User:Mynheer Chrome

Draft update to article The Serpent's Kiss.

The Serpent's Kiss is a 1997 film directed by Philippe Rousselot. It is a story about a Dutch garden architect named Meneer Chrome (Ewan McGregor) who has been hired by a wealthy metalworker (Pete Postlethwaite) to create an extravagant garden. The film also stars Greta Scacchi and Richard E. Grant.

The film was entered into the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot
Thomas Smithers (Postlethwaite), who has made his fortune in metalwork, hires Meneer Chrome (McGregor), a famous garden designer, to create the most extravagant garden imaginable out of his wild property. However, Chrome has already been employed by Fitzmaurice (Grant), the cousin of Smithers' wife Juliana (Scacchi), for the purpose of bankrupting Smithers. Fitzmaurice's purpose in this is to take back Juliana as his lover, but she becomes attracted to Chrome, who is falling in love with Anne, the Smithers' mysterious daughter. Anne, however, is contemptuous of Chrome (and, indeed, of everyone she meets, filtering them and everything else around her through the poems of Andrew Marvell); her parents subject her to numerous "treatments," thinking her mentally unstable and wishing to cure her. These treatments cause Chrome to pity her, outbursting to the Puritan doctor at one point, "You're sick, she's not! Heal yourself!"

As the garden grows increasingly more complex and Smithers approaches bankruptcy, Fitzmaurice realizes that Chrome's affection for Anne is making him a liability; first he threatens to reveal Chrome's true identity to Smithers, then he plots to kill him by poisoning. Fitzmaurice's plan backfires, however, and he falls victim to his own poison. Juliana abandons her adulterous intentions, which her husband remains unaware of, and turns to support Smithers, who is bankrupt from his garden project obsession. Anne and Chrome, revealed to be Chrome's assistant, go to the sea together where Anne throws away her book of poetry.

Development
The story was originally conceived by Tim Rose Price in 1990. While living in a 17th century manor house in Gloucestershire, a storm damaged much of the surrounding landscaping. The screenplay eventually made its way to John Battsek in 1993. Battsek formed Rose Price Battsek Productions with Price shortly afterwards. The newly formed RPB Productions then enlisted the help of producer Robert Jones and Trinity Productions in 1995. Filming was delayed for one year while searching for a suitable location and then commenced in early 1996.

Casting
McGregor was cast in 1995 and remained committed after breakthrough success in Trainspotting. "I was offered a lot of other films but I was always going to do this," said McGregor. Carmen Chaplin made her English language debut as Thea. She was the first to audition for the role and was eventually cast after no one else fit the role.

Filming
Filming took place almost exclusively at a country manor house, Mount Ievers Court, in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare, Ireland. The house dates back to 1731 and was refurbished for production. The majority of the design involved the construction of the wilderness and garden. The wilderness was planted in a pasture around a pond in February 1996. The formal garden was constructed in the summer while filming continued indoors. The entire venture, covering over an acre, was completed in 9 days.

Cast

 * Ewan McGregor as Meneer Chrome
 * Greta Scacchi as Juliana
 * Pete Postlethwaite as Thomas Smithers
 * Richard E. Grant as James Fitzmaurice
 * Carmen Chaplin as Thea / Anna
 * Donal McCann as Physician
 * Charley Boorman as Secretary
 * Gerard McSorley as Mr. Galmoy
 * Britta Smith as Mrs. Galmoy
 * Susan Fitzgerald as Mistress Clevely
 * Pat Laffan as Pritchard
 * Rúaidhrí Conroy as Physician's Assistant
 * Henry King as Lead Reaper

Locations

 * Part of the film was shot in the County Clare village of Sixmilebridge in the Republic of Ireland.

Beginning of a Friendship
This film also marks the start of Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor's long running friendship that would eventually lead to their trip 'round the world: Long Way Round and is referenced in the documentary.