Editing Dead Again

{{Short description|1991 neo-noir romantic thriller film by Kenneth Branagh}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Dead Again
| image          = Dead Again_poster.JPG
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Kenneth Branagh]]
| producer       = [[Lindsay Doran]]
| writer         = [[Scott Frank]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* Kenneth Branagh
* [[Andy García]]
* [[Derek Jacobi]]
* [[Hanna Schygulla]]
* [[Emma Thompson]]
}}
| music          = [[Patrick Doyle]]
| cinematography = [[Matthew F. Leonetti]]
| editing        = [[Peter E. Berger]]
| distributor    = [[Paramount Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1991|8|23|United States}}
| runtime        = 108 minutes
| country        =  {{Plainlist|
* United States
* United Kingdom
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $15 million{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
| gross          = $38 million (United States)<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |title=Dead Again (1991) |url= https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=deadagain.htm |website= [[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date= August 25, 2019 }}</ref>
}}
'''''Dead Again''''' is a 1991 [[neo-noir]]<ref>[[Alain Silver|Silver, Alain]]; Ward, Elizabeth; eds. (1992). ''Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style'' (3rd ed.). Woodstock, New York: [[The Overlook Press]]. {{ISBN|0-87951-479-5}}</ref> [[romantic thriller]] film directed by [[Kenneth Branagh]] and written by [[Scott Frank]]. It stars Branagh and [[Emma Thompson]], with [[Andy García]], [[Derek Jacobi]], [[Hanna Schygulla]], [[Wayne Knight]], and [[Robin Williams]] appearing in supporting roles.

''Dead Again'' was a moderate box-office success, and received positive reviews from the majority of critics. Jacobi was nominated for a [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role]], and [[Patrick Doyle]], who composed the film's music, was nominated for a [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe]] for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]].

==Plot==
<!--word count is 770, ; plot summaries should be between 400 and 700 words per [[MOS:FILMPLOT]]-->
Newspapers detail the 1948 murder of Margaret Strauss, who was stabbed during a robbery; her [[anklet]] is missing. Her husband, composer Roman Strauss, is found guilty of the crime and condemned to death. Before his execution, Roman is visited by reporter Gray Baker. Asked if he killed Margaret, Roman appears to whisper something in Baker's ear. Baker does not disclose Roman's answer.

Forty-three years later, private detective Mike Church investigates the identity of a woman who has appeared at the orphanage where he grew up. She has [[amnesia]], cannot speak, and has nightmares. Mike takes her in and asks his friend, Pete Dugan, to publish her picture and his contact info. Antiques dealer and [[hypnotist]] Franklyn Madson approaches Mike, suggesting that hypnosis may help her to recover her memory.

When the session is unsuccessful, Madson suggests that they experiment with [[past life regression]]. Mike is skeptical, but the woman details Margaret and Roman's lives in the [[Third-person narrative|third person]]. When the session ends, she can speak but still has amnesia. Mike and the woman bear a striking resemblance to Roman and Margaret. 

Mike nicknames the woman "Grace" and falls in love with her. A man named Doug appears and claims that she is his fiancée, Katherine, but Mike discovers that he is lying and chases him off. Hypnotized, Grace remembers that Roman suffered from [[writer's block]] and was broke, despite his earlier wealth. He believes that Margaret is flirting with Baker. Margaret cannot convince him that she is faithful and catches Frankie, the son of their housekeeper, Inga, looking through her jewelry box. She asks Roman to dismiss Inga, but Roman refuses, saying that Inga saved his life in [[Nazi Germany]].

Grace sees Mike standing over Margaret with scissors and is convinced he intends to kill her. Mike insists that he would never hurt her, but when he accidentally calls her "Margaret", he agrees to let Madson regress him. During his regression, he realizes that he was actually Margaret (and that Grace was actually Roman), but is unable to tell Madson or Grace.

