Verde Passional

The British film industry has had a chequered history, but was arguably at its finest in the 40's and 50's when it produced little gems like this.

Straightforwardly plotted convergent mysteries of this genre, with or without a major twist, never fail to give simple satisfaction when acted by such a cast of stalwarts and regular journeypersons as we find here. Some may find the stiff upper lips and well modulated tones of the middle classes a little grating for modern tastes, where nurses all speak naicely and ordinary folk are played by caricature cockneys. Speaking of stiff upper lips, their very personification Trevor Howard is, of course, in it, playing a surgeon with a cloud over his career. Which is why the whole is leavened by the unique figure of Alastair Sim.

No matter how serious the role he must play, his lugubrious features invariably betray an innate whimsicality, that essence of grown-up-naughty-schoolboy that we find so universally engaging, and which is the world's view of Britishness at its best. He makes it possible to insert a pratfall or quip to lighten the atmosphere without losing it.

Films like this were very easy and cheap to make - minimal locations, scenery munching, explosions or car wrecks. Current film makers might take note of their bang-per-buck in an era when nostalgic baby boomers are making their cinema presence felt again. But where will they find another Alastair Sim?

The quintessential 40s British whodunit, Green for Danger satisfies even as it leaves a trail of plot holes that even Alistair Sims' rather self-satisfied Inspector Cockrill would have spotted. Perhaps it satisfies despite its flaws because it embodies all the good things about British films back then. The writers assume a level of intelligence on the part of their viewers and possession of an attention span that would seem unattainable to many of today's MTV generation. Time is taken to develop characters and establish relationships instead of telling the audience everything about a character that is necessary only for the purpose of driving the plot along.

Alistair Sim, sporting a typically smug grin when he's not ducking airplanes, plays Inspector Cockrill, who is called upon to investigate the murder of a postman on the operating table at a quaint hospital full of wooden beams and flagstone floors. He doesn't appear until midway through the film – although his voice can be heard on the narration from the outset – and his dry wit peps things up immeasurably. We are presented with the usual group of suspects: Leo Genn as a vaguely slimy Lothario who wastes no time in pursuing the lovely nurse Fredericka (Sally Gray) the moment she breaks off her engagement to a young Trevor Howard; buxom Megs Jenkins, a matronly figure even then although she was still in her twenties, and a nurse who borders on the edge of hysteria nearly all the time. They were all present at an operation in which poor old Moore Marriott was pumped full of Co2, and are all, therefore, suspected of his murder.

The film keeps you guessing throughout – knowing very little about the film before I watched it, I couldn't even figure out who the second victim was going to be for a while: the plot seemed to be setting up one character for the fall before turning the spotlight on someone else entirely. A couple of red herrings throw you off the trail quite nicely, and Inspector Cockrill's confidence proves to be monumentally misplaced. The twist at the end is truly sublime, and the look on Alistair Sim's face when all becomes clear is one of those cinematic moments that live long in the memory. It's all very quaint and old-fashioned now, but it still provides some solid entertainment.

This film opens with this line and is one of the greatest opening hooks I've heard in film. These words are spoken as anonymous hands are clanging away on a typewriter. And so begins "Green for Danger".

This is a great, quirky British mystery drama that I found quite entertaining. At times it's tense and scary, then its humorous - and then its almost noir. I found this kept the film interesting and the pace was quite energetic. I will say the beginning is a little slow to start after the great opening hook. It starts out looking like it will be just another doctor/nurse soap opera. But hang with it and it gets rolling.

I found the black and white cinematography to be quite accomplished and loved its great use of architectural shapes, shadows, and the mix of light and dark.

Alastair Sim as The Inspector was great. He has an unusual mug of a face and bulging eyes. He's tall and somewhat clumsy. And more than a little goofy. He makes quite effective use of sarcasm. I loved his line when he said "My presence lay over the hospital like a pall."

It was interesting to see some of the old hospital equipment. I noticed there was a coin meter for gas utilities in the kitchen - never saw one before. My only complaint during the film was having difficulty following some of the clipped British accents.

There is a nice twist at the end. The hapless inspector solves the crime, but causes harm in so doing. There is a clever closing line back on the typewriter - " I offer my resignation, in the confident hope that you wont accept it.''

Quirky piece - loved it!

Love murder mysteries, have always been fascinated by them since reading my first Agatha Christie novel ('And Then There Were None') aged twelve, and with such a great cast on paper 'Green for Danger' had the potential to be a real treat.

Potential that is more than lived up to, if falling slightly short of being surpassed. Not quite a masterpiece of murder and mystery, but for a comedy-mystery thriller it's very near to it and makes one sad that one doesn't see films like this now on the most part. It is a little on the slow side to begin with, picking up the pace from the revelation at the dance that leads to a second murder and especially when Alastair Sim appears midway. The motive for the first murder (the one for the second is easier to follow) comes from nowhere and is rather confusing for anybody, like me, who didn't remember anything like that being mentioned previously, also found it explained in too hasty a way.

However, 'Green for Danger' has an attention-grabbing opening line and the opening narration is the perfect way to draw the viewer in and set things up. It also ends with a very clever and amusing final line, and apart from the underwhelming motive the final twist is one of the most unexpected and most genius personally experienced in any film, was not expecting the murderer's real identity or the outcome.

There are some great scenes in between. Especially good was the suspenseful build up to the second murder, the suitably eerie photography and lighting helped, and the nail-biting tension created in the second murder itself, Inspector Cockrill's introduction and a tense rescue.

While 'Green for Danger' was very engaging for much of its length, much of the film flew by and made the most of the short running time, it particularly comes to life when Alastair Sim arrives on the scene and things get even better. It has been said that Sim steals the film and couldn't agree more. This is quintessential Sim and he is magnificent with his wry, witty line delivery, expressive eyes that tell so much, great energy and deliberately and deliciously contradictory body language (rarely does tremendous energy equal laziness and be so funny).

Rest of the cast also fare well. Trevor Howard plays it straight effectively and he plays an uneasy character with naturalness. Sally Gray is beguiling and charming and Judy Campbell, Rosamund John and Megs Jenkins also make a strong impression. Particularly impressive is Leo Genn, his ambiguity, bringing out very subtle shades of the heroic and the villainous, was perfect for a character that one is never sure whether to trust or not and it really deepened the mystery.

'Green for Danger's' mystery is a thoroughly engaging one, with a delicious dark wit and nail-biting tension in some scenes. It's complicated, with a lot of information being given mainly through dialogue, but rarely overly-so. The script has some wonderfully funny lines with Sim and is very thought-provoking elsewhere.

It's a great-looking film too, the photography and lighting are very stylish and rich in atmosphere. Standing out in particular is the build up to the second murder and the murder itself, which was terrifying even when one knows that it's going to happen. Sydney Gilliat directs beautifully, while William Alwyn's score is hauntingly ominous and jaunty.

Overall, a great film and a near-classic that is primarily to be seen for Sim. 9/10 Bethany Cox

With its darkly atmospheric tones,Green for danger works extremely well.The second murder is incredibly well shot with scenes reminiscent of 'I walked with a Zombie',the noise & movement caused by wind being particularly effective.A stellar cast interact perfectly with a special mention for Sally Gray,on her first role after a 5 year break due to 'a mental breakdown',comes across as a glacial goddess.I'm not worthy.Alistair Sim's lugubrious narration provides a perfect framing device building a sense of anticipation and atmosphere.I don't find the movie slow and I was surprised that people find it 'talkie',maybe its modern audiences with their legendary short attention span!