(Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival)
Based on the novel by L.P. Hartley, The Go-Between is the story of a young boy who is invited to his rich friend’s home where he becomes a go-between for his friend’s sister and a tenant farmer neighbor who are having an affair. Directed by Joseph Losey and screenplay by Harold Pinter, the film is a coming-of-age film in which a young boy discovers love and its many complications as well as the differences of social classes and environments. Starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Margaret Leighton, Edward Fox, Michael Gough, and Dominic Guard. The Go-Between is a ravishing and evocative film from Joseph Losey.
Set in the span of a summer in the Norfolk countryside in the year of 1900, the film revolves around a 12-year old boy who becomes a messenger for his best friend’s older sister and a farmer who lives nearby unaware that they’re having a secret affair. It’s a film that plays into a boy dealing with the world around him in the course of the summer as he lives in an estate with this rich family where he befriends a young woman and her family. Harold Pinter’s screenplay is largely straightforward yet it would have bits of flash-forwards as it relates to its protagonist Leo Colston (Dominic Guard) who is given the chance to live in this lavish countryside estate in Norfolk, England for the summer with his friend Marcus Maudsley (Richard Gibson) whose parents (Michael Gough and Margaret Leighton) welcome Colston as they show him around their world. Yet, Leo is interested in Marcus’ older sister Marion (Julie Christie) who is also fascinated with Leo as she helps him fit in with their world as Leo notices Marion talking to a tenant farmer named Ted Burgess (Alan Bates) who lives nearby the Maudsley estate.
Pinter’s script would play into this growing conflict within Colston as he is asked by Marion to run to Burgess’ farm and give him a message and vice versa where he becomes this messenger unaware of the contents of these notes. Yet, Colston would figure out what is going on as Marion is being pursued by an estate owner in Hugh, Viscount Trimingham (Edward Fox) whom Colston meets and actually likes but he relates to Burgess more as they both come from similar backgrounds. Once Colston is aware of this connection between Marion and Burgess, he struggles to keep it a secret as he’s also coping with news within the family that would become troubling as suspicion emerges among family members as well as the news of Marion’s engagement to Hugh.
Joseph Losey’s direction does have bits of style in some scenes yet much of it is very straightforward to capture this posh and lavish world that Colston is surrounded by. Shot on location in various parts of Norfolk including Norwich, the film does play into this idyllic world where everyone is living in this lavish home and relax in open landscapes near farms where harvest hasn’t arrived yet. Losey would use wide shots to capture the beauty of the farmland and gardens while he would maintain an intimacy through the close-ups and medium shots for much of the drama. Notably the scenes where Colston would engage Marion or Burgess in their present environment as Colston would walk or run through fields to be their messenger. Yet, things would intensify during the film’s second act with the presence of Hugh who isn’t a bad man but he’s more of a man that is suitable for Marion in terms of social status.
Since the film also would feature these offbeat flash-forwards as it relates to an old man (Michael Redgrave), it would play into Colston’s own role in this secret affair as he’s also in the world of magic where he would try to infuse his wisdom in magic to help them. Instead, things become complicated as Colston would endure not just disappointment but also ideas of adulthood as it would climax with his thirteenth birthday party hosted by Mrs. Maudsley who has been suspicious of her daughter’s frequent disappearances. The moment wouldn’t just be a loss of innocence for Colston but also a truth that many are forced to face as it relates to the idea of love and the taboos it has in high society. Overall, Losey crafts a majestic yet haunting film about a boy being a messenger for two lovers in a secretive affair in the summer of 1900 in Norfolk, England.
Cinematographer Gerry Fisher does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the natural beauty of the British countryside in the daytime exteriors with the usage of low-key lights for the scenes at night. Editor Reginald Beck does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into the flash-forwards in the film. Art director Carmen Dillon does brilliant work with the art direction with the look of the estate as well as its interiors as well as Burgess’ farm. Costume designer John Furniss does amazing work with the costume with the look of the dresses the women wore in those times as well as the clothes the men wore in high society in the early days of the 20th Century.
The makeup work of Bob Lawrence and hairstyling of Stephanie Kaye is fantastic for the hairstyles that the women had as well as the scar that Hugh sports on his face. Sound recordists Bob Bremner and Mike Rutter do superb work with the sound as it play into the natural elements of the locations as well as carriages sounded in those times. The film’s music by Michel Legrand is incredible as it is a major highlight of the film with its piano-based orchestral score that play into the drama as well as the sense of longing between Marion and Burgess.
