Blindness (2008)
Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi |.
Blindness is a English-language thriller film and an adaptation of the 1995 novel of the same name by Portuguese author José Saramago about a society suffering an epidemic of blindness. The film was written by Don McKellar and directed by Fernando Meirelles, with Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo as the main characters. Saramago originally refused to sell the rights for a film adaptation, but the producers were able to acquire it with the condition that the film would be set in an unnamed and unrecognizable city. Blindness premiered as the opening film at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2008, and the film was released in the United States on October 3, 2008.
A young Japanese professional suddenly goes blind in his car at an intersection, his field of vision turning white. A passerby offers to drive him home, then steals his car. His wife returns home and takes him to an ophthalmologist who can identify nothing wrong and refers him for further evaluation.
The next day, the doctor goes blind, and recognizes that it must be caused by a communicable disease. Around the city, more citizens are struck blind, causing widespread panic, and the government organizes a quarantine for the blind in a derelict asylum. When a hazmat crew arrives to pick up the doctor, his wife lies that she has also gone blind in order to accompany him.
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Writers: José Saramago (novel), Don McKellar (screenplay)
Stars: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael García Bernal, Danny Glover, Don Mckellar, Yûsuke Iseya, Yoshino Kimura
►Cast:
| Yûsuke Iseya | … | First Blind Man |
| Jason Bermingham | … | Driver #1 |
| Eduardo Semerjian | … | Concerned Pedestrian #1 |
| Don McKellar | … | Thief |
| Ciça Meirelles | … | Driver #2 |
| Antônio Fragoso | … | Concerned Pedestrian #2 |
| Lilian Blanc | … | Concerned Pedestrian #3 |
| Douglas Silva | … | Onlooker #1 |
| Daniel Zettel | … | Onlooker #2 |
| Yoshino Kimura | … | First Blind Man’s Wife |
| Joe Pingue | … | Taxi Driver |
| Susan Coyne | … | Receptionist |
| Fabiana Gugli | … | Mother of the Boy |
| Mitchell Nye | … | Boy |
| Danny Glover | … | Man with Black Eye Patch |
| Alice Braga | … | Woman with Dark Glasses |
| Mark Ruffalo | … | Doctor |
| Joe Cobden | … | Policeman |
| Julianne Moore | … | Doctor’s Wife |
| Mpho Koaho | … | Pharmacist’s Assistant |
| Sari Friedland | … | Woman in Bar |
| Gael García Bernal | … | Bartender / King of Ward Three |
| Tom Melissis | … | Engineer |
| Tracy Wright | … | Thief’s Wife |
| Amanda Hiebert | … | Maid |
| Jorge Molina | … | Hotel Security Guard |
| Patrick Garrow | … | Hotel Assistant Manager |
| Gerry Mendicino | … | Silver Haired Doctor |
| Matt Gordon | … | Minister’s Assistant |
| Sandra Oh | … | Minister of Health |
| Anthero Montenegro | … | Cop #1 |
| Fernando Patau | … | Cop #2 |
| Otávio Martins | … | Police Captain |
| João Velho | … | Ambulance Attendant |
| Marvin Karon | … | Announcer |
| Joseph Motiki | … | Guard |
| Johnny Goltz | … | Soldier |
| Robert Bidaman | … | Minister’s Advisor |
| Niv Fichman | … | Israeli Scientist |
| Oscar Hsu | … | Prominent Ophthalmologist |
| Martha Burns | … | Woman with Insomnia |
| Scott Anderson | … | Meek Inmate |
| Michael Mahonen | … | Sergeant |
| Joris Jarsky | … | Hooligan |
| Billy Otis | … | Hoodlum |
| Maury Chaykin | … | Accountant |
| LinLyn Lue | … | Emissary from Ward Two |
| Toni Ellwand | … | Woman of Ward One |
| Mariah Inger | … | Woman of Ward One |
| Nadia Litz | … | Woman of Ward One |
| Isai Rivera Blas | … | Man of Ward Three |
| Rick Demas | … | Man of Ward Three |
| Kelly Fiddick | … | Man of Ward Three |
| Matt Fitzgerald | … | Man of Ward Three |
| Mike G. Yohannes | … | Man of Ward Three |
| Norman Owen | … | Man of Ward Three (as Norm Owen) |
| Jackie Brown | … | Woman of Ward Two |
| Victoria Fodor | … | Woman of Ward Two |
| Agi Gallus | … | Woman of Ward Two |
| Bathsheba Garnett | … | Woman of Ward Two |
| Alice Poon | … | Woman of Ward Two |
| Plínio Soares | … | Hulking Scavenger |
| Rodrigo Arijon | … | Scavenger |
| Mel Ciocolato | … | Scavenger |
| Heraldo Firmino | … | Scavenger |
| Carol Hubner | … | Scavenger |
| Fernando Macário | … | Scavenger |
| Eduardo Parisi | … | Scavenger |
| Rodrigo Pessin | … | Scavenger |
| Domingos Antonio | … | Preacher |
| Barnie | … | Dog of Tears |
| Jim | … | Dog of Tears |
| Bia Borin | … | Blind Woman |
| Katherine East | … | Intern |
| John Fort | … | Blind Man |
| Adriana Guerra | … | Woman |
| Paulino Nunes | … | Portuguese Radio Announcer (voice) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia