match its visual delights with equally hefty narrative -- but it's so much fun to watch that it doesn't need to.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

It sometimes teeters on the edge of complacency, but it has a trance-inducing strangeness and Swinton is insouciantly magnetic at all times.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 9, 2023

Full Review

Natalie Marlin

Bitch Media

Orlando’s story is not confined to 1928, nor 1992. It does not fade, it does not wither, it does not grow old. It lives as long as Orlando does.

Apr 1, 2022

Full Review

Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Potter's ironies, veering between the blunt and the exquisite, the oblique and the confrontational, expose the cruel hazards of nature and the perversities of culture.

Nov 21, 2020

Full Review

Lynn C. Miller

Texas Triangle/TXT

Audiences who enjoy the process of unfolding that this movie affords, with its wry commentary on sex, love, and freedom, will enjoy Orlando.

May 7, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A light and lively adaptation of the Virginia Woolf novel.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 5, 2022

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

'Orlando', Sally Potter's second film as director, strikes me as a period drama with noble intentions about gender identity and the long journey of female freedom, but its fantasy tale lacks grace and some vigor. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Apr 30, 2021

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Tyler S

Read the book in class and just watched the movie to follow up. Was not really a fan of the book, and was not really a fan of the movie. Plot was not as interesting, and things just felt way too slow. I'm sure if you loved the book, you'll love this. Just not for me.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/24/25

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Charmaine B

Different. Somewhat ethereal, philosophical, and your brain gets exposed to places and images that are not your usual, which is nice. But I've never been a fan of breaking the fourth wall.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/25

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dania n

Якщо в вас буде вибір або подивитись цей фільм, або переїхати жити у ліс, де ви змушені будете кожен день їсти тіль гівно медведя, і запивати водою з калюжі обирайте другий варіант. Врятуйте свою психіку

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/25

Full Review

S R

Saw it since it was on the SnS22 list. Sadly, despite its visuals, it did not have much to offer in terms of value. The premise was interesting, but then it devolved into symbolic gender and motherhood, losing me on the way. It could have been much more refined and less artistic to make it more entertaining and less tedious. I will not see it again. SLC library dvd.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/27/25

Full Review

Mx S

Weird and confusing at times but fun and aesthetic as hell. Just relax and enjoy it without trying to invest too much in the "plot".

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/25/24

Full Review

Maria G

Although it's a very beautiful movie, it lacks of plot and energy. It's a contemplative movie, but if your feeling sleepy, better watch something else. They really did a job reproducing Virgina Wolf troubling narrative.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/20/24

Full Review

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Sally Potter

Director

Tilda Swinton

Orlando

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Lothaire Bluteau

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Synopsis

In 1600, nobleman Orlando (Tilda Swinton) inherits his parents' house, thanks to Queen Elizabeth I (Quentin Crisp), who commands the young man to never change. After a disastrous affair with Russian princess Sasha (Charlotte Valandrey), Orlando looks for solace in the arts before being appointed ambassador to Constantinople in 1700, where war is raging. One morning, Orlando is shocked to wake up as a woman and returns home, struggling as a female to retain her property as the centuries roll by.

Director: Sally Potter
Producer: Christopher Sheppard
Screenwriter: Sally Potter
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Rio, Adventure Pictures, Sigma, Lenfilm Studio, Mikado Films, British Screen Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy, History, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 9, 1993, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jul 23, 2010
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.7M
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Surround

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