Absolutely adored this one, a cool and stylish gem from Basil Dearden. The story is tight and told in a single evening during a party, and there is a fantastic contrast of free and easy jazz music with the sinister scheming of a drummer (Patrick McGoohan) who senses his ambitions to get ahead may be thwarted. There are two interracial relationships (including one with the more taboo black man/white woman pairing), and a mixing of people of all colors that comes across as completely natural, pretty special for 1962. Many notable British jazz musicians are present, and joined by Americans Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus. Jazz is really highlighted, with extended musical numbers where many are allowed to shine, and we see things like Brubeck and Mingus riffing on the latter's Not-Sectarian Blues. The camera work is beautiful and matches the feeling of the scenes, and the dialogue is chock-full of snappy, hip slang from the period.
The film is a clever re-telling of Othello, and McGoohan is wonderful here as Johnny/Iago, complete with being convincing as a drummer. I loved Paul Harris (Rex/Othello) and Maria Velasco (Benny/Bianca) too; they have considerable screen presence and a sense of sophistication in how they handle the emotions of their characters. Also effective are Marti Stevens (Delia/Desdemona), Keith Michell (Cass/Cassio), and Betsy Blair (Emily/Emilia), and then you have Richard Attenborough for goodness sake. It's a great cast.
The film has a few flaws, but I didn't mind. Marijuana use is openly acknowledged, but its effects seem a tad overstated, with Cass being manipulated pretty easily after a few puffs. Maybe you could say that he's been an abuser and he's mostly guilty of becoming paranoid, so it's not ridiculously far-fetched, but I don't know, the reaction is a bit strong.
The ending is also altered relative to Othello, and while that didn't concern me too much, the unraveling of the machinations did feel a little abrupt. While there is less bloodshed in this version of the story, there is certainly pathos in all three of the relationships, and all because the men have behaved badly. There is Johnny and Emily of course, where we get the backstory of Johnny only having married her while drunk, and confessing to not really loving her by the time the film ends. There is also Cass and Benny, who have a sexual relationship and strong admiration for one another, but despite the clearly good thing he has going, Cass doesn't want to commit to her.
And then we have the principal couple, Rex and Delia, whose relationship deteriorates from happily celebrating their one year anniversary among friends to a wild attack, fueled by unfounded jealousy. He starts the film with such a stately, refined air, but by the time it ends, we see (and he sees) he's capable of violence, and he's also been chastised by many for having denied his wife the right to continue her singing career, one she's given up for him. While her running after him despite these things may cause a little cringe, I think it speaks to the purity of her love, and imagine he's been transformed. I believe he will no longer stand in the way of her performing. However the viewer imagines it, I think the film's sympathies are with all three of these women, something I liked about it.
The film is a clever re-telling of Othello, and McGoohan is wonderful here as Johnny/Iago, complete with being convincing as a drummer. I loved Paul Harris (Rex/Othello) and Maria Velasco (Benny/Bianca) too; they have considerable screen presence and a sense of sophistication in how they handle the emotions of their characters. Also effective are Marti Stevens (Delia/Desdemona), Keith Michell (Cass/Cassio), and Betsy Blair (Emily/Emilia), and then you have Richard Attenborough for goodness sake. It's a great cast.
The film has a few flaws, but I didn't mind. Marijuana use is openly acknowledged, but its effects seem a tad overstated, with Cass being manipulated pretty easily after a few puffs. Maybe you could say that he's been an abuser and he's mostly guilty of becoming paranoid, so it's not ridiculously far-fetched, but I don't know, the reaction is a bit strong.
The ending is also altered relative to Othello, and while that didn't concern me too much, the unraveling of the machinations did feel a little abrupt. While there is less bloodshed in this version of the story, there is certainly pathos in all three of the relationships, and all because the men have behaved badly. There is Johnny and Emily of course, where we get the backstory of Johnny only having married her while drunk, and confessing to not really loving her by the time the film ends. There is also Cass and Benny, who have a sexual relationship and strong admiration for one another, but despite the clearly good thing he has going, Cass doesn't want to commit to her.
And then we have the principal couple, Rex and Delia, whose relationship deteriorates from happily celebrating their one year anniversary among friends to a wild attack, fueled by unfounded jealousy. He starts the film with such a stately, refined air, but by the time it ends, we see (and he sees) he's capable of violence, and he's also been chastised by many for having denied his wife the right to continue her singing career, one she's given up for him. While her running after him despite these things may cause a little cringe, I think it speaks to the purity of her love, and imagine he's been transformed. I believe he will no longer stand in the way of her performing. However the viewer imagines it, I think the film's sympathies are with all three of these women, something I liked about it.