Pete Dugan tells Mike that he has identified Grace as artist Amanda Sharp. It is discovered that she lost her memory due to getting mugged. Amanda (Grace), still afraid of Mike, accompanies Dugan and Madson to her apartment; her artwork focuses on scissors. Madson gives her a gun to protect her from Mike. Mike visits Gray Baker in a nursing home and asks him about Roman's secret. Baker insists that Roman said nothing to him but rather leaned over and kissed him. Baker is convinced that Roman did not kill his wife and urges Mike to find Inga, who might know what truly happened. Baker tells Mike that Inga and Frankie started an antiques shop, and Mike realizes that Franklyn Madson is actually Frankie.

Mike breaks into Madson's shop, where he finds and questions Inga. She reveals that in 1948, she declared her love to Roman, but he rebuffed her. Frankie blamed Margaret for his mother's unhappiness, killed her with scissors, and stole her anklet. Roman was found covered in his wife's blood and holding the murder weapon.

After Roman's execution, Inga took Frankie to London, where he learned about [[hypnotherapy]] and past-life regression. After returning to Los Angeles, Frankie was convinced that Margaret's spirit would seek revenge. Seeing Amanda's photo in the newspaper, he knew that she had returned. He hired Doug, an actor, to separate Mike and Amanda, and distract Amanda while he waited to kill her. Inga apologizes for her role in Margaret's death and gives Mike the anklet. After Mike leaves to find Amanda, Frankie (Madson) smothers Inga with a pillow.

Mike tries to tell Amanda the truth. Terrified, she shoots him. Madson arrives and reveals that he is Frankie. He puts the scissors that he used to kill Margaret in Mike's hand and tries to make it look like Amanda killed him. Mike revives and stabs Madson in the leg with the scissors. Dugan arrives, misconstrues the scene, and tackles Mike. As Madson reaches for the pistol, Amanda stabs him in the back with the scissors. In a rage, Madson charges Mike, but Mike positions Amanda's scissor sculpture so that Madson impales himself.

A closing montage shows Mike and Amanda embracing, [[Superimposition|superimposed]] over Margaret and Roman in happier times.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Kenneth Branagh]] as Mike Church/Roman Strauss
* [[Emma Thompson]] as "Grace"/Amanda Sharp/Margaret Strauss
* [[Andy García]] as Gray Baker
* [[Derek Jacobi]] as Franklyn Madson
* [[Wayne Knight]] as "Piccolo" Pete Dugan
* [[Robin Williams]] as Dr. Cozy Carlisle
* [[Hanna Schygulla]] as Inga
* [[Campbell Scott]] as Doug
* [[Jo Anderson]] as Sister Madeleine/Masquerade Party Guest
* [[Lois Hall]] as Sister Constance
* [[Richard Easton]] as Father Timothy
* Gregor Hesse as Frankie
* [[Obba Babatundé]] as Sid
* Vasek Simek as Otto Kline
* [[Christine Ebersole]] as Lydia Larson 
* [[Raymond Cruz]] as supermarket clerk
* [[Miriam Margolyes]] as hypnotic subject in shop (uncredited)
{{div col end}}

==Production==
[[Kenneth Branagh]] said he was compelled to make ''Dead Again'' the moment he read [[Scott Frank|Scott Frank’s]] script as he resonated with its affection for a time when movies were a bit more "audacious", particularly when it came to the [[Alfred Hitchcock]] films Branagh grew up watching on television such as ''[[Vertigo (film)|Vertigo]]'' and ''[[Notorious (1946 film)|Notorious]]''.<ref name="DACF">{{cite magazine |last=Gire|first=Dann|date=February 1992|title= Director Kenneth Branagh on DEAD AGAIN, Sending-Up Sir Alfred Hitchcock|url=https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2022%20No%204%20%28Feb%201992%29/page/n57/mode/1up?view=theater|url-status= |magazine=[[Cinefantastique]]|location= |publisher= Fourth Castle Micromedia|access-date=May 30, 2025}}</ref> Stylistically, Branagh modeled ''Dead Again'' not only on Hitchock's filmography, but also ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' and the works of [[Edgar Allan Poe]] as he wanted the film's plot involving outlandish elements like [[reincarnation]] to have a [[Gothic fiction|gothic]] look removed from reality.<ref name="DACF" /> In order to achieve the right tone, Branagh directed his composer [[Patrick Doyle]] to model the score off the works [[Bernard Herrmann]] scored for Hitchcock's films, something big and bold and melodramatic.<ref name="DACF" />

