Film Review
There's a distinctly Hitchcockian feel to Roy Ward Baker's first
directorial feature, which perhaps isn't too surprising given that he
had worked as an assistant under the Master on
The Lady Vanishes (1938).
The plot isn't too far removed from that of
The
39 Steps (1935), with a man on the run from the police to
prove himself innocent of a crime he is believed to have
committed. That Baker was influenced by Hitchcock's early films
is evidenced by the striking film noir composition - cinematographer
Erwin Hillier was visibly influenced by German expressionism for this
and other films of this period - and its exciting
race-against-the-clock final act.
The October Man was in fact based
on a novel by Eric Ambler, who not only scripted the film but also
produced it. Ambler and Baker would subsequently collaborate on
A Night to Remember (1958), one
of cinema's most cherished accounts of the Titanic disaster.
Heading a distinguished cast is a John Mills who bares scant
resemblance to the likeable and uncomplicated everyman of his wartime
movies. As Jim Ackland we see a very different Mills, a man
visibly falling apart at the seams as internal fears and external
threats drive him ever closer to a complete mental breakdown.
Resisting this psychological onslaught is a steely resolve which is
strong enough to see him through - something that an audience living
through the austere aftermath of WWII would doubtless have taken to
heart and been encouraged by.
The
October Man isn't a propaganda film but it clearly recognises
the hardship of its time and in Jim Ackland's personal ordeal there is
an obvious metaphor for Britain's struggle to see it through hard times
and an appeal not to give up the fight.
Mills's performance here probably rates as the best he has given so far
- this brings not just a grim intensity to the film but also a
harrowing impression that mental suffering can be just as unbearable as
physical pain. His character's sense of isolation is amplified by
some superbly atmospheric lighting and camerawork, and also the menace
that is conveyed by the other characters, from Joyce Carey's horribly
mean-spirited harridan to Frederick Piper's doubtful Inspector Godby,
who takes blooded-minded scepticism to the absolute limit. Most
chilling is Edward Chapman's loathsome Mr Peachy - you hardly recognise
him as the same actor who played Norman Wisdom's comic foil Mr
Grimsdale in several comedies a decade on. Mills's only solace in
his nightmare of self-doubt is an iridescent Joan Greenwood, the siren
in a storm who, for once, is the hero's saviour rather than an
instrument of his doom.
As a murder mystery,
The October Man
falls down somewhat as the identity of the killer is pretty
self-evident within minutes of the crime being committed, but there is
enough tension and suspense elsewhere to make up for this minor
deficiency. Roy Ward Baker directs the film with the confidence
and artistry of a seasoned filmmaker and the last two reels are
enjoyably nerve-racking, with just a touch of wry humour to prevent the
numerous plot contrivances from appearing too obvious. What most
sells the film is the finesse and commitment that John Mills shows as
he tackles his most challenging screen role to date - so convincing is
his portrayal of mental instability that in some scenes we dare not
doubt that his character is capable of murder. Who'd have thought
that so much darkness could lie behind such an affable persona?
© James Travers 2015
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Roy Ward Baker film:
Highly Dangerous (1950)
Film Synopsis
Jim Ackland, a research chemist, ends up in hospital with a serious
brain injury after a bus crash that left the young girl in his care
dead. Traumatised by the girl's death, he attempts suicide whilst
being treated but finally he is well enough to resume his former
life. He moves into a small hotel in the London suburb of
Brockhurst Common but finds it hard to socialise with his fellow
boarders, who treat him with mistrust after learning he might be a
mental case. A budding romance ensues when Jim gets to meet Jenny
Carden, the sister of a colleague of his. Despite their mutual
attraction, Jim insists that they cannot marry until he is fully
recovered from his head injury. When Molly Newman, one of the
residents at Jim's hotel, is murdered one evening suspicion soon falls
on Jim. Near the dead woman's body is a cheque that he had
earlier given to Molly on hearing that she was in desperate need of
money, so the police draw the obvious conclusion that he murdered her
after she attempted blackmailing him. When the real killer
tries to flee the country Jim goes after him, doing his best to
evade capture by the police as he makes a desperate bid to clear his
name...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.