The Gentle Gunman (Vintage Classics) [Blu-ray] [2022]

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The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our It premiered at the Cambridge Arts Theatre before transferring to the Arts Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 31 performances between 2 and 27 August 1950. The original London cast included Henry Hewitt, Robin Bailey, Victor Maddern, Larry Burns, Michael Golden, Harry Towb, Eddie Byrne, Kevin Stoney, Louise Hampton and Maureen Pryor. [1] The production was televised by the BBC in September 1950. [2] Adaptation [ edit ] The Gentle Gunman should also be commended for its balanced and fairly realistic characterisations. For what still remains an incredibly divisive topic, the film remains remarkably sympathetic to its characters (and their arguments) on both sides of the political discourse. Interestingly, it is the most obviously English character who comes off the worst, portrayed as both pompous and narrow minded (this is perhaps explained by the fact that this character is played by Gilbert Harding, a man who had no love for the British Empire). It’s a bit weird that they don’t cast actual Irish people in this. I mean they’re not hard to find - there’s a whole island of them somewhere out in the Atlantic.

A tonally odd, dramatically stilted and misguided look at Anglo-Irish relations that's just about held together by the skilled direction of Basil Dearden and Gordon Dines' crisp, visually striking photography, this adaptation of Roger MacDougall's play is most interesting when the action relocates outside of the two prominent locations featured in the screenplay, showcasing some stunning Irish countryside and at certain points that feature the iconography of a gangster movie, recalling Dearden's work on crime noirs Pool of London and The Blue Lamp. Did you see them? If not, many of their locations are here on Reel Streets, and if they are not yet discovered, can you help us find them? Both brothers return to Ireland, where Terry faces what poses as a court-martial, and he is sentenced to death. Here, though, the moral ambiguity seeps in again, providing an ending to the film that many critics at the time found a cop-out. Terry has decided to spring from custody the two men arrested because of his information; he does, and they arrive to thank him just as he is about to be shot. He escapes with his life, and all, it seems, live happily ever after. The Gentle Gunman (1950)". London: British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021 . Retrieved 18 April 2023. John Mills won an Oscar for Ryan's Daughter. Playing an Irishman. Who was mute. This last point is most relevant since, on the basis of this film, dear Johnny - of whom I am very fond - couldn't do an Irish accent for toffee. Here, he and Dirk Bogarde play Republican brothers - suspend that disbelief! - at odds over how to fight the English during the Second World War.October 30, 2023 , Joel Fisher , No Comment Pigeon Shrine Halloween Frightfest Film Review – Maria (2023) Basil Dearden enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Ealing Studios, both producing and directing many of their best-loved films of the 1940s and 50s. The main attraction here is the conversation between critics Matthew Sweet and Phoung Le. Recorded as a Zoom conversation, this half hour chat covers a wide variety of subject matter, from the film’s awkward accents all the way through to its politics. It may feel fairly short, but this offers a great deal of interesting facts, context and analysis in its short running time. After Matt goes to see Terry and is occupied in a botched subway assault, he cautions Terry on no occasion to come home. Resolute to clear his name and rescue Matt… Otherwise, working-class heroes and villains prevailed, enabling Ealing to hold a more accurate mirror to society than before: a shift that coincided with the decline of deference during the war, and culminated in the election in 1945 of a Labour government whose values, and then failures, Ealing also depicted. Although censorship (and good taste) limited the villainy that could be shown and saw Ealing release two films that insisted on the profound distinction between right and wrong – It Always Rains on Sunday (1947) and The Blue Lamp (1950) – a third, more ambiguous film took the studio closer to those boundaries of taste than usual under Balcon’s cautious eye.

A list of films produced in the United Kingdom in 1952 (see 1952 in film): Leading British production or distribution companies included General Film Distributors, Associated British and British Lion. Hollywood studios also invested in British-based productions. An interesting British gloss on the Irish situation of the 1940s. Sympathetic, but no more so than a lefty feels for any underprivileged young man tempted into the life of a criminal. As an Ealing film, that's what you get with a bit of roguish wit. The accents are not entirely convincing and warst from our two stars Bogarde and Mills. I do love their presence, though, Bogarde's moping and Mill's bravado. GIRDLE OF GOLD | British Board of Film Classification". www.bbfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2019-02-22. Basil Dearden’s Ealing drama. John Mills and Dirk Bogarde play brothers and IRA members with diametrically opposed views of mounting an IRA campaign of violence in London during World War II. September 25, 2023 , Paul Devine , No Comment Win Delightful Animation Mavka: The Forest Song on DVDThe opening ten minutes are a perfect case in point, which sees Bogarde’s Matt attempt to plant a bomb on the London Underground, with thrillingly tense results. Utilising sharp, taut cutting, dutch angles and striking cinematography, Dearden steers the film with almost note perfect precision. It isn’t long before Dearden throws more impressive set pieces at his audience. A botched gunfight in a down pour feels particularly grim and noirish, while a late stage shootout feels just as thrilling and tense as any action set piece from today.

A photo gallery is also included. This offers several great behind the scenes stills – I only wish there could have been more! October 8, 2023 , Bradley Hadcroft , No Comment Grimmfest 2023 – Film Review – AUXILIO – The Power of Sin (2023) October 28, 2023 , Bradley Hadcroft , No Comment Pigeon Shrine Halloween Frightfest Film Review – Superposition (2023) While not an example of any of the participants’ finest works, The Gentle Gunman is still a compelling film. The acting performances bring a passion and warmth which makes us care about the sympathetic characters, and somewhat pity and despise their rivals. Basil Dearden brings us the intensity that the subject demands. And while this film may not accurately represent the Irish conflict, nor add any context that we couldn’t find elsewhere, it is somewhat sympathetic to both sides. It allows points of view to breathe, and also to overlap, as in life.

The Gentle Gunman will be released on both Blu Ray and DVD on 7th March. Newly restored for this edition, The Gentle Gunman simply looks glorious. Deep inky contrast (the scene in the rain looks particularly impressive) combined with a beautifully crisp and sharp picture, make it seem as if the film could have been shot yesterday. Sound is likewise clean and clear. Altogether this is a beautiful restoration. The newly restored transfer looks amazing. All the burning, powerful looks and subtle but meaningful gestures pop out of the screen. This adds amply to the essence and effect of the film compared to the older transfer I had previously seen. The Verdict You can't exactly criticise John Mills' and Dirk Bogarde's Irish accents here because they didn't even bother to try, both sounding as English as ever, which is pretty distracting to say the least—perhaps it's for the best…