I quite enjoyed Michael Winner's direction of DEATH WISH (1974), which I regarded as his finest effort... until I watched THE SYSTEM (UK 1964), an intelligent view of its time, unafraid to throw the cat among the social pigeons of UK society.
Very many films have tried, but THE SYSTEM reflects the restlessness of youth in the 1960s like very few have succeeded in doing. This generation born in a world war and now reaching adulthood is coming to grips with love, the loss of innocence, changing individual and social priorities, changing labor markets, an increasingly international world (Reed's German accent deserves praise), the generation gap, and a great many other thorns besides.
THE SYSTEM provides an eloquent take not only of its time but, most of all, of social strata. In that particular regard, it manages even keener incisiveness than the much better known, and admittedly better finished and photographed BLOW UP which Italy's Michelangelo Antonioni would direct two years later. I am in no doubt that this film served as some kind of blueprint to Antonioni. Curiously, David Hemmings - who plays a small part in THE SYSTEM - would act as the male lead, and photographer, in BLOW UP.
Petite, commonly pretty and plump, apparently not particularly sharp Julia Foster provides the golden nugget comment: "There are two kinds of people: the takers and the taken."
The script, also penned by Winner, is superb, roaringly brought to life by the handsomely rugged Oliver Reed, in his career-best performance, surpassing even his excellent rendition of Sykes in OLIVER!, or his memorable parts in THE JOKERS, ASSASSINATION BUREAU or GLADIATOR. Reed conveys the image of a young photographer used to getting his way with girls, and with life in a tourism-reliant part of the UK, but now finds himself facing the authority of his boss (a callous Harry Andrews), the threat of another photographer competing for his niche, and, above all, his inability to compete with the rich. The woman he loves tells him not to say "I love you" and simply bypasses his life by taking an assignment in Rome.
Jane Merrow, Barbara Ferris also deliver very good performances.
Cinematography, with its staccato editing, has to rate excellent for a low budget film. Above all, what I take from THE SYSTEM is that it makes you think - you realize that this film done 60 years ago and reflecting the morals of the day, continues to apply in many ways today, even if the Internet has helped blur many social stigmas and differences, brought on many new quandaries, too, and changed much of our daily living.
I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Very many films have tried, but THE SYSTEM reflects the restlessness of youth in the 1960s like very few have succeeded in doing. This generation born in a world war and now reaching adulthood is coming to grips with love, the loss of innocence, changing individual and social priorities, changing labor markets, an increasingly international world (Reed's German accent deserves praise), the generation gap, and a great many other thorns besides.
THE SYSTEM provides an eloquent take not only of its time but, most of all, of social strata. In that particular regard, it manages even keener incisiveness than the much better known, and admittedly better finished and photographed BLOW UP which Italy's Michelangelo Antonioni would direct two years later. I am in no doubt that this film served as some kind of blueprint to Antonioni. Curiously, David Hemmings - who plays a small part in THE SYSTEM - would act as the male lead, and photographer, in BLOW UP.
Petite, commonly pretty and plump, apparently not particularly sharp Julia Foster provides the golden nugget comment: "There are two kinds of people: the takers and the taken."
The script, also penned by Winner, is superb, roaringly brought to life by the handsomely rugged Oliver Reed, in his career-best performance, surpassing even his excellent rendition of Sykes in OLIVER!, or his memorable parts in THE JOKERS, ASSASSINATION BUREAU or GLADIATOR. Reed conveys the image of a young photographer used to getting his way with girls, and with life in a tourism-reliant part of the UK, but now finds himself facing the authority of his boss (a callous Harry Andrews), the threat of another photographer competing for his niche, and, above all, his inability to compete with the rich. The woman he loves tells him not to say "I love you" and simply bypasses his life by taking an assignment in Rome.
Jane Merrow, Barbara Ferris also deliver very good performances.
Cinematography, with its staccato editing, has to rate excellent for a low budget film. Above all, what I take from THE SYSTEM is that it makes you think - you realize that this film done 60 years ago and reflecting the morals of the day, continues to apply in many ways today, even if the Internet has helped blur many social stigmas and differences, brought on many new quandaries, too, and changed much of our daily living.
I recommend it wholeheartedly.