Esther Waters

Another little triumph for the marvellous 'Talking Pictures TV', this was a complete revelation. One of the most effectively set and shot costume dramas and a tour de force of a performance from a young Dirk Bogarde (his first starring role) and ably supported by Kathleen Ryan. The racing scenes are absolutely first-rate - as the authority, Michael Church, says above) with Derby Day as well evoked as I've ever seen it. Even a nod to Frith's 'Derby Day'. Made me want to read the novel. What a treat on a Saturday afternoon!

Kathleen Ryan is the poor and innocent young maid who gets the normal treatment of a lady and ends up down to her neck in trouble, and she is illiterate at that, but you can't really dislike him since he plays it so well, and he honestly makes an effort. It all ends up in the great Derby, the festivity crowd scenes are the treat of the film, and they are several, including the great rural party in the beginning. It's a Dickensian story convincing enough in its realism of the 1870s to 80s including a long dying scene, of which Dirk Bogarde was such an expert and made so many of, usually coughing to death, while Kathleen Ryan in spite of her hardships actually gets along quite well, not actually needing the sympathetic support of Cyril Cusack as the would be catcher in the rye. It's a lovely film of a serving maiden's tale and particularly a film for horse lovers - the final race is a killer.

If you like the British costume dramas of this era, then Esther Waters is for you. Set in the 1880s it follows a servant girl as she meets and falls in love with a young man whose mother she works for - then is shattered when he goes off with another woman, leaving her pregnant and broke. She endeavours to raise the child on her own, finding it difficult because the general public is extremely biased against young unwed mothers. The movie drags a bit, but it is worth a watch!

Remembered today solely for containing Dirk Bogarde's first lead (actually second billed to Kathleen Ryan). This screen version of George Moore's socially concerned 1894 novel starts well with a wonderful opening pan across the Wessex countryside, like most postwar British films looks lovely and has an interesting supporting cast (including Cyril Cusack, Ivor Barnard and a young Pauline Jameson). But one's attention starts to wander as the heroine's fortunes eventually pick up...

This is quite a decent Victorian melodrama that sees naive housemaid "Esther" (Kathleen Ryan) fall for the mischievous charms of "Latch" (Dirk Bogarde). Left high and dry - with their baby - after he absconds with another woman, she must struggle to hold down a job and make ends meet at a time when there was no such thing as maternity leave. It is just when she seems to be making some progress that her nemesis turns up again - by now a quite successful pub owner and gambler with underlying health problems - and when he realises that they had a child together, he wants to try to help - and their drama intensifies. There are some lovey scenes set around the famous Epsom Derby horse race and when both actors are on screen at the same time, there is a distinct and quite engaging chemistry between Ryan and Bogarde. Sadly, though, the screenplay isn't up to much and though the support from the likes of Cyril Cusack and the rather matter-of-fact Nuna Davey as the matron tries it's best, the drama itself is actually quite weak and predictable. Keep an eye out for the zip on her frock - a woman well ahead of her times!