A fascinating exploration of morality and the darker side of human nature

GusF

Based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Graham Greene, this is a fascinating exploration of morality and the darker side of human nature. I read the novel six or seven years ago so my memories of it are not particularly fresh but I think that the film sticks closely to it with the exception of toning down the Catholic doctrine / damnation theme and the ending, which I will discuss later. As such, the film has a very strong script, written by Greene himself and Terence Rattigan. It is extremely well directed by John Boulting and the black and white cinematography by Harry Waxman is beautiful. Atypically for British films of the era, it was filmed on location in Brighton. This was to the film's benefit as the nice seaside holiday resort atmosphere is a great contrast to the underworld elements.

Richard Attenborough is simply marvellous as the psychopathic 17-year-old gangster Pinkie Brown, a role which he reprised from the 1944 West End adaptation. It is an absolutely riveting and often chilling performance. Pinkie is not a particularly verbose character - he has only one line in the first 15 minutes, for instance - and he seldom raises his voice but the intense way in which he stares at people makes him terrifying. His face is often half in shadow, which adds to the effect. More importantly, the film does not shy away from presenting him as an amoral, callous bastard. The fact that Attenborough had a baby face and was quite a short, slight man provides a fantastic contrast to Pinkie's behaviour as, unlike many other film gangsters, he is in no way physically imposing. It is his strength of personality which makes people fear him. It is one of Attenborough's best known performances but it is interesting that he became well known for playing steadfast, deeply moral, thoroughly decent and courageous men in his most of later films.

Carol Marsh, otherwise best known for playing Lucy Holmwood in "Dracula" (1958), is very good as the sweet, naive and deluded Rose. As she is aware of the fact that Fred Hale was dead when Pinkie and his gang claimed that he was still alive, Pinkie manipulates her into marrying him so that she will not be able to testify against him. Like Pinkie, she is a 17-year-old Catholic but she is far less worldly than her new husband and does not realise that he despises her. In his gramophone recording, he makes this very clear: "You asked me to make a record of me voice. Well, here it is. What you want me to say is 'I love you.' Here's the truth: I hate you, you little slut." Charming.

The film has a very strong supporting cast such as Hermione Baddeley as the principled, forceful "brass" Ida Arnold, William Hartnell as Pinkie's frightening right-man hand Dallow (who eventually displays a glimmer of conscience), Harcourt Williams as the alcoholic, Shakespeare quoting lawyer Prewitt, Attenborough's future "The Great Escape" co-star Nigel Stock as Cubitt, Alan Wheatley as the murder victim Fred Hale, Reginald Purnell as Frank Spicer and George Carney, who died the very month that the film was released, as Phil Corkery. It also features a small appearance from Marianne Stone, whom Attenborough would later direct in "Oh! What a Lovely War" in which he returned to Brighton.

Now, onto the ending. In the final scene, after Pinkie has committed suicide, Rose plays the aforementioned record but it becomes stuck and plays "I love you" over and over again. I have seen this described as upbeat when compared with the novel's ending in which Rose hears the full message but I can't agree. I think that it is very depressing that a very nice young girl is so deluded that she thinks that a boy who was repulsed by her and wanted to murder her was in love with her. It's less bleak than the ending of the novel but not by much. In any event, there is nothing to stop her from listening to the full message the next time that she plays it. It is a rare example of a film changing the ending of a novel without completely invalidating the original one.

Overall, this is an excellent and thrilling example of film noir which pushed the limits of what was acceptable in British films in the 1940s.

score /10

GusF 5 September 2015

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3311049/