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An Inspector Calls
UK 1954
produced by A.D. Peters for Watergate Productions, British Lion
directed by Guy Hamilton
starring Alastair Sim, Olga Lindo, Arthur Young, Brian Worth, Eileen Moore, Bryan Forbes, Jane Wenham, George Woodbridge, Barbara Everest, Charles Saynor, Olwen Brookes, John Welsh, Frances Gowens
screenplay by Desmond Davis, based on the play by J.B. Priestley, music by Francis Chagrin
review by Mike Haberfelner
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The Birlings, an upper-class family used to gouvern out of tradition,
with often little heed of the consequences, are just celebrating the
engagement of daughter Sheila (Eileen Moore) to well-to-do Gerald (Brian
Worth), when an inspector, Poole (Alastair Sim), stops by to spoil the
mood: A girl, Eva Smith (Jane Wenham), has died in what appears to be a
suicide, and it seems she had ties to the family. First to patriarch
Arthur, in whose company she has worked two years ago, but he fired her
for demanding higher wages for all workers, and what particularly irked
Arthur about her was that she could backup her demands with rational
arguments. Later, Eva worked at a fashion store, where Sheila had her
fired from because she was in a particularly bad mood while shopping, and
Eva dared to smile the wrong way. Not long after that, Eva became the
mistress of Gerald, but the class difference pretty much made sure that
the relationship would never go anywhere, and eventually he dumped her
just like that. Eva then asked for money from Birling matriarch Sybil's
(Olga Lindo) charity for lost women, but was refused it, just because she
didn't like the way she talked. She could have well needed that money
though as Birling son Eric (Bryan Forbes) had impregnated her but failed
to come up with enough money to support her. Now the Birlings all see the
error of their ways that led to the death of the girl - until it's found
out that the inspector is a mere impostor and on top of that, Eva Smith
has never committed suicide, so suddenly they see themselves in the clear
again, all but Sheila and Eric, who seem to have learned their lessons.
But then they receive a call from the police that there has been a
suicide, a girl with ties to all of the Birlings, and an inspector is on
the way. As for Inspector Poole - well, he has vanished into thin air ... Based
on the play of the same name, An Inspector Calls can't really shake
its theatrical roots, even if flashbacks to Eva Smith's interactions with
the family are added, something not at all in the play. But however stagey
the movie might seem, it's really carried by very strong performances by
all involved that draw one into the proceedings. And while Guy Hamilton's
direction doesn't seem all that remarkable on first glance, it works very
well when contrasting the pomp of the Birlings' home with the more
down-to-earth feel of the flashbacks. On a story level, the film, a
watered-down version of J.B. Priestley's play, is basically a morality
play on class relations, a bit too obvious maybe, and missing any real
satirical edge, but with its heart in the exactly right place. So in all,
not a masterpiece maybe, but totally worth a watch.
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