The House of the Spirits (1993)

Director:

Bille August

Writers:

Isabel Allende (novel)
Bille August (writer)

Release Date:

1 April 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Chile, second half of the 20th century. The poor Esteban marries Clara and they get a daughter, Blanca...

Plot Keywords:

Senator | Martial Law | Selective Mutism | Torture | Corporal Punishment

Awards:

11 wins

Cast

Meryl Streep	...	Clara del Valle Trueba
Glenn Close	...	Férula Trueba
Jeremy Irons	...	Esteban Trueba
Winona Ryder	...	Blanca Trueba
Antonio Banderas	...	Pedro Tercero García
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Nívea del Valle
Maria Conchita Alonso	...	Tránsito Soto
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Severo del Valle
Jan Niklas	...	Count Jean de Satigny
Sarita Choudhury	...	Pancha García
António Assunção	...	Man at Cattlemarket (as António Assumpção)
Julie Balloo	...	Young Lady
Frank Baker	...	Intelligence Officer
João Cabral	...	Soldier
Miguel Guilherme	...	Soldier
José Mora Ramos	...	Soldier
Victor Rocha	...	Soldier
Carlos César	...	Ambassador's Driver
Alexandre de Sousa	...	Esteban's Driver
Rogério Claro	...	Man in Club
Edith Clement	...	Midwife
Miriam Colon	...	Nana
Oscar A. Colon	...	Sheriff
Franco Diogent	...	Man at the Party (as Franco Diogene)
Pedro Efe	...	Interrogation Officer
Fran Fullenwider	...	Emer Trueba
Vincent Gallo	...	Esteban García
Mamie Gummer	...	Clara del Valle, as a Child (as Jane Gray)
Sasha Hanau	...	Alba García de Satigny Trueba
Denys Hawthorne	...	Politician
Frank Lenart	...	Interviewer
Lone Lindorff	...	Maid
Josh Maguire	...	Pedro Tercero García, as a Child
Joaquín Martínez	...	Pedro Segundo García (as Joaquin Martinez)
Steve Mason	...	Maestro
Jean Michel	...	Musician
Luís Pinhão	...	Woodcarver (as Luis Pinhão)
Teri Polo	...	Rosa del Valle
Vivian Reis	...	Indian Girl (as Viviana Reis)
Carlos Rodrigues	...	Postman
Manuela Santos	...	Saleswoman
Joost Siedhoff	...	Father Antonio
Hellmuth O. Stuven	...	TV General
Hannah Taylor-Gordon	...	Blanca Trueba, as a Child
Jaime Tirelli	...	Oliver
Martin Umbach	...	TV Reporter
Hans Wyprächtiger	...	Dr. Cuevas
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Osvaldo Canhita	...	Man (uncredited)
Heitor Lourenço	...	Man (uncredited)
Hector Vega Mauricio	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Florbela Oliveira	...	Extra (uncredited)
Isabel Simões	...	Extra (uncredited)
Anabela Teixeira	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Bille August

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Isabel Allende		novel "La Casa De Los Espíritus"
Bille August		writer

Produced by
Bernd Eichinger	....	producer
Edwin Leicht	....	executive producer
Thomas Lydholm	....	line producer
Dieter Meyer	....	executive producer
Martin Moszkowicz	....	co-producer
Mark Rosenberg	....	executive producer
Paula Weinstein	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by
Jörgen Persson

