I don't remember when I first say this film. Certainly not in 1962; I was only 13 then, so this was not exactly the type of film I would have been drawn to at that age. Sometime later it must have shown up on television, and I actually remember it. But let me tell you why I remember it. Along with some other films that I saw around the same time (which I don't remember), I got a very negative view of England and its schools. Now I don't know whether that was fair at the time or not, but as a person who ended up as a public school teacher.administrator, that view of England and its schools remained with me for many year.
Depressing. That's what this film is. Simply depressing. The school is depressing. Class sizes are depressing. The children are depressing. The teachers and administrators are depressing. The community is depressing. Olivier's marriage is depressing. And, of course, a false charge of molestation is depressing.
I find it difficult to get a handle on Laurence Olivier's acting in this and quite a few other films. Is it more realistic than what we see from traditional movie actors? Or is it too accented toward his career on stage? I just know that I often enjoy Olivier on the big screen. I was most impressed her with his speech to the court -- a man who is truly desperate to save his career and reputation.
This is -- believe it or not -- the first film I have ever seen with Simone Signoret. I am not impressed. Maybe a French actresses' talents don't translate well from France to Britain to America. Or maybe it's just me.
Sarah Miles, in her first screen role, is very good here.
Terence Stamp had only been in one movie previous to this. Again, I am not impressed.
Hugh Griffith as O'Hara As a retired educator, there is one thing that bothers me about this film. Laurence Olivier's character seem so naive about the crush that Sarah Miles' character has on him, and that is a mistake no wise, experienced teacher should make. A young teacher, perhaps, But this is a degree of naivety that is unreasonable. Or was it naivety at all? He played right into it and enjoyed it. So while there was no molestation in terms of actual sex, he allowed a situation to develop between a teacher and a student which was totally inappropriate and showed shocking misjudgment. And then after the incident, he handled it totally unprofessionally. As a school principal, I would have fired him. Period.
It was interesting to see Hugh Griffith as Olivier's lawyer. Before, I only thought of him as the horse racing Arab in " Ben-Hur".
I admired that they wrapped things up in this film, rather than leaving us up in the air about the teacher's fate in his job and the situation with his wife.
Despite being such a negative film, I do recommend it. In many ways it is a rather riveting film.
Depressing. That's what this film is. Simply depressing. The school is depressing. Class sizes are depressing. The children are depressing. The teachers and administrators are depressing. The community is depressing. Olivier's marriage is depressing. And, of course, a false charge of molestation is depressing.
I find it difficult to get a handle on Laurence Olivier's acting in this and quite a few other films. Is it more realistic than what we see from traditional movie actors? Or is it too accented toward his career on stage? I just know that I often enjoy Olivier on the big screen. I was most impressed her with his speech to the court -- a man who is truly desperate to save his career and reputation.
This is -- believe it or not -- the first film I have ever seen with Simone Signoret. I am not impressed. Maybe a French actresses' talents don't translate well from France to Britain to America. Or maybe it's just me.
Sarah Miles, in her first screen role, is very good here.
Terence Stamp had only been in one movie previous to this. Again, I am not impressed.
Hugh Griffith as O'Hara As a retired educator, there is one thing that bothers me about this film. Laurence Olivier's character seem so naive about the crush that Sarah Miles' character has on him, and that is a mistake no wise, experienced teacher should make. A young teacher, perhaps, But this is a degree of naivety that is unreasonable. Or was it naivety at all? He played right into it and enjoyed it. So while there was no molestation in terms of actual sex, he allowed a situation to develop between a teacher and a student which was totally inappropriate and showed shocking misjudgment. And then after the incident, he handled it totally unprofessionally. As a school principal, I would have fired him. Period.
It was interesting to see Hugh Griffith as Olivier's lawyer. Before, I only thought of him as the horse racing Arab in " Ben-Hur".
I admired that they wrapped things up in this film, rather than leaving us up in the air about the teacher's fate in his job and the situation with his wife.
Despite being such a negative film, I do recommend it. In many ways it is a rather riveting film.