Spiel mit dem Schicksal

Excellent job by Laurence Olivier, Simone Signoret and especially Sarah Miles, hat a revelation. Olivier looks tired and lethargic but maybe his heart wasn't into this project.

While this film will earn no plaudits from the Me Too crowd (and justifiably so, in my opinion) and the last ten minutes are a bit too plot twisty for my taste, this remains an insightful character study of a weak, alcoholic secondary school teacher with appalling judgment as well as a powerful examination of a rather sick marriage. Director Peter Glenville will never be confused with Richard Lester in the pacing department but damned if the usually too theatrical fellow does not keep the proceedings moving at a fairly good clip. The result is, in my opinion, Glenville's best film as well as the finest work Olivier has done on the screen, post "Entertainer". Plus you have Simone Signoret at her most gloriously disillusioned and bitter, Sarah Miles, in her film debut, giving a quite convincing portrayal of an unstable girl in love with a much older man, and Terence Stamp essaying a truly loathsome bully/punk. And maybe because it is based on a novel you have some very memorable subsidiary characters, as well, like Thora Hird's nasty working class mom, Dudley Foster's cold ass police detective and Hugh Griffith's go for the jugular defense counsel. Finally, the cinematography by Oswald Morris is so wonderfully kitchen sink that even Paris looks grimy. Give it a B.

A thrilling and compelling story that we think is going to be simply a young girl who has a crush on her teacher and then rejected it looks as if we will be on for most of the film of a trial of a charge of indecent assault. Yes and no, but this is a wonderful and a very complicated tale about the man the woman and girl. Never having seen this before it turns out that Sarah Miles, I always love, is brilliant and her first film, going on to The Servant (1963) and Blow-Up (1966). Laurence Olivier always good and was in-between The Entertainer (1960) and Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) two of my other favourite films. Simone Signoret is, of course, usually brilliant and now as this one and on with two of her best Casque D'Or (1952) and Diabolique (1955). Then there is Terence Stamp as the school bully and more, in his first role although he would go on with The Collector (1965), Modesty Blaise (1966) and Poor Cow (1967) and all of them I love. It is hard to pick the best out of the four actors because they are all splendid and the story is excellent so it is almost two hours and exceptional.

Graham Weir (Laurence Olivier) is a teacher with a criminal record for refusing to fight in the war. Both his work and his marriage to Anna (Simone Signoret) is a struggle. He starts tutoring student Shirley Taylor (Sarah Miles) who develops a crush on him. Mitchell (Terence Stamp) leads the school bullies.

I would have liked more of this story told from the girl's point of view. That would show her progression and her reasoning. I want a deeper character than an unstable hormonal teen. Sarah Miles is twenty and that does take the sting out of the teenager role. Hayley Mills would be a more interesting choice. Quite frankly, Lolita came out right before this movie and that would siphon off any heat from the similar subject matter. As for Graham, he's too careless which frustrates me. This subject is as relevant today as ever. It is however not as daring as it could be.

You teach English in a school below your station, a spell in inside forecast your future resignation, as you objected, now you're tarred, opportunities, are now all barred, and while there's spirit, it fills a glass, for your libation. Your marriage has become bitter and soured, as your wife thinks you're afraid, a reserved coward, but you're generous and kind, you feel morally inclined, to help young Shirley Taylor, to become empowered.

Great performances from all the cast, but especially Sarah Miles who, as the besotted pupil, takes her teacher, also wonderfully performed by Laurence Olivier to the depths, as generosity and charity are rewarded with retribution and humiliation, when advances are not reciprocated, and he doesn't succumb, to the temptation.