Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 27-May-07
Spoiler Rating: Medium

The Fallen Idol (1948)

The combination of Graham Greene's writing and Carol Reed's direction produced "The Third Man," so it's no surprise that another collaboration of theirs plays so well. "The Fallen Idol" is a dramatic thriller that conveys a lot of tension with little fuss. It takes place over three days in the French embassy at London, where the ambassador's son Philippe (Bobby Henrey) has been left in the care of the housekeepers. The story is presented from the boy's point of view, which creates an interesting layer between the action and its significance. For example, when Philippe is banished to his room by the shrewish Mrs. Baines (Sonia Dresdel), sneaks down the fire escape, and follows his beloved Mr. Baines (Ralph Richardson) to a nearby café, he does not realize that the blonde at the table must be Baines' mistress. He just plops himself down and munches a scone while Baines and the lady (Michele Morgan) obliquely discuss her decision to abandon London and their forbidden love. For the adults it's a momentous occasion. For the child it's a nice departure from home.

Philippe's involvement in such sticky affairs, however innocent, puts him in a difficult position as far as truth and lies are concerned. Both Baines and his wife try to bind him to their schemes by making him conscious that he shares their secrets. The missus does so after Baines broaches the idea of divorce and she gets suspicious. Philippe's loyalty unquestionably (and understandably) belongs to her husband, but it's confusing for him to know what should and should not be revealed. His confusion turns to trauma after he, Baines, and the mistress spend a whole day together, thinking the wife has left town, and are surprised by her sudden appearance in a state bordering on madness. Violence ensues; policemen arrive; more lies are told. And again Philippe squirms in the middle while his friend's very life is at stake.

Like the central character, the viewer is likely to empathize with Baines since his wife is awful and his lover seems like the real thing. But he keeps digging holes for himself out of which one can't be sure he will climb. This tension is heightened by Philippe's continual floundering as a pawn in a game he cannot comprehend. The anguish of children is a powerful subject which movies should use sparingly, but "The Fallen Idol" applies it to artful effect. The outstanding image is of Philippe being questioned by Scotland Yard while swaddled in a blanket from which only the top half of his head protrudes. Encased in boyish bewilderment, muffled by grown-up imperatives, and anxious to do the right thing, his frustration makes the film that much more pathetic and complex.

Copyright © 2007 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.