A Severed Head

There is something not quite right here. I didn't see the stage play and it is many, many years since I read the book but it seems that perhaps director Dick Clement didn't really have a tight enough grip on this. I appreciate that because of the title some mistakenly expect a horror film and I have seen some describe this as an hilarious farce. Well, it is not very funny despite the odd amusing, if rather predictable, dig at the English middle class. Certainly this is not played as a farce, although Lee Remick seems to have this notion and plays it to the hilt wit much repetition of line and (over) action. Everybody seems to go their own way as if they are giving a solo performance, unrelated to anybody else and it is left to Jennie Linden to play it as it seems it should be played. Apparently her part was originally conceived as being for Julie Christie and I would have thought that then she would have stuck out even more. Claire Bloom's performance is a brave one but she seems just as much in her own bubble as Attenborough, Holm and Remick. Interesting idea that deserved a better cast and a more seasoned director.

This is a mystery not a comedy.How can the film makers make such a mess of anything written by Irish Murdoch and J.B.Priestley.If that wasn't bad enough to lumber it with such a dreadful title.No wonder the distributors put this on the shelf for a couple of years.Shameful waste of all the talent involved.No doubt Blooms top less scene was included to boost the box office.

I had to watch this film recently and expected to see HORROR film. A SEVERED HEAD!? h-e-l-l-o? Only to find out this is a comedy... I THINK? Very dry, very British. The confusing title would be explained at the end of the film as the character Honor quotes:

"Go back to reality Martin,... I am an object of terrible fascination to you, A Severed Head such as primitive tribes used putting a morsel of gold on it's tongue to make it utter prophecies, as real people you and i do not exist for one and other."

I know, huh? I didn't get the correlation either. Seeing there are only 3 user comments (at the time of this review) I feel bad for so many films like this. So many thousands of films that took so long to make and so many actors gave great performances only to fall into the abyss of obscurity. Worth watching though if only for Lee Remick who is absolutely stunning and quite a skilled dead pan comic.

One of my favorite movies ever, largely due to the fact that Iris Murdoch is my favorite author of all time. I saw this as a fairly young child, and it stuck in my head for years. Two of the best actresses ever, Claire Bloom and Lee Remick. Claire was perfect as Honor, like a tightly wound spring. The relationship between Honor and her brother is pure Iris Murdoch, whose characters always had complicated and sometimes quite twisted relationships. Very funny movie, as well, as is also typical of Ms. Murdoch's works.

I would highly recommend this movie to young adult audiences who like alternative and artistic, literary movies.

The wine taster and merchant Martin Lynch-Gibbon (Ian Holm) is married with the shallow and spoiled Antonia Lynch-Gibbon (Lee Remick) and loves his mistress Georgie Hands (Jennie Linden). Antonia is under therapy with Martin's best friend, the psychiatrist Palmer Anderson (Richard Attenborough). One day, Antonia decides to ask for the divorce to Martin to live with Palmer, but they want to keep Martin as their friend. When Palmer's sister Dr. Honor Klein (Claire Bloom) comes from Oxford to stay with her brother, she discloses the affair of Georgie, who was her student, and Martin to Palmer and Antonia. Meanwhile Martin's brother Alexander Lynch-Gibbon (Clive Revill) has a love affair with Georgie and Martin falls in unrequited love with Honor, but he discovers a secret about Palmer. Who will stay with whom in the end?

"A Severed Head" is an unfunny British comedy about infidelity that maybe satisfies the British humor. The story is awful and wastes a wonderful cast with names such as Lee Remick, Richard Attenborough and Ian Holm among others. It is impossible to give a single laugh after 98 minutes running time. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Amantes Infiéis" ("Unfaithful Lovers")