Man in Grey, The
Apart from the fact that the disc I reviewed would only enter the film at the start of the last scene and that it involved me jumping backwards in sections to get to the film’s start, THE MAN IN GREY has much to recommend it.
Movie:
Apart from the fact that the disc I reviewed would only enter the film at the start of the last scene and that it involved me jumping backwards in sections to get to the film’s start, THE MAN IN GREY has much to recommend it. It stars James Mason, Margaret Lockwood, Phyllis Calvert and the fantastic Stewart Granger, and revolves around the downfall of the aristocratic Rohan family. Loveless marriage, the restoration of family image and a femme fatale all float around a household whose coat of arms read ‘who dishonours us dies’, which all combine to create not only an air of intrigue but also some high tension.
The film starts in the present, well the end of war time, in an auction room where the possessions of Lord Rohan, or the man in grey of the title, are being auctioned off. We are in the company of two surviving relations of the household who know little of their recent past, other than stories passed down by their families. The man is there to bid for a box, left by Clarissa Rohan, which has a collection of random invaluable items within. The auction house is closed down just at the start of bidding because they are approaching blackout hours and the film fades back in time to tell the stories of these two characters ancestors.
The opening of the flashback places us in a finishing school where the later named Clarissa Rohan meets Hesther Shaw. Clarissa is from the aristocracy and has a good natured, trusting but naive heart, while Hesther is from poor stock and an orphan. Clarissa makes it her duty to overcome class barriers and make Hesther like her, which she does, but only in this school environment. Time passes and Hesther runs away. Clarissa ends up at Lord Rohan’s (James Mason) and is quickly summonsed for marriage. Although loveless, she accepts and is left in no doubt that her only expectation is to provide a heir for Rohan. Time passes again and after bearing a child Clarissa is left to her own devices. One night she goes to the theater where she has heard that Hesther will be performing. On route, she gives Swinton Rodeby (Steward Granger) a lift and the seeds of love are sown. When they get to the theater, like all tidy scripts, both Hesther and Swinton are the two main leads. Clarissa then invites the down on her luck Hesther to come and work for her. She agrees and is introduced to The Man in Grey. He immediately understands that she is a lying, manipulative scag who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, which is to acquire this lifestyle in any way she can and by treading over whoever stands in her way…a fact that when stated leads The Man in Grey to fall for her, as he recognises himself in her.
Moving on, Hesther then invites Swinton to work at Rohan’s in a bid to get Clarissa to fall in love with him and leave Lord Rohan to her. A plot that has disastrous consequences for all involved and which will not be delved into in this review.
The film has the air of a decaying empire flooding through its narrative and the cold calculated and cruel world of the aristocracy is again laid bare in this British classic. The characters, whether rich or poor, are all drawn with their comic idiosyncrasies like in all older British films, with stand out background characters including the head of the finishing school and the periphery members of the aristocracy, who all weigh in with dialogue that is intentionally cringe worthy whilst at the same time establishing their power and comfort at being part of the elite. Granger puts in a strong performance that is both comic and direct, giving him the sense of being the true knowing moral anchor of the film. Mason is also very strong as the menacing Lord Rohan, who even in passing conversation, eludes an ‘out for oneself’ attitude that still to this day pervades much of what it means to be ‘traditionally’ English. Phyllis Calvert delivers a good unrelenting performance as the naïve bride who only sees good in people, which leaves Margaret Lockwood’s Hesther the space to be a truly twisted version of one who aims for more than she was born with. She twists and turns between the characters and shows a different face to all the films principle characters, so seamlessly in fact, that when one character leaves and another one enters it is hard to see that she is the same person…as the change is so delicate and well acted that even though her look always remains the same she appears totally different, which is no mean feat
The piece de la resistance of the film is a strong film script that ties together all the films motifs and characters. As an aside, the films of Wong Kar Wai and Kim Ki Duk, to use two well known present day directors, are well known for employing these story telling devices so it is interesting to see a small British film made before 1950 also using them to such a strong effect…even though the films remain very different. In THE MAN IN GREY, all the items from the box presented in the auction room during the opening scene all take on a deeper significance and again remind us of the fact that the days of the Rohan are almost up, or even that the days of the old empire are crumbling if you see it on a metaphoric level. The items all have a significance that outweigh the financial underpinnings of old aristocratic Victorian society and serve as a reminder that whatever good remains will not be something of Financial worth.
Presentation:
The DVD itself, apart from the navigational problems of the disc I checked, has an OK picture and sound quality. The picture jumps in a couple of places and the odd frame seems to have been unfortunately lost through time and the sound is presented without hiss and in its original mono form. Scratches appear on the picture from time to time but this didn’t affect the viewing experience to any extent.
Extras:
JAMES MASON: THE STAR THEY LOVED TO HATE (38 mins)
This is an old documentary from 1984 filmed just before James Mason died by Granada that provides a brief overview of his career and focuses on the villainous nature of his most famous roles…hence the title Although it doesn’t include all of his 180 odd film roles, it does float over the key stages in his life, from his rebellious start in England, to his international break in Hollywood. During 1937 and 38 he tells us that only 2 films a year were in production, so he and a few friends put up cash and decided to make their own films. This led to critical but not commercial success until he starred in THE SEVENTH VEIL and THE MAN IN GREY. Although insightful, we are informed at the start that the documentary has been edited for contractual reasons, which in this case means dropping clips from certain film studios. As an extra it is one from the vaults, one which many Mason fans would be pleased to have sat on their DVD shelf, if his fans have DVD shelves of course.
Overall:
The DVD has problems but it also has positives. The film itself is a classic of sorts and the bonus TV programme on Mason is a tidy addition. It is hard to see how this film will be cleaned up any more in the future and is clear and tidy enough to not distract you from the film. For the price that these old classics tend to go for on the market, you could make yourself a nice little bargain by buying this one. It has a strong story and a social commentary, and even though it is fictional, it will always be a critique of old England and it’s many prejudices. It is dramatic, tense in places, fun, always involving, has great acting, provides challenging ideas and also has a shocking ending. What more could you want!
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