The film’s remarkable cast include some notable small roles such as an early appearance from Jim Broadbent as a cricket spectator, Roger Lloyd-Pack as a family friend in Charles, Amaryllis Garnett as Marion’s friend Kate, Richard Gibson as Colston’s friend Marcus who would invite Colston to live with him during the summer, Michael Gough as Mr. Maudsley who is kind to Colston as they collaborate on things relating to nature, and Michael Redgrave in a small yet terrific performance as an old man in the film’s flash-forwards. Edward Fox is superb as Hugh, Viscount Trimingham as a noble figure and family friend of the Maudsley who would show Colston the ways of the world but is also aware of the class divide as he’s pursuing Marion just to ensure that she’ll be fine. Margaret Leighton is fantastic as Mrs. Maudsley as the family matriarch who runs the estate as she becomes suspicious about Marion’s activities outside of the home as well as what Colston does outside the home.
Dominic Guard is brilliant as Leo Colston as a 12-year old boy who is invited to stay at the lavish estate of his schoolmate where he deals with his surroundings as well as being a messenger between two people as he copes with all of the emotional complications that would lead to this loss of innocence. Alan Bates is amazing as Ted Burgess as a tenant farmer who lives nearby as he’s a simple man that likes to run his farm as he gives Colston some advice on life and love as he’s cagey about his relationship with Marion knowing that it would hurt her socially if anyone knew about it. Finally, there’s Julie Christie in an incredible performance as Marion Maudsley as a woman who is from a posh and respected family that finds joy in Colston as she asks him to be a messenger as she tries not to reveal her own feelings for Burgess as it’s a performance with a sense of restraint but also anguish over what she’s being asked to do and what she wants putting Colston in the middle.
The Go-Between is a sensational film from Joseph Losey that features top-notch performances from Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Dominic Guard, and Margaret Leighton. Along with its gorgeous setting, haunting premise, and Michel Legrand’s sumptuous score, it’s a film that explores a boy being caught in the middle over a secretive affair between two people of different social classes. In the end, The Go-Between is a spectacular film from Joseph Losey.
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock is the story of schoolgirls and their teacher having a picnic at the geological formation known as Hanging Rock in the Victoria state of Australia where several of them don’t return. Directed by Peter Weir and screenplay by Cliff Green, the film is about an event on Valentine’s Day 1900 where a community is rocked by this event. Starring Anne-Louise Lambert, Helen Morse, Rachel Roberts, Vivean Gray, Jacki Weaver, and Dominic Guard. Picnic at Hanging Rock is an evocative and haunting film by Peter Weir.
The film revolves around a simple picnic near the geological formation of Hanging Rock where a trio of schoolgirls from an all-girl’s college and a teacher of theirs suddenly disappear as a town and the school try to figure out what happened. It’s a film with a simple story about a disappearance on a day where nothing could go wrong yet many wonder what happened as one of the missing is eventually found as she has no idea what happened. Cliff Green’s screenplay starts off with the day of the event as it plays as if it was a normal day where a group of girls go to have a picnic with one of them being forced stay at the school due to her behavior. During this picnic, three of the girls in Miranda (Anne-Louis Lambert), Irma (Karen Robson), and Marion (Jane Vallis) would explore Hanging Rock with another classmate in Edith (Christine Schuler) who would return from the exploration screaming in horror as one of the school’s teachers in Miss Greta McCraw (Vivean Gray) would also disappear.
During this picnic, two young men in the young Englishman Michael Fitzhubert (Dominic Guard) and his valet Albert (John Jarratt) would notice the four girls crossing the creek before the disappearance as Michael becomes obsessed in Miranda whom he’s enchanted by as he would go on a search of his own where Albert would later make a chilling discovery. The script doesn’t just play into people baffled by this disappearance where a police sergeant and a constable try to figure out what happened where the local town is asking lots of question. The script also show how the disappearances of three girls and a teacher would change the environment of this all-girl’s college as students would leave as well as other things prompting a sense of change where its headmistress Mrs. Appleyard (Rachel Roberts) is dealing with the incident and the effect it’s had on the school.
Peter Weir’s direction is just ravishing in every sense of the word from the way he shoots everything on location at Hanging Rock as well as the Martindale Hall which plays the school and locations in Mintaro and parts of Adelaide. Weir’s usage of the wide shots would play into the beauty of these locations as well as create compositions that have this look and feel of a painting for a scene where the schoolgirls and their adult chaperones would be as Weir would have the actors in one part of the location and someone else in another part. It all plays into this quaint world of turn-of-the-century Australia where everyone is still trying to maintain certain etiquettes of the ways of the world yet these young girls are entranced by things that are new where three of them would go to Hanging Rock out of curiosity where they have no idea what they’re doing or getting themselves into. There is a dream-like quality to these scenes where Weir’s usage of superimposed dissolves would help play into these strange things these young ladies encounter as well as what Michael would dream about which leads him to try and find the girls during the second act.
