Film Review
The last of three collaborations between director Charles Crichton and
screenwriter T.E.B. Clarke,
The
Titfield Thunderbolt has fared less well with the passing of
time than their previous films -
Hue
and Cry (1947) and
The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) -
but it remains a charming piece of whimsy that serves as an ironic elegy to a
mythical public spirited England that never was and never could be. The first
Ealing comedy to have been shot in colour, the film makes good use of
its leafy rural setting (mostly in verdant Somerset) but lacks the
eccentricity and subversive edge that most characterise the classic
Ealing comedy.
The film's commentary on changes in post-war British society is
curiously muted and more than a little caricatured, although
its central theme (the rights of individuals to govern their own
affairs in the face of steam-roller opposition from the state and big
business) still has a powerful resonance. A moderate
commercial success, the film was
inspired by the restoration of the Talyllyn Railway in Wales by a group
of dedicated railway enthusiasts in the early 1950. A colourful
cast of likeable British character actors (Naunton Wayne, Sid James, John Gregson),
headed by a typically ebullient Stanley Holloway, makes up for the lacklustre script,
although the real stars of the film are the steam-driven locomotives,
in particular the 1830s museum piece of the film's title, which was
apparently built only nine years after George Stephenson's
Rocket.
The
Titfield Thunderbolt hardly rates as a classic but it makes
perfect viewing for a wet weekend afternoon viewing.
© James Travers 2013
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Charles Crichton film:
The Battle of the Sexes (1959)
Film Synopsis
It is a black day when British Rail announces the closure of an
unprofitable branch line connecting the village of Titfield with the
town of Mallingford. Realising how important the line is to
preserving the unique character of their village, the local squire
Gordon Chesterford and railway enthusiast Reverend Sam Weech resolve to
take over the running of the railway line, with the willing support of
the villagers. The wealthy Walter Valentine agrees to provide the
necessary capital, providing there is a bar on the train that can serve
him his morning tipple. Not everyone is in favour of the
villagers' attempt to save the branch line. Bus owners Alec
Pearce and Vernon Crump stand to profit from the line's closure and
decide to indulge in a spot of sabotage, just before the trial
inspection by the Ministry of Transport...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.