I watched this film on DVD and loved it. Although there are a few comic touches, the prevailing mood is of melancholy reminiscence, the recurring themes, loss and bereavement. Visually it is magnificent, capturing the English countryside to perfection. Everything is very quiet and understated, also in a very English way. The acting is first-rate, and I particularly admired the performances of Rollo Weeks, a sixteen-year-old grieving for his mother, and Simon Paisley Day, who has a small but chilling role as his sententious and sadistic headmaster. This film deserves to be better known.
Review of The Queen of Sheba's Pearls