===Post-production===
According to Branagh, the film went through five different edits over the course of six months as he struggled with finding the right balance of humor, suspense, and romance during [[Test screening|test screenings]] with some cuts coming out too silly while others were either too weird or bleak.<ref name="DACF" /> [[Paramount Pictures]] grew nervous over Branagh's usage of [[Black and white|black and white]] for the [[Flashback (narrative)|flashbacks]] with Branagh crediting [[Sydney Pollack]] for persuading Paramount on his behalf to allow them.<ref name="DACF" /> Branagh did however credit Paramount with their patience as despite the studio's apprehension when the film didn't work right away, they were patient enough to give him the time he needed to find the right combination.<ref name="DACF" />

''Dead Again'' is an international co-production between the United States and the United Kingdom. According to the director's commentary on the [[DVD]], the movie was filmed entirely in color. After test screenings, it was decided to use black-and-white for the "past" sequences to help clear audience confusion. The final frame, when the mystery is solved, blooms from black-and-white to color.

==Release==
''Dead Again'' was released August 23, 1991, in the United States, and October 25, 1991, in the United Kingdom. It was entered into the [[42nd Berlin International Film Festival]] in February 1992.<ref name="Berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1992/02_programm_1992/02_Programm_1992.html |title=Berlinale: 1992 Programme |access-date=May 24, 2011 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref>

===Home media===
The film was released on DVD June 27, 2000, through [[Paramount Home Entertainment]]. The DVD special features include two audio commentaries and a theatrical trailer.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dead Again (1991) |asin=6305882525 }}</ref>

It was released for the first time on [[Blu-ray]] October 5, 2021,<ref>{{Citation|title=Dead Again Blu-ray|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Dead-Again-Blu-ray/42443/|access-date=2021-10-13}}</ref> on the film's 30th anniversary.

==Reception==

===Critical response===
''Dead Again'' was well received by most critics. On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], it has an approval rating of 81%, based on reviews from 52 critics. The consensus reads: "Even if the somewhat convoluted plot falls apart upon close inspection, ''Dead Again'' proves Kenneth Branagh has a solid knack for enjoyable pulp."<ref name="tomatoes">{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dead_again/ |title= Dead Again |work= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=October 24, 2023 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on reviews from 19 critics.<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web |title=Dead Again |url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/dead-again |website= [[Metacritic]] }}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade of "A-" on scale of A+ to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= December 20, 2018 |access-date= August 25, 2019 }}</ref>

''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' film critic, [[Roger Ebert]], gave the film a glowing four-star review, drawing comparisons to the works of [[Orson Welles]] and [[Alfred Hitchcock]], stating, "''Dead Again'' is Kenneth Branagh once again demonstrating that he has a natural flair for bold theatrical gesture. If ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]'', the first film he directed and starred in, caused people to compare him to [[Laurence Olivier|Olivier]], ''Dead Again'' will inspire comparisons to Welles and Hitchcock - and the Olivier of Hitchcock's ''[[Rebecca (1940 film)|Rebecca]]''. I do not suggest Branagh is already as great a director as Welles and Hitchcock, although he has a good start in that direction. What I mean is that his spirit, his daring, is in the same league. He is not interested in making timid movies."<ref>{{cite web | last =Ebert | first =Roger | title =Dead Again  | work =[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | date = August 23, 1991  | url = https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dead-again-1991 | access-date = August 24, 2019 }}</ref>

[[James Berardinelli]] also gave the film a four-star review, praising Branagh's direction and all levels of the production, from the screenplay by [[Scott Frank]] to [[Patrick Doyle]]'s score, stating, "...Branagh has combined all of these cinematic elements into an achievement that rivals Hitchcock's best work and stands out as one of the most intriguing and memorable thrillers of the 1990s."<ref>{{cite web | last =Berardinelli | first =James | title =Dead Again  | work =ReelViews | url =http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/d/dead_again.html | access-date =January 21, 2012}}</ref>

