Winslow contre le roi

Terence Rattigan, once the toast of London's West End, fell very much out of favor when a new generation of playwrights made his plays seem antiquated and irrelevant. It took David Mamet's excellent filming of the "Winslow Boy" to remind us, that at his best, Rattigan was an exceptionally fine dramatist. Having much enjoyed the movie, I was curious to see the 1948 version directed by Anthony Asquith, who worked on a number of occasions with Rattigan.

It's an exceptional film from all accounts. Asquith's adaptations of theater works for the screen are excellent. Without opening them out too extensively they manage to avoid being stage bound, (Pygmalion, Browning Version, Importance of Being Earnest).

Being already familiar with the storyline, I simply sat back and savored the wonderful performances, and what performances they are. Cedric Hardwicke as the father lacks the softness of Nigel Hawthorne's portrayal and yet that's what precisely makes it ultimately more moving. Robert Donat overflows with charisma and Margaret Leighton plays her very first screen appearance with much intelligence and total aplomb.

The best of British

I hadn't seen this but was aware of its starry remake some fifty years on; having now seen both, this is the better movie for several reasons. Firstly, three brilliant actors in the cast: Cedric Hardwicke, who still fools me every time and it is a surprise and joy to discover it was him after all when the credits roll; Robert Donat, who had another definitive role in this to add to Mr Chips; and the lovely Margaret Leighton, as the suffragette Winslow daughter who isn't at all militant. Secondly, the plot, which manages to weave quite a few threads along with the central story of little Ronnie Winslow and the stolen postal order. And lastly, because of the sparkle and energy of the script and the detail put into every frame. It's a wonderful film which keeps the attention from wandering, and I highly recommend it.

This film kept me in suspense not knowing what the outcome would be. The acting, period atmosphere and historical recreation are all outstanding. The Winslow Boy is directed by Anthony Asquith and has a stellar cast led by Cedric Hardwicke, Robert Donat, Margaret Leighton and others. The film evokes a period of time when honour, self-sacrifice and the heavy arm of authority ruled countries such as England in the name of the common good.

The setting is the Edwardian Era of early 20th century England and into this time and place, we find a youth who has been expelled from a naval academy for stealing. The family believes he is innocent and his recently-retired father, distant from his children, ageing and afflicted with arthritis, sees an opportunity to strike a blow for his youngest child against injustice. In jurisprudence, it is called let right be done.

In this heroic effort, Arthur Winslow the father, played by Cedric Hardwicke, is backed by the strong conviction of his daughter Kate (Margaret Leighton) and Sir Robert Morton who takes on the government of the day (Robert Donat).

Thirteen-year old Ronnie Winslow is expelled from his academy for theft. The evidence against him is real but the son is adamant that he is innocent. Arthur Winslow believes his son and takes the matter to his lawyer and eventually to the Cabinet. He is paid a visit by Robert Donat, as Sir Robert Morton, a Member of Parliament, who takes up the case.

One of the most hard-hitting scenes is a ruthless cross-examination. The boy maintains his innocence and the MP leaves their home convinced of the boy's innocence. The badgering is relentless and had me on the edge of my seat as Donat hurls one accusation after another at the boy, who does not bend during the ordeal.

Sir Robert takes a shine to Kate, Arthur Winslow's daughter, who is played by Margaret Leighton. She superbly performs the role and risks her engagement by pressing the MP to proceed with the case, which has now become a national sensation.

There is a dramatic showdown in the House of Commons and the First Lord of the Admiralty, egged on by Sir Robert, agrees to let the case go to court. The final outcome has added emotion as the senior Winslow, and Sir Robert are tired and ailing.

This is an excellent period piece as well as high drama with great acting by the leading players and those in supporting roles, particularly Kathleen Harrison, the housekeeper. The era is evoked with scenes taking place on golf courses and men's clubs where politicians discuss matters of state, not to mention the churches, concert halls and railway stations. The nation's affairs are dominated by the suffragettes and the Irish question. All-round great entertainment. Highly recommend.

"The Winslow Boy" has an interesting pedigree. The story is based on a real case involving a young cadet who was dismissed from his school without any sort of trial or due process. It seems in the early part of the twentieth century in Britain, there was a petty theft and the boy was punished even though it was not clear he'd committed the crime. Not surprisingly, the boy's father insisted there was a miscarriage of justice...but what makes it interesting is that the case didn't drop there but made its way all the way up to sessions of Parliament....where the case was championed by an MP. Some time later, the playwright and screenwriter, Terrence Rattigan, resurrected the story and wrote a play about it...and changed the names in the process. Now, some time after the play, the story finally made its way to film and Rattigan teamed up with one of his favorite directors for this well made movie.

It certainly helps the story that two very distinguished English actors appeared in two of the leading roles, Robert Donat and Sir Cedric Hardwicke. Oddly, Donat was given top billing...even though he doesn't appear in the film until about the 40 minute mark! But both are mesmerizingly good...and the well crafted story really makes an impact on the viewer, as they, too, are outraged by the school's high-handed and unfair handling of the case...especially when the accused was a mere boy. Well worth your time.

By comparison with today's more pacey films, Anthony Asquith's version of the Terence Rattigan classic might seem somewhat slow, with long shots focused on the protagonists' faces and frequent use of the shot/reverse shot technique. As a piece of character-focused drama, however, the film could not be bettered. Set just before the outbreak of World War I, the film concentrates on the trial of a thirteen-year- old boy (Neil North), wrongly accused of stealing a postal order. His father (Cedric Hardwicke) is determined to fight the case, and engages top prosecuting counsel Sir Robert Morton (Robert Donat) to plead the case. While the film works as a courtroom drama, its main focus is on characterization; those small facial gestures that appear to say so little but actually say a whole lot about the protagonists' preoccupations. The Winslow family are concerned to maintain their English sang-froid, but that becomes very difficult as the case wears on. Hardwicke is quite brilliant at showing how the case affects Mr. Winslow; his tired expression as the film unfolds is rapidly superseded by a small smile as he discovers the result and staggers outside to talk to the press. Initially Donat appears as something of a cold fish, but he admits to Winslow's daughter Kate (Margaret Leighton) by the end that this is a facade constructed purely for public consumption. The ending is quite unexpected for both of them. For lovers of British variety of the mid-twentieth century, the film contains the added bonus of two performances by Cyril Ritchard and Stanley Holloway.