This is a very early and entirely inconsequential Michael Powell film. There were some influences from Hitchcock in its self consciously 'clever' use of sound, and the plot might have been thought "Hitchcockian' by the way others understand that term, but its interesting to note that when Hitchcock characters feel and act guilty its never as specifically spelled out as it is here. This is because all Hitchcockian guilt can be traced back to original sin and in this instance everything connected to guilt seems implanted by a social system which seems positively pre-historic. The guilty feeling chap in this one actually talks to himself and imagines how he would appear guilty to other people and senselessly flees even though its obvious to anyone and everyone that he didn't 'do it.' Still a not witless effort. One character says to Sir Julian, a politician- You're sure to be made foreign secretary, to which he answers that he hopes he isn't because he prefers his Geneva in a bottle. In the pub someone can be heard singing - She was only a bookmakers daughter until she came in at five to four. As its usually said, some expert milling about by some fine and familiar actors.
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