Based on the 1961 novel of the same name by James Barlow, this is a wonderfully engrossing and often very bleak psychological drama. The film belongs to the great tradition of kitchen sink drama. Dealing with issues such as sexual awakening, inappropriate infatuation, troubled marriages, gang violence and general misery, it was certainly gritty and unrelenting by the standards of the time. There is not a false note in the excellent script by Peter Glenville, whose direction was of the same high quality. Taken together, the writing and the direction are able to very effectively paint a picture of a decent but thoroughly unhappy man.
The film stars Laurence Olivier in one of his best performances as Graham Weir, an English teacher who is leading a life of quiet desperation. Having been imprisoned for refusing to serve during the Second World War, he is relegated to teaching in the rough and underfunded East Secondary Modern School. His criminal record means that he is unable to secure employment in public schools in spite of the fact that he is eminently qualified for such a position. It is not made explicitly clear but it is hinted that he may have taught at such a school before the war. Although Weir considers himself to be a man of principle, most people think of him as being no more than a coward. He is a good and kind man who wants to make a difference in his students' lives but most of them take pleasure in taunting him and have no interest in what he has to say on English or any other subject. His home life is not better as he is regularly browbeaten by his domineering wife Anna, played in a phenomenal performance by Simone Signoret. She tells him during an argument that she only married him because all of the other eligible men went to fight in the war and believes that he is so noble that he has no guts. Throughout the film, Anna complains that he has not given her the life that she feels is her due and she never misses an opportunity to tell him exactly what she thinks of him.
Given all of the problems that he faces, it is perhaps not terribly surprising that Weir has turned to alcohol as there is seemingly nothing else in his life to dull the pain. However, he sees a ray of hope in an attentive and enthusiastic 15-year-old student named Shirley Taylor, played excellently by Sarah Miles in her film debut. Shirley wants to improve her already good marks in English so that she can get a job working as a secretary in a factory when she leaves school at the end of the term. As the night school classes are already well underway, Weir agrees to tutor privately free of charge. From her first scene, it is clear that Shirley has a crush on Weir and it grows into full blown infatuation, bordering on obsession, as they spend more time together alone. At the end of their last lesson, she kisses him on the cheek and gives him her phone number but Weir does nothing to discourage such behaviour as he believes that it is perfectly innocent. During a class trip to Paris, she feigns sickness and the two of them spend the day together. After returning to Britain, the entire party are forced to spend the night in a hotel in London after missing the last train. While there, Shirley visits Weir in his room wearing nothing under her coat but her nightie and offers him sex. However, Weir rejects her as kindly as possible and sends her back to her room.
Several days later, a policeman comes to his house and informs him that Shirley is charging him with indecent assault, claiming that he tried to force her to have sex with him. When he comes before a magistrate, Weir breaks down in a wonderfully acted scene. He admits that he was attracted to Shirley but he was attracted to her innocence and purity as opposed to having any sort of sexual interest in her. I suspect that if it were made today, this admission would be removed as it does not really fit in with the rest of the film's generally sympathetic treatment of Weir. Although Shirley eventually confesses that she lied, Weir nevertheless must face the consequences as the controversy surrounding the accusation means that he is out of the running for the coveted position of deputy headmaster. On a personal level, Anna threatens to leave him as she believes that his refusal to have sex with Shirley means that he has no spirit. However, he lies to her, telling her that the accusations were true in the first place, and she develops a newfound respect for him. This scenario is rather bizarre by modern standards and would likewise be excised from a modern version but it is a fantastic scene as it says a great deal about the Weirs' strained and unusual relationship.
Terence Stamp, likewise making his film debut, is excellent as Mitchell, a cruel, violent bully who threatens to cut off Shirley's hair (which may have merely been the prelude to rape) when she rejects him and has the other members of his gang assault Weir. Mitchell is the most interesting of the supporting characters as he represents the very dangerous young men who can be found on the fringes of any society. The film also features strong performances from Thora Hird as Mrs. Taylor, Roland Culver as Donald Trowman, Hugh Griffith as O'Hara, Allan Cuthbertson as Sylvan-Jones, Nicholas Hannen as the magistrate, Norman Bird as Mr. Taylor and Derren Nesbitt as a lodger who abuses a young boy named Thompson.