Film Editing by
Janus Billeskov Jansen

Casting by
Billy Hopkins
Suzanne Smith

Production Design by
Anna Asp

Set Decoration by
Søren Gam

Costume Design by
Barbara Baum

Makeup Department
Zita Almeida	....	hair stylist: Portugal
Zita Almeida	....	makeup artist: Portugal
Elisabeth Bukkehave	....	makeup artist: Denmark
Mónica Campino	....	hair stylist: Portugal
Mónica Campino	....	makeup artist: Portugal
Martial Corneville	....	hair stylist Ms. Close
Sano De Perpessac	....	hair stylist: Portugal
Sano De Perpessac	....	makeup artist: Portugal
Linda DeVetta	....	hair stylist: Mr. Irons
Linda DeVetta	....	makeup artist: Mr. Irons
Nick Dudman	....	makeup effects artist
J. Roy Helland	....	hair stylist: Ms. Streep
J. Roy Helland	....	makeup artist: Ms. Streep
Geraldine Kunz	....	hair stylist
Geraldine Kunz	....	makeup artist
Elisabeth Lopes	....	hair stylist: Portugal
Elisabeth Lopes	....	makeup artist: Portugal
Birthe Lyngsøe	....	makeup artist: Denmark
Mira Palmeira Gonçales	....	hair stylist: Portugal
Mira Palmeira Gonçales	....	makeup artist: Portugal
Isabel Queiroga	....	hair stylist: Portugal
Isabel Queiroga	....	makeup artist: Portugal
Jean-Luc Russier	....	makeup artist for Ms. Close
Horst Stadlinger	....	makeup effects
Ana Maria Torres	....	hair stylist: Portugal
Ana Maria Torres	....	makeup artist: Portugal
Fátima Vieira	....	hair stylist: Portugal
Fátima Vieira	....	makeup artist: Portugal

Production Management
Jaime Campos	....	unit manager: Portugal
Marianne Christensen	....	production manager
Stephanie Hörmann	....	post-production manager
António Seabra	....	production manager: Portugal

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sérgio Carlos	....	first assistant director: Portugal
Raul Correia	....	second assistant director: Portugal
John Duthie	....	second assistant director
Tim Lewis	....	second assistant director
Jorge Queiroga	....	second assistant director: Portugal
Guy Travers	....	assistant director

Art Department
Alex Alsterlund	....	painter: Denmark and Portugal
António Alves	....	carpenter: Portugal
José Alves	....	carpenter: Portugal
Poul Erik Andersen	....	carpenter: Denmark
Carlos Aniceto	....	carpenter: Portugal
Fernando Areal	....	stand-by painter
Ivar Baungaard	....	property master
João Caimario	....	prop man: Portugal
Francisco Coelho	....	carpenter: Portugal
Berlindo Correira	....	carpenter: Portugal
Silvio Correira	....	carpenter: Portugal
Domingos Costa	....	carpenter: Portugal
Mogens Cranzer	....	carpenter: Denmark
José Da Concenção	....	carpenter: Portugal
Jens Degerbøl	....	carpenter: Denmark
Antonio dos Santos	....	property labor: Portugal
Maria Gonzaga	....	propman: Portugal
Peter Grant	....	property master: Denmark
Teddy Holm	....	painter: Portugal
José Homem	....	carpenter: Portugal
John Johansen	....	carpenter: Denmark
Leo Jørgart	....	construction manager: Denmark
Christian Jul Hansen	....	painter: Denmark
Jørgen Krogh	....	painter: Denmark
Martti Malkamaa	....	construction manager: Portugal
Love Malmsten	....	draughtsman: Denmark
Victor Marques	....	carpenter: Portugal
Daniel Martins	....	carpenter: Portugal
João Martins	....	property master: Portugal
José Matos	....	construction manager: Portugal
Augusto Mayer	....	art director: Portugal
Adelino Mesquita	....	carpenter: Portugal
Fernanda Morais	....	propman: Portugal
Flemming Moser	....	painter: Denmark
Carlos Moura	....	carpenter: Portugal
Nico	....	property master: Denmark
Hans Erik Olsen	....	painter: Denmark
Luís Filipe Osório	....	propman: Portugal
Johnny Pedersen	....	painter: Denmark
René Pejl	....	head painter: Denmark
José Pereira	....	property labor: Portugal
António Perreira	....	carpenter: Portugal
José Perreira	....	construction labor: Portugal
Paulo Perreira	....	carpenter: Portugal
Carlos Pontes	....	carpenter: Portugal
Mick Raaschou	....	carpenter: Denmark
Anders Reffelt	....	carpenter: Denmark
Jorge Rocha	....	carpenter: Portugal
José Sampano	....	construction labor: Portugal
Alfonso Sanguesa	....	painter: Portugal
Francisco Santos	....	carpenter: Portugal
Victor Sequiera	....	construction labor: Portugal
Manuel Serapio	....	construction labor: Portugal
Carlos Silvingha	....	property labor: Portugal
Søren Simonsen	....	painter: Denmark
Torben Skalleræk	....	carpenter: Denmark
Søren Krag Sørensen	....	assistant to production designer: Denmark
Vördur Thorisson	....	painter: Portugal
João Torres	....	propman: Portugal
Alfredo Vaz	....	property labor: Portugal
Manuel Ventura	....	construction labor: Portugal
Annelie Wemstad	....	assistant art director
Thomas Westi	....	carpenter: Denmark
John Wexøe	....	painter: Denmark

