The Winslow Boy

1999 was quite a year for film.  Even if some (EYES WIDE SHUT, STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: PHANTOM MENACE) ultimately disappointed, there was quite a bit of anticipation and interest surrounding them.  Amusingly, two filmmakers ordinarily associated with rather dark offerings released G-rated features.  David Lynch directed the gentle THE STRAIGHT STORY, and writer/director David Mamet adapted Terence Rattigan's play The Winslow Boy.  Neither felt like a stunt.  Both stories very much suited the men's artistic sensibilities.

THE WINSLOW BOY is set in early twentieth century London and based on a true incident involving a young cadet who is ousted from a naval academy after he is accused of stealing a money order from a classmate. The boy pleads his innocence, and his family eventually secures a highly respected barrister to bring the case to court.  The 1946 play was first adapted in a film by Anthony Asquith in 1948.  As Mamet described in an interview with Charlie Rose, he stuck closely to the dialogue and events of his script, but moved a few things around, akin to rearranging chairs in a house built by Frank Lloyd Wright.  His direction is exquisite, and sharp as ever.

Guy Edwards plays Ronnie Winslow, said cadet.  Nigel Hawthorne is Arthur, his father, a refined and prosperous banker with a strong sense of "right."  Much of this story involves his crusade for justice and "right", which is discussed by more than one character to be different things.  The case ignites intense media attention.  Due to mounting legal fees during the lengthy trial, the Winslows' fortunes dwindle, and daughter Catherine's (Rebecca Pigeon) impending marriage to a military Captain is also threatened.  Arthur's wife Grace (Gemma Jones) wonders aloud if her husband's relentless march is more about hubris than their son's innocence.

That theme is at the core of this story, but to me THE WINSLOW BOY, which is sumptuously filmed by Benoit Delhomme, comes off more as a study of British mores in the post Edwardian era.  The behavior of the characters is best described as unfailingly staid.  Everyone speaks eloquently, one of this film's numerous pleasures.  It is not the "Mametspeak" we've heard in the writer's other films and plays, but it has a music of its own.  The characters may be passionate, but they barely react to anything, even in victory.  Very English.  This tone (and the lack of traditional courtroom moments)  will frustrate viewers who wanted a more traditional legal drama. Though scenes with Sir Robert Morton (Jeremy Northam) in the House of Commons during chamber debates are almost rousing.  Even better is Morton's cross examination of Ronnie in his office before he agrees to take the case.

Catherine's other crusade, for women's suffrage, also gets some screen time.  It becomes clear later that she is attracted to Sir Robert, even though he is an arch conservative who believes women should stay in the House galleries as spectators. THE WINSLOW BOY's romantic subplots may not be entirely successful, but their reticence seems quite organic.