Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Julie Christie | ... | Kitty Baldry | |
Glenda Jackson | ... | Margaret Grey | |
Ann-Margret | ... | Jenny Baldry | |
Alan Bates | ... | Captain Chris Baldry | |
Ian Holm | ... | Doctor Anderson | |
Frank Finlay | ... | William Grey | |
Jeremy Kemp | ... | Frank | |
Hilary Mason | ... | Ward | |
John Sharp | ... | Pearson | |
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Elizabeth Edmonds | ... | Emery |
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Valerie Whittington | ... | Beatrice |
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Patsy Byrne | ... | Mrs. Plummer |
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Amanda Grinling | ... | Alexandra |
Edward de Souza | ... | Edward | |
Michael Cochrane | ... | Stephen |
Kitty Baldry (Julie Christie) is a haughty society queen with a tunnelled view of life. Kitty's complacency is rocked when her husband, Captain Chris Baldry (Sir Alan Bates), returns from the front during World War I shell-shocked and suffering amnesia, not knowing who she is, and determined for a reunion with Margaret Grey (Glenda Jackson), a working class lover from his past. Kitty employs psychiatrist Dr. Gilbert Anderson (Sir Ian Holm) to help unscramble her husband's feelings for the women in his new disoriented life, including his all-too caring cousin Jenny (Ann-Margret), but ultimately, comes to realize that the man she knew is unreachable, as dead as the past for which he pines. Written by alfiehitchie
Julie Christie plays a negative wealthy character Kitty (created by novelist Rebecca West) with aplomb. Christie's Kitty is stunningly beautiful and yet is so snooty and possessive of her husband (Alan Bates). Glenda Jackson plays the intelligent, dowdy middleclass, caring, married woman who is the contrasting lover of Kittie's husband's past. Ms West cleverly designed the two characters to have lost a child each, both at the age of five. Both ladies are traumatized equally. However, I found Ann-Margaret, playing Kitty's sister-in-law Jenny, to be better than the other two ladies. Apart from the all round notable performances of all the characters, the casting of the main characters and the camerawork of Stephen Goldbatt (was director Alan Bridges also a contributor to the intelligent camera placing?) were notable. Not a great work, this film, but a delight to watch all the actors and actresses emote in their varied roles.