Moviecut—Time Without Pity

source: Time Without Pity

Time Without Pity

I like Losey's films quite a bit - well The Servant in particular. This film is no Servant . It is a tour de force of overacting, particularly Leo McKern. I don't think I have ever seen such an over the top performance by anyone in anything. It really does him and the film no favours. Michael Redgrave acquits himself quite well but it must have been a thankless task holding on with McKern's histrionics. Ann Todd is the epitome of British middle-class angst and is very annoying for being so. I chose to watch this because it was a Losey film but it disappoints me in every way. It makes very little sense and could have done with much tighter editing and control over the actors' performances.

Just watched this on Talking Pictures. This channel are doing a great job in bringing us a wide range of "long missing from TV" movies, most of the time in excellent prints. Not sure what to say about this? I think Michael Redgrave is/was one of our greatest actors, but... everyone has there off days, and, in this movie, EVERYONE seems to be having an off day! Losey whips them all up into a frenzy of over acting, particularly Leo McKern & Alec McOwen, and things are not helped by the ridiculously over-wrought musical score, which at times drowns out the dialogue. By the end, I couldn't have cared less who did what to whom,and why,as I was losing the will to live!

A bizarre psychogram of a series of characters, all of whom are disturbed in their own manner. Losey delineates the characters through a series of images which are so effective because they're so simple. A cheap B-movie. The choppy dramaturgy and editing, viewed from today's perspective, conveys a nervousness and an intensity to the film that was probably lost on a 50's audience. No happy end, but a just and noble one.

Michael Redgrave seldom turns in a bad performance and occasionally - The Browning Version - he unleashes a great one so he was definitely the selling point for this slightly off-the-wall entry. Several people in talking about this give Emlyn Williams a credit for the original play Someone Waiting but the 'official' credits here list only Ben Barzman and the implication is that it's an Original screenplay. Beginning with the murder of a young girl with the murderer clearly seen we then jump forward to a time when another man, clearly innocent, has been arrested, charged, stood trial, been found guilty and is now hours from execution, all this off screen. Enter Redgrave, flown in from Canada at the last minute and determined to save his son. The film can't decide if it's a race-against-time thriller to find the real murderer or an attack on capital punishment but Redgrave is always a good bet.

I finally caught this interesting little film about six months ago on Turner Classic films. This is based on one of Emlyn Williams twisty murder plays (like his classic, NIGHT MUST FALL). Here we have Michael Redgrave as the father of Alec MacGowan (who is on death row) trying to find out who actually committed the murder his son is charged with. Redgrave is an alcoholic, and a failed parent, and his every effort is stymied by hostility and stonewalling. But slowly he realizes that the guilty party is a millionaire car manufacturer played by Leo McKern. Peter Cushing also appears, as the solicitor who gradually becomes convinced that Redgrave knows what he's talking about (a welcome normal role for the horror film star). I recommend the film, particularly for the ironic way that Redgrave finally turns the tables on McKern, making it impossible for McKern to escape punishment.

An unfairly overlooked movie by highly talented Losey.a noir,noir,film,often desperate ;the movie seems governed by the rhythm of the clocks,their infernal ticking (even Big Ben joins in).The ticking obsesses the unfortunate father David ,arriving in England after living in Canada.He has found his son sentenced to death ;and there's only one day left.A race against time begins .The young man seems indifferent at first sight;he resents his father being here ,accusing him of having left him on his own,and he does not feel like living anymore .Should he die tomorrow,he does not care . David knows he would never be able to get over it ;distraught,he begins a difficult investigation (sometimes a bit implausible).A smart but very cruel ending tends to indicate that love is the strongest after all.Time without pity indeed.Well acted by Redgrave and the others