Daisy-16

My comment is restricted to the episode (one of six in the series) called "Waiting for the Telegram" with Thora Hird, as it is the only one I've seen. I had taped it and planned to watch it for ten minutes before going out. I couldn't turn it off, and by the end I was sobbing loudly enough to disturb the neighbours. After half an hour of listening to one actress speaking, I had new insight into WWI, the AIDS epidemic and its effect on young men today (paralleled tacitly, but unmistakeably, to the decimating effect of war on youth), and the effects of age, disability, and loneliness.

I have since bought and read the book of the series (worth it for the author's introduction alone), and was too disturbed to sleep afterwards, particularly by the episode with Julie Walters. I will be getting the complete series on video as soon as possible and recommending it to everyone in the entire world.

Watch this for profound insight into the human condition. Not easy, but worth it. Alan Bennett is a genius.

I could not recommend this film, unless you are a fan of similarly-themed films of this period, such as 'Percy's Progress' and 'No Sex Please, We're British', and of course the 'Carry On' films, although this is on a par with the worst of them, not the best. It consisted mainly of Barry Evans (who had previously starred in 'Doctor in the House' and 'Doctor at Large') having meaningless sexual encounters with a number of women, and walking around with his tackle out.

It is generally believed that Barry Evans appeared in this film to rid himself of his wholesome 'Doctor' image. He never really succeeded (he was later cast as the straight-laced English teacher in 'Mind Your Language'). This film would not appeal to his mainstream fans, and its appeal as a tits-and-bums English film (if you like that sort of thing) is pretty low. It was dismal.

This film has been marketed as some sort of feminist vengeance movie. It isn't. It is true that the victim murders her attackers after being raped, but only after becoming a brutalised madwoman (hardly a feminist role model). The rape scenes are so long and the revenge so short (and silly) that it is impossible to see this as the film's message.

Possibly the most offensive aspect of this film is that the victim willingly has sex with two of her attackers (after being raped and sexually tortured) and even pretends to enjoy it, as part of her retribution. This is psychologically bizarre, and made me (and every other woman I know who has seen this) actually feel ill.

It is difficult to know what the purpose of this film is. It would not be easy to find the rape scene titillating, unless perhaps you are a member of a particularly pathetic group of lads on a boys' night out. Even real losers would leave the cinema squirming rather than aroused - the penis-severing scene would make sure of that (see other comments).

My conclusion is that the most appreciative viewers of this film are probably real and potential sex criminals, who presumably watch the rape scenes (the majority of the film), and then press the stop button before the slaughter begins - unless of course they are also interested in torture and violent death (inflicted on either sex) which I suppose is unfortunately quite possible.