This is rather brilliant. It is based on a play from J.B. Priestley and it
doesn't make any real attempt other than a few flashbacks to break away from
that limitation. In fact, it embraces it. The film - excluding the flashbacks
- takes place in a few hours one evening with the gathering of a family and
a stranger who intrudes. The flashbacks do not happen in the play. It is
referred to as drawing-room theater - which means pretty much what it says.
The play nearly all takes place in the drawing-room or living room of a home
and all the characters shuffle in and out of the play as they are needed.
These were very popular when Priestley wrote this in 1945. The drawing-room
itself implies the family is of means.
Priestley was a very successful writer of plays and novels during his lifetime
though I don't think he is much read nowadays. One of his books interestingly
was the basis for The Old Dark House. He was a die-hard socialist and this
play first opened in the the Soviet Union - though he was no fan of Stalin
and had attacked George Bernard Shaw for supporting the man. Initially, one
assumes this is a story of an investigation into a woman's death but as it
proceeds you realize that it is something very different. It rips apart the
morality and hypocrisy of capitalism and upper class Edwardian (it takes
place in 1912) society. The family is a metaphor - a bit of a sitting duck
- for society and as it unravels you realize that this is not a real family
- but object lessons. It also feels like a very early version of a Twilight
Zone episode as Priestley enjoyed playing with time in his writing
- time slips he called them.
It is 1912 and the Birling family - father, mother, daughter and son
- are celebrating the daughter's (Eileen Moore) engagement to Gerald Croft.
The Birlings are new money; the Crofts old money. Either way there is money.
The son mentions that he is worried about war with Germany but the father
tells him not to worry; there is too much money to be lost in a war. Into
this small celebration suddenly, almost mystically appears Inspector Poole
played brilliantly by Alastair Sim. In fact, the entire cast is very good
but other than Eileen (Men of Sherwood Forest) none of them are known to
me. The Inspector has come to tell them that a young woman has committed
suicide. They basically say, so what - it has nothing to do with us.
Yes, yes it does says Poole. And over the film he brings out all the secrets
behind their contented privileged facades. He peels it back one layer at
a time. You also begin to realize that he too is not real but a quiet patient
unassuming sharp razor revealing truth. The writing and acting is so good
and it doesn't overstay its welcome at 80 minutes. Much to my surprise Hong
Kong did a version of this in 2015 starring Louis Koo and Eric Tsang directed
by Herman Yau and Raymond Wong. That might be worth tracking down. This one
is directed by Guy Hamilton of future Bond fame.
