'Lord Jim' is a serious and literary adventure film from the mid-'60s based on a novel by Conrad. Ostensibly it deals with notions of major setbacks, failure, self-image, honour, resilience and second chances in life. After a perverse act of negligence - James Burke - a merchant seaman - along with the other white crew members abandons a rust-tub, the 'Patna' carrying Moslem pilgrims during a sea-storm. In disgrace he ekes out a living as a menial worker in Oriental ports. He is given a second chance to redeem himself after he stops an explosion on a boat in the port of Saigon. He is observed by a shrewd dapper businessman, Stein (Paul Lukas) who hires him to transport gunpowder and rifles inland in bandit country. Peter O'Toole's performance as Jim is cited as his finest performance after his role as Lawrence of Arabia. A fairhaired free spirit he displays neurotic tics and sense of purpose. The supporting cast - the dapper Stein, the seedy money-grubbing businessmen Stromberg (Tamiroff) and Cornelius (Jurgens), a diminutive Irish sailor and cadger Robinson (MacGowran), the swarthy aggressive bandit The General (Wallach) and a devious one-eyed oriental (Young) are excellent. Full of profound phrases, sense of adventure and evocative oriental settings; it is also interesting to see the interaction between two Yorkshire actors - Leeds (or Tipperary-born) O'Toole and Huddersfield-born James Mason.
Review of Lord Jim
