Scandal (film)

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Movie
German title Scandal
Original title Scandal
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1989
length 115 minutes
Rod
Director Michael Caton-Jones
script Michael Thomas
production Stephen Woolley
music Carl Davis
camera Mike Molloy
cut Angus Newton
occupation

The 1989 British feature film Scandal deals with the Profumo affair that rocked the British government in 1963. In 1961, the Conservative War Minister John Profumo had had a sexual relationship with the same prostitute Christine Keeler who was with the Soviet naval attaché and spy Yevgeny Ivanov . After rumors about Profumo's relationship with Keeler surfaced, Profumo denied the sexual nature of the relationship in a statement to parliament. But soon he had to admit the false statement and he resigned. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan succeeded him a month later, and the Conservatives lost the election the following year.

The cinematic image of the time encompasses the turn from the old prudish to the pop-cultural awakening of the 1960s. Profumo and Ivanov are secondary characters in the film. The focus is on Keeler and the doctor Stephen Ward , with whom she lived and who introduced her to the highest circles in England. The film depicts Ward, played by John Hurt , as a vain and talkative charmer who visibly enjoys his recognition by the high society. The film is sympathetic to Keeler ( Joanne Whalley-Kilmer ), described in some reviews as beauty. Bridget Fonda was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 1990.

The material, initially intended as a BBC television broadcast, was shortened to a feature film after the station, which feared political anger, left the company. Directed by the debutant Michael Caton-Jones , who said he had researched a lot on the case, but then ignored the findings because it was more important to him to capture the zeitgeist. In the United States, the film was threatened with an " X " rating , which would have reduced its commercial opportunities. Therefore, in the man-with-mask scene, images showing a limb were cut out. The German-language critics saw the strengths of the film mainly in the detailed portrait of that time and in John Hurt's game. On the other hand, she missed a deepening of both the affair and the psychology of the characters and criticized an old man's voyeurism.

The soundtrack Nothing Has Been Proved was sung by Dusty Springfield on an album Reputation co-produced by the Pet Shop Boys .

action

19-year-old Christine Keeler, who comes from rural England, has moved to London. The attractive young woman works as a model and as a strip dancer in a night club. There she sees the respected osteopath Stephen Ward and takes care of her. Christine also gets to know the newly hired Mandy Rice-Davies , with whom she is fighting a kid's duel.

Because they are in a similar situation in life, Christine and Mandy soon become friends. Christine moves into Ward's apartment. Despite living together for years, Ward, who advocates a libertarian lifestyle, does not sleep with her. However, she takes part in a sex party that occurs when guests visit. In the exit, Ward, one of his friends and Christine try to smoke hashish and get to know Caribbean immigrants. Ward spends a weekend with Christine at the country estate of his friend, Lord Astor. She takes a bath in the garden pool and undresses when Lord Astor appears with companions. The Soviet naval attaché Ivanov, who is a friend of Ward, visits Christine several times in Ward's apartment and sleeps with her. During this time, Ward brings Christine together with Secretary of War John Profumo, who is very concerned that no one watches him and visits her in the same apartment. Christine walks through the beds of various powerful men. She enjoys the luxurious life while Ward is flattered by attending such high circles. However, the British secret service asked him to report suspicious facts about Ivanov, and Profumo ended his intercourse with Christine. A year later, Christine got involved with Johnny Edgecombe , a black man from the Caribbean, but does not want to have anything to do with the pushy man. He demands entry into the apartment and when she refuses, he fires several shots at the door. The police and reporters become aware of this. Ward explains to Christine that he cannot afford such stories and breaks up with her. She, who has developed a real love for him over the years, is deeply hurt and tells a reporter about her relationships with high-ranking men. Profumo claims before Parliament that he has had no “indecent” relationship with Christine. However, the judiciary is bringing the facts to light against Ward for pimping. Profumo admits the lie and resigns as minister. Lord Astor and the rest of the high society drop Ward, who takes his own life before the trial ends.

criticism

Wimpole Mews, down the street from Ward's apartment

The German-language criticism received the film in 1989 mixed. It provides insights into the sense of time, its value lies in the "atmospherically very precise reproduction of a time", but also only its "good reconstruction". Sometimes the image of society was conceded "satirical precision", sometimes clichés and missing nuances were accused. In addition to the statement that the film avoided "objectionable detailed discussions", it was said that Caton-Jones observed the provocative clothing "with the impartiality of a small-town voyeur", "up close and full-screen for the eternally yesterday's" better older gentlemen "among the audience" and show "perky games". "Gentlemen's jokes [...] served as a verbal replacement for missing hard-core scenes." The "soft porn deposits" are "about as tingling as a bath in port wine".

The chance to re-examine and evaluate the scandal politically and socially after a quarter of a century was seen as wasted. Without a “further analysis of the case”, the work offers little insight. It would correspond to the “end of the eighties, when looking back nostalgically and producing solid, good, but non-binding entertainment.” The film service contrasted the detailed equipment with the “superficial conception”. There was a lack of psychological depth in Ward and Keeler's relationship. The film is "serious and unimportant", one learns little about their inner workings and their conflicts. Similar to epd film : “In the attention to detail of the accessories, the suspected theme of the film is lost”, Ward's tragedy can only be assumed, it would not take place in the film. For Zoom , it's not a political thriller, but a re-edition of the Pygmalion theme. "[...] the development of their relationship over the course of the story is psychologically thought out. Fascination for one another turns into kinship, then conspiratorial companionship and finally to eternal fate. "

Criticism partly acknowledged that the film eschewed good and bad templates, and partly saw it “too quickly and too cheaply” on Keeler's side. Only Ward and the two women attributed liveliness to the script and direction, the other men had no charisma, said Der Spiegel : “Ian McKellen sums it up perfectly if he only gives his profumo charisma where politicians are most convincing groom: on my word of honor. ” Zoom found the strong point of the film equally in Hurt and Whalley-Kilmer, who played“ believable and convincing ”, others only mentioned Hurt, while the character of Keeler turned quite pale or the 25-year-old Whalley-Kilmer was miscast be too old for a party girl.

Review mirror

Rather positive

Mixed

Rather negative

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Fischer Film Almanach 1990. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1990. ISBN 3-596-10235-9 , pp. 344-345
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Rainer Weber: Alte Wunden , in: Der Spiegel , No. 28 of July 10, 1989, p. 168
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Karl-Eugen Hagmann: Scandal , in: film-dienst No. 14/1989
  4. ↑ a b c d e Klaus Hellwig: Scandal , in: epd Film No. 7/1989, p. 36
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Ella Kienast: Scandal , in: Zoom No. 13/1989, pp. 16-18