Overall, this is an excellent film which deals with its tricky subject matter as sensitively and respectfully as possible given the time in which it was made.
The film stars Laurence Olivier in one of his best performances as Graham Weir, an English teacher who is leading a life of quiet desperation. Having been imprisoned for refusing to serve during the Second World War, he is relegated to teaching in the rough and underfunded East Secondary Modern School. His criminal record means that he is unable to secure employment in public schools in spite of the fact that he is eminently qualified for such a position. It is not made explicitly clear but it is hinted that he may have taught at such a school before the war. Although Weir considers himself to be a man of principle, most people think of him as being no more than a coward. He is a good and kind man who wants to make a difference in his students' lives but most of them take pleasure in taunting him and have no interest in what he has to say on English or any other subject. His home life is not better as he is regularly browbeaten by his domineering wife Anna, played in a phenomenal performance by Simone Signoret. She tells him during an argument that she only married him because all of the other eligible men went to fight in the war and believes that he is so noble that he has no guts. Throughout the film, Anna complains that he has not given her the life that she feels is her due and she never misses an opportunity to tell him exactly what she thinks of him.
Given all of the problems that he faces, it is perhaps not terribly surprising that Weir has turned to alcohol as there is seemingly nothing else in his life to dull the pain. However, he sees a ray of hope in an attentive and enthusiastic 15-year-old student named Shirley Taylor, played excellently by Sarah Miles in her film debut. Shirley wants to improve her already good marks in English so that she can get a job working as a secretary in a factory when she leaves school at the end of the term. As the night school classes are already well underway, Weir agrees to tutor privately free of charge. From her first scene, it is clear that Shirley has a crush on Weir and it grows into full blown infatuation, bordering on obsession, as they spend more time together alone. At the end of their last lesson, she kisses him on the cheek and gives him her phone number but Weir does nothing to discourage such behaviour as he believes that it is perfectly innocent. During a class trip to Paris, she feigns sickness and the two of them spend the day together. After returning to Britain, the entire party are forced to spend the night in a hotel in London after missing the last train. While there, Shirley visits Weir in his room wearing nothing under her coat but her nightie and offers him sex. However, Weir rejects her as kindly as possible and sends her back to her room.
Several days later, a policeman comes to his house and informs him that Shirley is charging him with indecent assault, claiming that he tried to force her to have sex with him. When he comes before a magistrate, Weir breaks down in a wonderfully acted scene. He admits that he was attracted to Shirley but he was attracted to her innocence and purity as opposed to having any sort of sexual interest in her. I suspect that if it were made today, this admission would be removed as it does not really fit in with the rest of the film's generally sympathetic treatment of Weir. Although Shirley eventually confesses that she lied, Weir nevertheless must face the consequences as the controversy surrounding the accusation means that he is out of the running for the coveted position of deputy headmaster. On a personal level, Anna threatens to leave him as she believes that his refusal to have sex with Shirley means that he has no spirit. However, he lies to her, telling her that the accusations were true in the first place, and she develops a newfound respect for him. This scenario is rather bizarre by modern standards and would likewise be excised from a modern version but it is a fantastic scene as it says a great deal about the Weirs' strained and unusual relationship.
Terence Stamp, likewise making his film debut, is excellent as Mitchell, a cruel, violent bully who threatens to cut off Shirley's hair (which may have merely been the prelude to rape) when she rejects him and has the other members of his gang assault Weir. Mitchell is the most interesting of the supporting characters as he represents the very dangerous young men who can be found on the fringes of any society. The film also features strong performances from Thora Hird as Mrs. Taylor, Roland Culver as Donald Trowman, Hugh Griffith as O'Hara, Allan Cuthbertson as Sylvan-Jones, Nicholas Hannen as the magistrate, Norman Bird as Mr. Taylor and Derren Nesbitt as a lodger who abuses a young boy named Thompson.
Overall, this is an excellent film which deals with its tricky subject matter as sensitively and respectfully as possible given the time in which it was made.