An Inspector Calls (DVD)

...film completely in error. As an avid fan of Alastair Sim, I had expected 'An Inspector Calls' to be a light-hearted, if a little quirky, crime comedy in the same ilk as 'School for Scoundrels' or 'The Green Man'.

It is, however, nothing quite so frivolous.

Instead, it is a damning indictment of the human condition.

As the wealthy, mill-owning Birling family retire to the drawing room after dinner, their ...
...from the police, must be an imposter. And as such, they begin to rationalise and excuse their behaviours toward the girl which had started to trouble them so much. They burst into the study to confront Goole, only to find that he has impossibly disappeared.

Falling quickly back into the own sense of righteous moral superiority, they are about to retire for the night when there is a knock at the door………………..

Set in 1912, ... more

Despite J.B. Priestley's play being one of the most famous in history, I managed to stumble upon this gem of a film completely in error. As an avid fan of Alastair Sim, I had expected 'An Inspector Calls' to be a light-hearted, if a little quirky, crime comedy in the same ilk as 'School for Scoundrels' or 'The Green Man'.

It is, however, nothing quite so frivolous.

Instead, it is a damning indictment of the human condition.

As the wealthy, mill-owning Birling family retire to the drawing room after dinner, their peace is rudely interrupted by a knock at the door. Standing there is Alastair Sim, who introduces himself as Inspector Goole of the police and announces that he wishes to talk to the family about the suicide of a young girl.

At first reluctant, the family soon realise that each of them, individually has played some role in the girl's life, and as such may have some responsibility for her death.

The father, rich businessman that he is, had sacked the girl when she had the audacity to ask for a pay rise.
The mother, noble patron of many benevolent charities, had refused her plea for help.
The daughter, in a fit of pique, had forced her next employer to sack her.
The prospective son-in-law, wealthy in his own right, had kept her as his 'bit of rough'
The son, reckless and irresponsible, had courted her and then dumped her.

All these facts are brought to light by Goole's insidious questioning, until, indignant and shamed, Mr Birling starts to question the Inspector's identity and purpose.

The family come to realise that the man in the study, who purports to be from the police, must be an imposter. And as such, they begin to rationalise and excuse their behaviours toward the girl which had started to trouble them so much. They burst into the study to confront Goole, only to find that he has impossibly disappeared.

Falling quickly back into the own sense of righteous moral superiority, they are about to retire for the night when there is a knock at the door………………..

Set in 1912, and shot in 1954, it may be difficult to immediately see the relevance that this tale has to everyday life. However, on closer inspection and consideration, this is actually a powerful, if subtle, exercise in conscience.

Few of us can say that they have never acted purely and simply upon their own desires, and in so doing have ignored the possible consequences of those actions. This film makes you think of all these times, and will probably leave you wondering about your actions.

Shot in Black and White, with a haunting soundtrack, this film could so easily have been something sombre and brooding, were it not for the sinisterly amusing portrayal of the Inspector by the magnificent Sim. His every movement, facial expression and vocal intonation are perfect for the role of 'guardian of one's conscience'.

The other cast members perform admirably, but are overshadowed by the master at work.

The story unfolds in 'real time', with segue ways into flashback to highlight the family's actions toward the unfortunate girl. Often, flashback movies can be confusing and paceless, but this one never misses a beat, gripping one's imagination throughout.

There are no extras on this DVD. Some may see this as a bit of a shame, but, in my opinion, if you have watched the film and fully understood the underlying theme, by the end of the movie you will be too wrapped up in looking back at your own past actions to be bothered about 'commentaries' or 'Making of…' featurettes.

This is one of the greatest films of all-time, taken from one of the greatest plays of all-time, starring one of the greatest actors of all-time.

If only for your conscience's sake, you really should watch this inspiring movie.
 

...less