Sound Department
Martin Saabye Andersen	....	boom operator
Niels Arild	....	sound (as Niels Arild Nielsen)
Solweig Bores	....	foley editor
Uschi Busse	....	foley editor
Eva Claudius	....	dialogue editor
Beatrice Festerling	....	sound editor trainee
Jo Fürst	....	foley artist
Rebecca Khanide	....	foley assistant
Darcy Kite	....	adr recordist
Michael Kranz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Veronika Manchot	....	assistant dialogue editor
Abi Schneider	....	foley engineer
Andreas Schneider	....	foley artist (as Andi Schneider)
Andrea Strubl	....	foley editor
Silvana Zafosnik	....	sound assistant

Special Effects by
Filipe Cardoso	....	special effects: Portugal
Chris Corbould	....	special effects technician
Steve Hamilton	....	special effects technician
David Harris	....	special effects
Darren May	....	special effects technician
Christine Overs	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Thorsten Binte	....	matte artist

Stunts
Miguel Fredecosa	....	stunt coordinator
Nathalie Guijaro	....	stunts: Portugal
Aimaro Quiroga	....	stunts: Portugal
José María Serrano	....	stunts: Portugal

Camera and Electrical Department
Carlos Assis	....	assistant camera: Portugal second unit
Søren Bay	....	electrician: Denmark
Søren Berthelin	....	assistant camera
Jakob Bonfils	....	grip: Denmark
Torben Borup Madsen	....	best boy: Denmark
René Brokholm	....	rigging crew: Denmark
Ludwig Brunnshofer	....	electrician: Portugal
Amílcar Carrajola	....	assistant camera: Portugal second unit
Fernando Cerqueira	....	electrician: Portugal
António Costa	....	assistant camera: Portugal second unit
Carlos Diogo	....	electrician: Portugal
Luís Gaspar	....	best boy: Portugal
Viggo Grumme	....	electrician: Denmark
Jan Guldbrandsen	....	rigging crew: Denmark
Anette Haellmigk	....	camera operator
Anette Haellmigk	....	director of photography: second unit
Jürgen Hahn	....	electrician: Portugal
Jan Michael Jensen	....	electrician: Denmark
Rolf Konow	....	still photographer
Mark Mavrinac	....	rigging crew: Denmark
António Milheiro	....	electrician: Portugal
Thomas Neivelt	....	best boy
Victor Nobre	....	clapper loader
Mogens Otte	....	electrician: Denmark
João Pequeno	....	electrician: Portugal
Jose Pichel	....	key grip: Portugal
Americo Pinto	....	stand-by grip: Portugal
Manuel Ramos	....	stand-by grip: Portugal
Søren Krag Sørensen	....	gaffer
Emil Sparre-Ulrich	....	electrician: Denmark
Mads Thomsen	....	assistant camera
José Tiago	....	assistant camera: Portugal second unit
Hans-Peter Vogt	....	electrician: Portugal

Casting Department
Kerry Barden	....	casting associate: Los Angeles
José Pedro Borges	....	casting assistant: Portugal
Tove Berg Bramsen	....	casting: Denmark
Luisa Ciulio	....	casting assistant: Portugal
Carmen Fonseca	....	casting assistant: Portugal
Ann Goulder	....	casting associate: New York
Teresa Guerreiro	....	extras casting: Portugal
Michelle Guish	....	casting: London
Diana Jaher	....	assistant casting: USA
Lisa Kes	....	casting: Munich
Miguel Robalo	....	casting assistant: Portugal

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bina Daigeler	....	wardrobe mistress
Constanze Donath	....	wardrobe mistress
Tine Engelbrecht	....	wardrobe mistress: Denmark
Rita Godinho	....	wardrobe mistress: Portugal
Jenny Hawkins	....	wardrobe mistress
Irene	....	wardrobe mistress: Portugal
Georg Kuhn	....	wardrobe master
Silvia Meireles	....	wardrobe mistress: Portugal
Michael O'Connor	....	wardrobe supervisor
Madalena Poppe	....	wardrobe mistress: Portugal
Else Prangsgaard	....	seamstress: Denmark
Rosário Rafael	....	seamstress: Portugal
Manuela Riobom	....	wardrobe mistress: Portugal

