I finally saw this "classic" and was hugely disappointed. The photography is excellent and some of the actors (Greenwood, Guinness, Price - in that order) are good, but there are two major problems. First, this is supposed to be a comedy but I smiled only once: when Louis, after several murders, reluctantly has to go hunting and tells the viewer that he disapproves of bloodsports because of his principles. Second, the story is just not interesting. This is mainly because there is not a single character whose fate I could care about. The victims are only caricatures, and Louis is such a bore that I soon kept hoping that they would hang him and get the film over with.
This is not the first time a supposed Ealing classic has left me stone cold. I also found "Whisky Galore", "The Lavender Hill Mob" and "The Ladykillers" almost totally unfunny. I know that this could cause me to be refused to ever enter Britain again, but such is life.
This is not the first time a supposed Ealing classic has left me stone cold. I also found "Whisky Galore", "The Lavender Hill Mob" and "The Ladykillers" almost totally unfunny. I know that this could cause me to be refused to ever enter Britain again, but such is life.