[[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' viewed the film negatively, praising some elements of Branagh's direction, while criticizing the romance, saying, "In his efforts to crowd the screen with character and incident, Branagh cheats on the one element that might have given resonance to the mystery: the love story. Branagh and Thompson (married in real life) are sublime actors, but they never develop a convincing ardor as either couple. How could they when the director is so busy playing tricks? ''Dead Again'' isn't a disaster, merely a miscalculation from a prodigious talent who has forgotten that you squeeze the life out of romance when you don't give it space to breathe."<ref>{{cite magazine | last =Travers | first =Peter | title =Dead Again  | magazine =[[Rolling Stone]] | date =August 23, 1991 | url =https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/dead-again-19910823 | access-date =January 21, 2012}}</ref>

[[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' gave the film a lukewarm review, calling it "a big, convoluted, entertainingly dizzy romantic mystery melodrama", and concluding, "''Dead Again'' is eventually a lot simpler than it pretends to be. The explanation of the mystery is a rather commonplace letdown, but probably nothing short of mass murder could successfully top the baroque buildup. In this way, too, the film is faithful to its antecedents, while still being a lot of fun."<ref>{{cite web | last =Canby | first =Vincent | title =Dead Again  | work =[[The New York Times]] | date =August 23, 1991 | url =https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D0CE7DB1F39F930A1575BC0A967958260 | access-date =January 21, 2012}}</ref>

In 2016, Jason Bailey at ''[[Flavorwire]]'' repeated Roger Ebert's initial directorial comparisons, writing that, "''Dead Again'' is one of the most Hitchcockian thrillers this side of [[Brian De Palma|De Palma]], with easily traceable influences of Olivier-fronted ''Rebecca'' (in the creepy, needy housekeeper), ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' (the mysterious old mother in the next room), ''[[Dial M for Murder]]'' (the scissors as murder weapon), and ''[[Spellbound (1945 film)|Spellbound]]'' (the therapeutic elements, plus a quickie reference to [[Salvador Dalí]], who advised on that film’s dream sequences)."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://flavorwire.com/587426/second-glance-kenneth-branaghs-twisty-giddy-dead-again|title=Second Glance: Kenneth Branagh's Twisty, Giddy 'Dead Again'|date=2016-08-22|work=Flavorwire|access-date=2018-10-30|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Box office===
''Dead Again'' grossed $3,479,395 during its opening weekend, playing on 450 screens. It grossed more than $38 million by the end of its theatrical run.<ref name="mojo" />

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" 
|-
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Recipients
! scope="col" | Result
|-
| [[British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| [[Derek Jacobi]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Berlin International Film Festival]]
| [[Golden Bear]]
| [[Kenneth Branagh]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Edgar Award|Edgar Allan Poe Awards]]
| [[List of Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay winners|Best Motion Picture Screenplay]]
| [[Scott Frank]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award]]s
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| [[Patrick Doyle]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Young Artist Award]]
| Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Motion Picture
| Gregor Hesse
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

== Media ==
''Dead Again'' was one of several influences on the 1999 conceptual album, ''[[Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory|Metropolis pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory]]'', by the American [[progressive metal]] band, [[Dream Theater]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mikeportnoy.com/aboutmike/faq/answers/6.aspx#66|title=Mike Portnoy.com The Official Website|website=www.mikeportnoy.com|access-date=2018-10-30}}</ref>

It was unofficially remade into a 1998 [[Malayalam]] movie, ''[[Mayilpeelikkavu]]'', and in 2008, as ''[[Sila Nerangalil]].''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0101669|title=Dead Again}}

{{Kenneth Branagh}}
{{Scott Frank}}

[[Category:1991 films]]
[[Category:1990s mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:1990s romantic thriller films]]
[[Category:American mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:American romantic thriller films]]
[[Category:British mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:British romantic thriller films]]
[[Category:Films about amnesia]]
[[Category:Films about reincarnation]]
[[Category:Films directed by Kenneth Branagh]]
[[Category:Films about hypnosis]]
[[Category:Films partially in color]]
[[Category:Films scored by Patrick Doyle]]
[[Category:Films set in 1949]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1990s]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Scott Frank]]
[[Category:Paramount Pictures films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s British films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language mystery thriller films]]