Trimmed to the narrative bone, this fable-like suspenser gets extra oomph from nearly abstract presentation as killer-on-the-run Dirk Bogarde tries to lose angelic-looking 6-yr-old runaway Jon Whiteley, who’s sticking to him like glue. We never do learn much about that murder, but the kid’s terrified of going home to adoptive parents after playing with matches and starting a small fire. Cops are called in but misread the situation, thinking the man abducted the boy when, if anything, the reverse is true; Bogarde doing everything possible to push the kid away. (His treatment unusually rough for the day.) With cash & food giving out, the two head up North, toward the sea, where Bogarde’s brother lives, and inevitably begin to bond as they run out of options and news spreads. But what happens once they get there? Best known for his Ealing Comedies, Charles Crichton revels in the dark atmosphere and off-beat characters of Brit Noir (bombed-out London and countryside by night), much helped by Eric Cross’s pitch black lensing, cinematography to challenge Hollywood’s ‘Prince of Darkness,’ John Alton. The film a heart-racing pip with a strong cast and Bogarde at his most charismatic.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: A more traditional surrogate father/son relationship, with a storm-at-sea climax, can be found in Henry King’s DEEP WATERS/’48, with Dana Andrews & a very young Dean Stockwell. OR: Bogarde and Whiteley bond again in the oddly effective THE SPANISH GARDENER/’56. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2017/06/deep-waters-1948.html https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/06/spanish-gardener-1956.html
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