Weir would use some close-ups and medium shots for some of the intimate moments as it relates to the environment of the school from Sara becoming more troublesome as she copes with losing her friend Miranda to Mrs. Appleyard losing students at the school. The direction has Weir showcase a growing sense of decline of 19th Century values and etiquette for something that is new as there’s a scene in the third act of people picnicking and doing other activities at Hanging Rock while still continuing to do the search. Even in scenes where the police sergeant is forced to close the door at his home because has no answers where it does have this sense of changing times where there are no answers for why three people disappeared. Overall, Weir creates a rapturous yet eerie film about a school picnic that turns to tragedy following the disappearance of three schoolgirls and a teacher.
Cinematographer Russell Boyd does incredible work with the film’s very ravishing and gorgeous cinematography with its usage of natural lighting to play into the film’s dreamy tone for many of the daytime exteriors as well as some natural light for the scenes at night. Editor Max Lemon does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, montages, and dissolves as it help play into the drama as well as some of the mystery that looms throughout the film. Art director David Copping does excellent work with the interior designs of the school as well as the home of the sergeant as well as the home of Michael’s uncle.
Costume designer Judith Dorsman does fantastic work with the look of the dresses of the girls and women as well as the clothes of the men including Michael’s suit. Sound recordist Don Connolly does superb work with the sound in capturing many of the natural elements as well as the chaos into people’s reaction over what happened. The film’s music by Bruce Smeaton with pan flute music by Gheorghe Zamfir is amazing for its mesmerizing score with Smeaton’s music largely consisting of eerie piano and orchestral strings with Zamfir’s music creating some dream-like themes for the girls.
The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Peter Collingwood and Olga Dickie in their respective roles as Michael’s uncle and aunt, Tony Llewellyn-Jones as gardener, Frank Gunnell as the head gardener, John Fegan as a doctor, Garry McDonald as the police constable, Wyn Roberts as the local police sergeant, Christine Schuler as the student Edith who would join the girls in exploring Hanging Rock only to be scared, and Jacki Weaver in a terrific performance as a young maid named Minnie who is concerned for the well-being of the students as well as Mrs. Appleyard. Kirsty Child and Vivean Gray are superb in their respective roles as the teachers in the prim and loyal Miss Lumley and the mathematics teacher Miss McCraw as the latter would suddenly disappear. Karen Robson and Jane Vallis are fantastic in their respective roles as Irma and Marion as two of the schoolgirls who would explore Hanging Rock and suddenly disappear. John Jarratt is terrific as the valet Albert as a local who is at first dismissive about what happened to the girls until he makes a chilling discovery as he also copes with his own troubles with his family.
Dominic Guard is excellent as Michael Fitzhubert as a young Englishman who is visiting relatives in Australia where he is entranced by one of the schoolgirls who had disappeared as he becomes obsessed in finding her. Margaret Nelson is brilliant as the troubled student Sara Waybourne as a young woman who is a close friend of Miranda as she has trouble fitting and meet the expectations of Mrs. Appleyard. Helen Morse is amazing as Mademoiselle de Poitiers as a young French teacher who is the most concerned as she tries to help the students anyway they can in coping with the disappearance as well as be aware that things won’t be the same. Rachel Roberts is remarkable as Mrs. Appleyard as a headmistress keen on maintaining some control and a stature of the school as she copes with the disappearance of three of her students and her best teacher as well as the emergence of change happening. Finally, there’s Anne-Louis Lambert in a radiant performance as Miranda as a student whose beauty entrances Michael as she is the most concerned about what she sees at Hanging Rock that would lead to her disappearance.
Picnic at Hanging Rock is a magnificent film from Peter Weir. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, a mesmerizing story, and a hypnotic score, the film is truly one of the finest stories about disappearances and its effects on a school and a community. In the end, Picnic at Hanging Rock is an outstanding film from Peter Weir.
Peter Weir Films: (3 to Go-Michael) – (Homesdale) – (Whatever Happened to Green Valley?) - (The Car That Ate Paris) – (The Last Wave) – The Plumber (1979 TV film) - Gallipoli – The Year of Living Dangerously – (Witness) – (Mosquito Coast) – Dead Poets Society - (Green Card) – (Fearless) – (The Truman Show) – Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - The Way Back
© thevoid99 2017
