The Long Memory
1953
The Cast
The one thing Phillip Davidson (Mills) does wrong is fall in love. On the night he decides to ask Fay's (Sellars) father for her hand he's in the middle of conducting some illicit business; that of smuggling a criminal out of England. Mobster, Boyd (Chandos), who is funding the criminal's escape takes umbrage at the disrespect the criminal shows him. Lashing out with a poker he strikes and kills him. Davidson tries to stop Boyd's rampage and in the fight the boat catches fire. The lifeboatmen pick up Davidson after he jumps off the boat, aflame. Unfortunately, the survivors change their story so they won't be jailed for trafficking. They all confirm there was no criminal onboard and that it was Davidson who struck and killed Boyd. Davidson is jailed for twelve years. Upon his release, he sets out for revenge on those who took those years away from him.
What stands out the most is the atmospheric and beautifully shot camera work. Director, Hamer works well with black and white film. The sequence where the freed Davidson steps off the train and is followed by a plain-clothed policeman is one of the most atmospheric I've seen. It's brilliant. Hamer sets the pace slow and this adds to the feeling of despair and loneliness, which oozes off the screen. There's a bleakness that starts at this point and permeates most of the picture. He is also very good at using the locations to add to the atmosphere... The lone hotel, near derelict, on a sandy beach road... the wooden slatted cafe for the seamen and fishermen... the three beached barges slowly rotting. He's also very adept at the iconic shot, such as a couple of shots of London Bridge. And, especially the sequence where Davidson finally gets to Pewsey (Slater). The entire thing is exquisitely structured and choreographed, though, it's the scene where Pewsey looks through the letterbox to see Davidson waiting in a doorway that holds the most power. I never thought of Mills' as a tough guy or a hard man but when I watched this scene I thought, now that's somebody I wouldn't mess with. Perfect acting with perfect direction makes a perfect scene.
Though Mills' is an outstanding actor, which he proves here, there are a few times when it gets just too melodramatic, in a soap opera way. Luckily enough, this only becomes overpowering towards the latter part of the movie. It does detract from the film's power, though I can forgive that because there are so many better acting sets within the film.
All the actors are good within their roles and there's even an eccentric hermit, Jackson, to keep it interesting. One strange character is alright, because they are out there, and Michael Martin Harvey does a fantastic portrayal. He doesn't go overboard and this makes the man more real to the viewer. Even the lesser characters are full and rounded. Take Mrs Pewsey (Hird), even though her husband has run off with a trollop, she still goes round to the trollop's house to warn him of Davidson's return. While she's there, she takes care of him because he always gets a chest cold at this time of year. Well thought out, written, acted and directed. These little things only add interest to the viewer, add realism and strength to both the story and the film.
Then there's the story. Though it's a revenge tale there's an added depth to even that. When Davidson finally meets his first love, Fay, after his release he realises his perspective and feelings have altered. This is a sobering, sad, and profound realisation.
I have to admit this has now made it onto my expanding favourite flicks list and I would recommend this to all thriller fans, revenge freaks, crime story lovers and drama aficionados everywhere. Also, if you're a budding filmmaker, you could do worse than checking this out.
I give this Bleak Midwinter a Revengeful 7.5 out of 10.
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