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emperor at 11:45pm on 18/04/2006 under film reviews
emperor at 11:45pm on 18/04/2006 under film reviewsI went to see this film with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mr_ricarno this evening at the Arts Picture House. I'm not sure plot-spoilers are especially important for this film, but I'll cut the review anyway.
Capital Punishment is a tricky topic to make a film about; whilst it's not much of an active political topic in the UK, it is elsewhere, and it's a subject that it would be very easy to get preachy about. That may explain why this film is ostensably a biopic of Albert Pierrepoint, the last Chief Executioner this country had.
Albert's father and uncle were both executioners, whilst the women of the family refused to have the topic discussed in the house; this exemplifies the very English nature of this film - a lot of things unsaid and stiff upper lips. For a long time Albertis just a man who takes pride in a job well done - hanging the condemned with the minimum of fuss and without giving them too much time to feel fear. He's a stickler about looking after the body afterwards - "they're innocent now" as he comments to his assitant.
This all changes when he goes to Germany to execute war criminals. He feels afterwards that he did too many "jobs" for his own good, although his wife is delighted with the rate of pay. Inevitably, he ends up having to execute a friend of his, at which point his English reserve breaks down. Tellingly, his wife and he agree that he should resign over not being paid for his time when the prisoner was reprieved, rather than over any qualms about what he does (which both of them clearly have). There's a lot of contradictions going on too - between his pride in his job and his desire for secrecy, for example. Albert is clearly conflicted about what he does, even if he is unable to admit this for much of the time.
This isn't a jolly film. It doesn't lay the emotional content on thickly, but is pretty blunt about the process of execution. It makes you think about what execution means, to society, executioner and condemned alike; it will be interesting to see how that's received in the US. Visually, it's well-done, too. There are visual parallels between the spy-hole into the condemned cell, and others who are overlooked by Albert; the recreation of early-mid 20th century England feels convincing too. Recommended.
mr_ricarno this evening at the Arts Picture House. I'm not sure plot-spoilers are especially important for this film, but I'll cut the review anyway.Capital Punishment is a tricky topic to make a film about; whilst it's not much of an active political topic in the UK, it is elsewhere, and it's a subject that it would be very easy to get preachy about. That may explain why this film is ostensably a biopic of Albert Pierrepoint, the last Chief Executioner this country had.
Albert's father and uncle were both executioners, whilst the women of the family refused to have the topic discussed in the house; this exemplifies the very English nature of this film - a lot of things unsaid and stiff upper lips. For a long time Albertis just a man who takes pride in a job well done - hanging the condemned with the minimum of fuss and without giving them too much time to feel fear. He's a stickler about looking after the body afterwards - "they're innocent now" as he comments to his assitant.
This all changes when he goes to Germany to execute war criminals. He feels afterwards that he did too many "jobs" for his own good, although his wife is delighted with the rate of pay. Inevitably, he ends up having to execute a friend of his, at which point his English reserve breaks down. Tellingly, his wife and he agree that he should resign over not being paid for his time when the prisoner was reprieved, rather than over any qualms about what he does (which both of them clearly have). There's a lot of contradictions going on too - between his pride in his job and his desire for secrecy, for example. Albert is clearly conflicted about what he does, even if he is unable to admit this for much of the time.
This isn't a jolly film. It doesn't lay the emotional content on thickly, but is pretty blunt about the process of execution. It makes you think about what execution means, to society, executioner and condemned alike; it will be interesting to see how that's received in the US. Visually, it's well-done, too. There are visual parallels between the spy-hole into the condemned cell, and others who are overlooked by Albert; the recreation of early-mid 20th century England feels convincing too. Recommended.