Both Bridges and writer Julian Bond (it was adapted from a novel by Isabel Colegate) were mainly TV people, so they must have smiled in the sunshine of a feature film, financed by Canada. It's 1913 (yes) at Knebworth House, and there's a shooting weekend, and it's the only thing Edward Fox cares about, despite his gambling addict wife Cheryl Campbell having an affair with Hungarian Aharon Ipalé. And Robert Hardy's wife Judi Bowker is falling for single Rupert Frazer. All this is looked upon with benign dignity by James Mason and his wife Dorothy Tutin, as matters sexual, social, political and economic come under examination. Plus we have the downstairs story of servant and maid as well as the kids' point of view. And the budding Rebecca Saire (who's married to Roger Allum). John Gielgud and Gordon Jackson are outsiders. So there's quite a lot going on in this elegant setting.
I like the conversation between Mason and Gielgud, the latter attempting to protest the shoot, and the boy and his duck, and the poacher turned beater.
Rather good, overall. Photographed in a melancholy hue by Fred Tammes.
No comments:
Post a Comment