Editorial Department
Trine Andersen	....	apprentice editor
Merete Brusendorf	....	second assistant editor
Katharina Faig	....	negative editor
Felix Haß	....	editing room trainee
Gudrun Heider	....	first assistant editor
Kasper Leick	....	first assistant editor
Karin Moser	....	negative editor
Wolfgang Pötsch	....	color grader
Camilla Skousen	....	second editor

Music Department
Daniel Brock	....	music coordinator
Nick Glennie-Smith	....	orchestrator
Malcolm Luker	....	score mixer
Georg Naschke	....	music consultant
Fiachra Trench	....	conductor
Fiachra Trench	....	orchestrator
Hans Zimmer	....	music arranger

Transportation Department
Alcino Almeida	....	driver: Portugal
João Amorim	....	driver: Portugal
Manuel Amorim	....	driver: Portugal
Carlos Barretio	....	driver: Portugal
Brian Baverstock	....	driver: Portugal
Malene Bendtsen	....	driver: Ms. Streep: Denmark
José Caftano	....	driver: Portugal
Tony Castle	....	driver: Mr. Irons, Denmark
Carlos Condie	....	driver: Ms. Close, Portugal
José Dantas	....	driver: Ms. Ryder: Portugal
Jeppe Ellegaard	....	driver: Denmark
Rui Ferreira	....	driver: Portugal
Gary Fidler	....	driver: Portugal
Larry Foules	....	driver: Portugal
Andreas Fugl Thøgersen	....	driver: Ms. Ryder: Denmark
Gino	....	driver: Portugal
João Gomes	....	driver: Portugal
Maria Helena	....	driver: Portugal
Christian Junget Madsen	....	driver: Denmark
Townsley Knott	....	driver: Portugal
Joaquim Lopes	....	driver: Mr. Irons, Portugal
Klaus Jørgart Lundgaard Jørgensen	....	driver: Denmark
Nick Mortimer	....	driver: Portugal
Johnny Nielsen	....	driver: Denmark
Rogério Penedo	....	driver: Portugal
Rafael Pereira	....	driver: Portugal
Helder Raposo	....	driver: Portugal
Rui C. Reis	....	driver: Portugal
Alfredo Rosa	....	driver: Ms. Sleep: Portugal
Søren Schou	....	driver: Denmark
Gary Skull	....	driver: Portugal

Other crew
Annemarie Aaes	....	script supervisor
Joaquim Antunes	....	operator: Portugal
Melissa Babyak	....	assistant: Ms. Korenberg
João Barradas	....	operator: Portugal
Simona Benzakein	....	publicist
Merete Bjørnsved	....	catering: Denmark
Lauren Bond	....	business affairs associate: USA
Karin Bratellius	....	personal assistant to actor
Cecilia Campinhos	....	cashier: Portugal
Sheila Charlesworth	....	extras catering
Harry Clein	....	publicist
Dina De Freitas	....	accountant: Portugal
Bobby Delora	....	assistant: Mr. Moszkowicz
Marianne Dennsler	....	assistant: Mr. Eichinger
Pedro Domingues	....	runner: Portugal
Daniella Edelburg	....	business affairs consultant
Gitte Fischer	....	accountant: Denmark
Vicki Flennes	....	tutor
Sanne Glæsel	....	location manager
Sally Grace	....	dialogue coach
Simone Graij Larseen	....	propman: Denmark
Kristin Greiner	....	unit publicist
Bernie Grill	....	electric consultant: portugal
Marianne Jul Hansen	....	production secretary (as Marianne Hansen)
George T. Hayum	....	legal counsel
Tobias Heilmann	....	assistant: Hans Zimmer
Klaus Holzner	....	assistant accountant
Thomas Knöpfel	....	ambience editor
Lars Kolvig	....	production consultant: Denmark
Rosanne Korenberg	....	production executive: USA
Robert Kutzer	....	creative consultant
Ninna Lindström	....	assistant: Denmark
Ulla Lund Hansen	....	accountant: Denmark
Stuart Lyons	....	production coordinator: London
João Milagre	....	production assistant: Portugal
Filipa Monjardino	....	assistant production secretary: Portugal
Guy W. Murray	....	physical trainer
Margarida Nunes	....	production assistant: Portugal
Mouns Overgaard	....	production assistant (as Mogens Overgaard)
Jorge Paixão da Costa	....	production assistant: Portugal (as Jorge Costa)
David Pardue	....	assistant: Hans Zimmer
Rob Partridge	....	armorer
José Luis Peres	....	production assistant: Portugal
Isabel Pinho	....	cashier: Portugal
Gioa Raspe	....	assistant: Barbara Baum
J.B. Roberts	....	assistant: Mr. Eichinger
Elisa Rodrigues	....	production secretary: Portugal
José M. Salles	....	runner: Portugal
Catarina Santos	....	seamestress: Portugal
Mathias Schwarz	....	legal counsel
Ilse Schwarzwald	....	production coordinator
Renate Seefeldt	....	production accountant
Michael Stevens	....	assistant: Hans Zimmer
Pedro Teixeira	....	production assistant: Portugal
Karin Trolle	....	production coordinator
Karin Trolle	....	script translator: English
Marcello Urgeghe	....	stand-by propman: Portugal
Jorge Venancio	....	stand-by propman: Portugal

