Mike Figgis/UK/1994; R4
Paramount/RS, $29.95 | Reviewed by Brannavan Gnanalingam

PRIVATE BOYS’ schools as a microcosm of society has been a staple in literature. It hasn’t been different in film, from the classic Zéro de Conduite to If... to Dead Poets Society. In fact, this film came at the tail-end of a spate of a similar group of films such as Dead Poets and School Ties. In this respect, this is a rather curious film within that little sub-genre, especially given that Terence Rattigan’s 1948 play had been filmed before in 1951 with Michael Redgrave as Crocker-Harris, and twice more as a TV movie.

The film was originally to be directed by Ridley Scott (who ended up a producer), but instead went to Mike Figgis. Figgis who went on to direct the very good Leaving Las Vegas, and eventually considerably more interesting art films (Timecode, Loss of Sexual Innocence), plays it straight with this story, maintaining a rather earnest and stately tone.

The film is Albert Finney’s. His performance is quite magnificent, as he plays a man who keeps getting shunted around and around until he becomes a nullity. He stars as Andrew Crocker-Harris, a man forced to retire from teaching languages (specifically Latin and Greek) due to “poor health”, whose wife is cheating on him, and who is despised by his students (who call him the “Hitler of the Lower Fifth”). He typifies a man for whom society has moved past – he’s left foundering in the “classics”, while the rest care about cricket (I must admit, as an avid – and pedantic – cricket fan, what was up with the scoreboard?), money and Americans. That part of the film was successful as Finney’s immense performance powerfully expressing those sentiments simply through eye movements and fragments of dialogue.

However the little details of the school life felt unconvincing, perhaps it was due to the problem of transporting a play from the 40s into the 90s. It seemed the writers and director hadn’t figured out whether to modernise the play or not (if they’d concentrated on either one, then it probably would have been a lot more emotionally resonant or socially biting), leaving a rather unconvincing surrounding into which Crocker-Harris fit. Greta Scacchi’s character (as Mrs Crocker-Smith) was pretty one-dimensional which didn’t help. However, whatever the flaws of the film are, this is the great Finney’s picture. His performance manages to elevate what would have been a rather conventional picture into something that is compelling and quite moving.


THE DVD contains no discernable special features. Of note, the original 1951 adaptation is available on prestige label Criterion, replete with the usual high standard of historial and newly commissioned supplements, including a new video interview with Mike Figgis on the Anthony Asquith film.