A classic, typical P D James story, well filmed for television. I actually saw Martin Shaw's other outing as Dalgliesh (The Murder Room) before this one, but I liked him better here, possibly because there was less of a soppy subplot in this case. Good acting all round, here, with special praise due to Robert Hardy, who is always good value, and to Jesse Spencer as the troubled head ordinand. Julia MacKenzie does a super turn, too. The plot is full of interest and is grippingly told in three hours. The only weakness in my view is the location. The college is supposed to be on a cliff that's being eaten away by the sea, but we never see it properly at all. All we are shown is the silhouette of a tower on a cliff, plus close-up shots of what could be more or less any old ecclesiastical buildings. Small budget, I suppose, but a shame, because it would have been good to get a fuller feeling for the claustrophobia of the college in its windswept location, battered by the forces of nature. Nevertheless, well worth seeing.
