"Ruth Rendell Mysteries" Harm Done (2000)

Director:

Bruce MacDonald

Writers:

Ruth Rendell (novel)
Christopher Russell (screenplay)

TV Series:

"Ruth Rendell Mysteries" (1988)

Original Air Date:

11 October 2000 (Season 12, Episode 1)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

DCI Reg Wexford and DI Mike Burden have their hands full. A teenage girl disappears for three days after...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Abusive Husband | Based On Novel

Cast

George Baker	...	D.C.I. Wexford
Christopher Ravenscroft	...	D.I. Burden
Louie Ramsay	...	Dora Wexford
Diane Keen	...	Jenny Burden
Simon Shepherd	...	Stephen Devenish
Clare Holman	...	Fay Devenish
Bryan Pringle	...	Tommy Smith
Sian Webber	...	Jane Andrews
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sarah Badel	...	Moira Wingrave
Ian Bartholomew	...	Trevor Ferry
Susie Baxter	...	Gillian Ferry
Annette Bentley	...	Debbie Crowne
Eve Bland	...	Brenda Boswell
Charon Bourke	...	Sylvia Wexford
Stacy Hart	...	Lizzie Crowne
Carol Harvey	...	Suzanne Smith
Elliot Henderson-Boyle	...	Robert Devenish
Bee Jay	...	Pathologist (as Bee Jaye)
Scarlett Jenkins	...	Sanchia Devenish
Russell Mabey	...	Colin Crowne
Rebecca Manley	...	Tracey Miller
Matthew Mills	...	D.S. Vine
Ruth Mitchell	...	Vicky
Sasha Mitchell	...	DS Karen Malahyde
Keith Newby	...	Jerry
Nick Robinson	...	Edward Devenish
Raymond Trickitt	...	Carl Meeks

Runtime:

UK:120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Blue Heaven Productions

Quotes:

[quoting from a poison-pen letter]
Det. Chief Insp. Reg Wexford: "Dear Mr Devenish. I wonder if you know what a monster you are. A psychopath, not a human being at all. Evil like yours is, in fact, quite rare. Thank God. But God won't have his revenge on you till after you have died. So he has appointed me to carry out retribution. I shall kill you! I will make your wife a widow and your children orphans, and laugh for joy." No signature. Funny, isn't it, how even the writers of hate mail use a term of endearment: *Dear* Mr Devenish.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Ruth Rendell Mysteries: The Speaker of Mandarin: Part One (#6.1)" (1992)

A Rather Cursory Adaptation

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This last installment in the Inspector Wexford series is enjoyable enough on its own merits, but falls far short of the depth and texture of the novel. The entire film runs about 100 minutes; the previous two, SIMISOLA and ROAD RAGE, were shown in three parts totalling 150 minutes. Not only is a lot left out of the story, but it feels condensed and shows the marks of heavy editing. It's possible that the video version contains an incomplete cut; it certainly looks that way.

George Baker turns in his usual stalwart performance as Inspector Wexford. In this story, for the first time, Wexford is cantankerous, cranky and crotchety, blowing his stack at subordinates (including his close friend and assistant, Mike Burden). This does not occur in the novel, and is very out of character for Wexford. However, the story, which deals primarily with a domestic violence situation, in which Wexford is unable to interfere as the victim will not bring charges, accounts perhaps for his atypical behavior.

Rendell's novel has been criticized by fans for not offering a truly satisfying mystery, but rather a series of two or three thematically related stories that don't fit together in a satisfying whole. The film does follow the book closely enough to be open to the same complaint; it's ultimately more a novel of contemporary mores than a genuine mystery.

I've read the book twice and enjoyed it even more the second time through, so while the criticism is legitimate the book is still a terrific read, with a wealth of fascinating characters and some fascinating ideas. Enough of this comes through in the film to make it worth watching, but it's not as good as previous entries in the series. Wexford fans will want to see it, but others may find it less than engrossing.