Production Companies

• Costa do Castelo Filmes
• Det Danske Filminstitut
• Eurimages
• House of Spirits Film
• Neue Constantin Film
• Spring Creek Productions

Distributors

• Laurenfilm (1993) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Neue Constantin Film (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Avsar Film (1993) (Turkey) (all media)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (1994) (UK) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1994) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Live Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Live Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Pioneer (1994) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc) (as "Das Geisterhaus")
• Warner Home Video (1994) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1997) (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Aquarius TV (2001) (Greece) (TV)
• Artisan Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Film Office (2003) (France) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2008) (Finland) (TV)
• Paris Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paris Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Tayrona Entertainment Group (1993) (Colombia) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• VCL Communications (199?) (Germany) (VHS) (as "Das Geisterhaus")

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance
• Arco Studios  music recorded at
• Arco Studios, München  score recorded at
• Bayerische Hypotheken-und-Wechsel-Bank Aktiengesellschaft  financial services
• Berliner Bank  financial services
• Completion Bond Company  completion bond
• Cue Music  scoring services
• FGV Schmidle GmbH  film equipment
• Lisboa Filmes  film equipment
• Philharmonic Film Orchestra  orchestra
• Publicity in Europe  publicity
• Rafael Hosteleria Internacional S.A.  catering
• Sickert  title design
• Sound Film Post-Production  post-synchronization facilities: German version
• Willie's Wheels  location facilities

Also Known As:

Åndernes hus (Denmark)
A Casa dos Espíritos (Portugal)
Das Geisterhaus (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for violence.

Runtime:

140 min | Germany:141 min | Spain:146 min

Country:

Portugal | Germany | Denmark | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Netherlands:16 | Iceland:16 | UK:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:R (Ontario) | USA:R | Finland:K-16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Sweden:15 | Germany:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Alentejo, Portugal

Company:

Costa do Castelo Filmes

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Chilean army of the 1973 is depicted using the wrong equipment such as G3 rifles, M48 tanks, and Fiat G91 aircrafts. The correct weapons would be FAL rifles, M4 Sherman medium tanks, and either Hawker Hunter or F-80 Shooting Star aircrafts.

Quotes:

Esteban Trueba: [to Ferula] Sometimes I wish Mother was here so I could send you back to her.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Seinfeld: The Engagement (#7.1)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

La Cumparsita

Pretty good movie with Streep, Irons, Banderas, Close, Ryder.

I only began to watch this movie because it was on Encore network, and I usually like movies with Streep and/or Irons. It kept me interested the whole 2 hours.

The movie covers 3 generations and about 60 years. It is set in South America. The father (Irons) achieves his wealth, social, and political status through hard work. He is a difficult man, and when his young daughter (Winona Ryder) befriends a young peasant boy, she is sent to school away. The mother (Streep) seems to have some connection with the supernatural.

Eventually a progressive party wins the election, and the old conservative party gets the military to oust the new government. Civil war almost breaks out, people are mistreated, and old relationships must be re-examined.

A good study in character and family relationships, moves a bit slow at times, but represents leisure story-telling. A good movie, I give it "7" of "10". I believe it was loosely based on some historical events.