Roy Nancarrow, 26/07/2009
Brilliant British Motion Picture.
Based on the novel: "Bethnal Green" by Michael Fisher. This motion picture presented 'life in the raw'. This was the first film I ran when organiser/projectionist of 'Ebbw Vale College Of Further Education Students Union Film Society' during the middle of the 1960's.
London Locations.
This ground breaking British motion picture was shot on locations - mainly around the Bethnal Green area, London, England, United Kingdom. The extensive location filming shows the reality of a London that was already beginning to alter, and eventually vanish, and is now either largely forgotten altogether or now over romanticised. The location filming adds a great deal to the authenticity and atmosphere of the story. Capturing a moments in time before the small terraced streets were demolished and replaced by high rise non character structures, it's a superb record of how life really was, pulling very few punches, but still showing the occasional glimmer of light. In fact, there's even an almost happy ending.
Not Swinging London.
This motion picture is not filled with the kookiness of the 'Swinging London' motion pictures that followed later in the 1960's decade. Christmas decorations, hats bursting into flames, cats and caged canaries, one character's unexpected yearning for a career in escapology, the climactic pub brawl - all the better for being filmed on location in an actual public house - when bawdy bits of comic relief temper a well realised display of violence that could have otherwise be thought too realistic and may have caused problems with the British Board Of Film Censors.
Filmatic Elements Combined.
It mixes the nit and gritty realism elements of early 1960's kitchen sink with classic British crime thriller story line. The well worked characters strong, the tone of this filmatic work is just right and the cast is excellent with stars and supporting cast including:- Bernard Lee ('M' James Bond) as the ageing redundant father who turns strongman father. Doris ('On The Buses') Hare as mother. Roy Kinnear as the factory foreman. William Marlowe as the gang hard man Charlie Batey, also one must not forget the fabulous Rita Tushingham and 1960's pop idol Mike ('Come Outside') Sarne.
Well worth obtaining a copy of the DVD
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