It’s been almost six decades, but this might still hold the crown as the blackest comedy ever made. There’s been some sick stuff these past few years, but it’s hard to imagine even the Farrelly brothers getting a comic beat out of two infants (and their mother) dying of diphtheria.
It’s also the most handsome of all the Ealing comedies, and the most politically cruel. Gone is the by-golly warmth of Passport To Pimlico, this is a story of greed, aspiration and bloody class warfare. No one is innocent, and the way we are manipulated into hating each new character- and even relishing their demise- is almost frightening. It also features one of the most beautifully written voiceovers in cinema, rich with gallows wit, sexual innuendo and even a sort of sarcastic pathos.
by Tom Huddleston | Source: Criterion DVD
11 Jun 2007 12:38 PM | Submit Comment