Le fond du problème

After watching The Heart Of The Matter for all the exotic atmosphere of a film set in Sierra Leone during World War II what the film boils down to essentially is a Catholic soap opera. Which would follow since it is based on a Graham Greene novel. Had lead character Trevor Howard not been Catholic, would this story had even occurred.

Howard gives a capable performance of a British colonial policeman who is stationed in Sierra Leone caught up in a mid life crisis. He's fallen out of love with wife Elizabeth Allan whom he sends away on money borrowed from a man who the authorities suspect of smuggling, an offensive looked at even more during wartime.

He also embarks on an affair with Maria Schell, an Austrian refugee who were others had been on a life raft for 40 days at sea after Allan has been sent away. That and the fact that he now has the appearance of impropriety has his superiors questioning him after accusations were brought by another civilian Denholm Elliott.

Nothing like Catholic guilt. His theological musings with Father Peter Finch bring him no solace. Howard's troubles are big, but he's his own harshest judge as per his religion.

Although The Heart Of The Matter was well received and it is a well acted story, it hasn't aged well in the past 60 years since it first came out. If anything it's one serious argument against Catholicism should one be considering converting.

Trevor Howard makes the dilemmas facing his character unforgettable. I saw this movie decades ago, and there are scenes - some sensational, some very quiet - that still haunt me. I hope I have the chance to see the movie again - I'd like to share it with my daughter and discuss the theological issues raised with her - and of course, celebrate Howard's marvelous acting.

Trevor Howard is a policeman who tries to get to "The Heart of the Matter" in this 1953 film based on the Graham Greene novel. It also stars Elizabeth Allan and Maria Schell. Howard plays Harry Scobie, a police officer in Sierra Leone. He and his wife have lost their young daughter, and now his wife is miserable in Sierra Leone. In order to get money for a trip for her, Scobie borrows money from an unsavory character - later on, this will lead to problems for him with his superiors. He meets a stranded widow, Helen (Schell), and the two fall in love. When his wife returns, he is faced with a religious dilemma. She is told he has been fooling around. She wants him to go to church with her and take Communion - meaning, of course, that he would have confessed his adulterous sin to the local priest. In fact, the priest comes to the house. The priest cannot accept his confession, because Scobie doesn't believe he can stop seeing Helen. In order to hide this from his wife, he commits the mortal sin of going to communion not in the state of grace.

Stripped down to the religious elements of this film, "The Heart of the Matter" doesn't sound like much. But it has a very high resonance if you're Catholic, suicide is the unforgivable sin, you can't go to communion unless you've been to confession, etc.

Trevor Howard gives a very profound performance as a man who has lost everything except his religion and who describes hell as eternal wanting. As a man who lost sight long ago of what he wants, he lives in a private hell that the surrounding locations only emphasize.

A slow, pessimistic film, a great performance, well worth seeing if you're on antidepressants.

Adapted from one of Graham Greene's "Big 4" "Catholic novels", The Heart of the Matter is notable for its excellent production standards. In an example of literacy audiences differing from those of the cinema, the film is generally accepted as being a commercial failure, I would suggest due to its rather bleak and depressing storyline.

The acting is first class with Trevor Howard excelling as Scobie, the principled expatriate Catholic police officer serving in Sierra Leone. Enmeshed in a loveless marriage with an adulterous wife, he still attempts to do the right thing by all parties, including his wife's smarmy lover Wilson (a fine young Denholm Elliot), as well as do his job professionally, though aware he is to be passed over for promotion for a younger officer. Both his faith and desires however are tested mightily after meeting the young refugee Helen.

The black and white cinematography shot by the great Jack Hildyard on location in Sierra Leone is superb, as is the indigenous, largely percussive soundtrack.

The storyline does parallel much of Greene's life, as he served in Sierra Leone during World War 2, not for the police, but the nascent MI6. The self-confessed "Catholic agnostic", in creating the character of Harry Scobie, forms a template mirroring his own inner torments and depressions, whilst trying to adjust his life to established institutions such as lasting marriage to one person and living one's life according to Catholic doctrines.

Though quite a literal and respectable adaption from Greene's book, this is also arguably the root reason for the film's failure to win much of an audience, apart from those with a fair awareness and interest in Catholicism. Unlike some of Greene's other work embracing aspects of espionage mystery and suspense, this film pretty much eschews any thought of embellishing the story with a police procedural. It serves almost solely as a psychological examination of Scobie's inner demons and challenges. Both the narrative and its conclusion can best be described as unrelentingly harsh and cheerless.

Unsurprisingly, as such, it was never a film likely to gather a large audience, despite its its many production virtues.

While this might not offer much appeal to movie buffs hooked on action flicks - any that value truly classic writing (Graham Green) will be more than compensated by this in-depth character study of the eternal triangle - as examined through the eyes of Catholic guilt and dedication to specific vows and doctrine. Trevor Howard is absolutely superb as Scobie, the trapped in a loveless marriage, deputy commissioner of the Sierra Leone police in the early 40s. With the arrival of survivors from a torpedoed ship, Scobie finds himself drawn to a vulnerable young woman. Lovely Award-winning Austrian-Swiss born, Maria Schell is his equal in her performance of the young survivor.

Beautifully photographed on location, in B/W by Award-winner Jack Hildyard (Bridge on the River Kwai) and reasonably directed by highly regarded TV man, George More O'Ferrall - this richly detailed soul-searching drama is filled with wonderfully defined characters, well played by a sterling international cast.

Not to be missed by all who value classic storytelling and solid British movie-making. The newly restored DVD transfers make it a valuable re-discovery.